Stop 1 of the "Signs of Life in the Desert" self-guided tour.

Stop 1. Crevices in the Wall

When the Park Service built this wall, their main objective was probably retaining the soil and bordering the trail. They likely were not creating habitat, but that is what happened. These huge slabs of flagstone (sandstone) provide cracks and fissures for all kinds of small animals. Look for spider webs, rodent droppings, and dirt excavated from beneath along the length of this wall.

If it’s a sunny day, look along the tops of the rocks to find lizards sunning themselves. At night this wall is alive with running crab spiders and bark scorpions, among many other small invertebrate animals. And the “caution” sign with the rattlesnake depicted on it is not just there for the entertainment of visitors: the crevices in this wall are often used by snakes of many kinds, including rattlesnakes.