ABSTRACT
A diversity of rodents live in the Sonoran Desert. Basically, they occur either in desert shrub or riparian woodland along rivers flowing through the desert. The desert shrub habitat is predominantly palo verde-saguaro, with ironwood abundant along washes and minor areas or creosote bush. The riparian woodland habitats consist of cottonwood, mesquite, and infrequent tamarisk stands. Cottonwood stands may extend to 200 m or more in width paralleling the rivers. Tamarisk occurs on low floodplains and sandbars along the rivers. Seasonal activity and reproductive patterns of desert rodents are related to environmental factors, especially the timing and quantity of precipitation. The riparian woodlands in the Sonoran Desert provide a less extreme environment for rodents compared to desert shrub habitat.
