A Step into the Desert: Amazing Animals
- Joshua Venturo
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
©2026 by Joshua Venturo
Much of the American West is dry rocky land dotted with small patches of brown or soft green bushes. Lofty mountains soar upward from tree-covered valleys, but in most places, once the sweeping ridges give way to lower, more predictable hills, dry grassland or desert prevails. In Arizona, saguaros push toward the sun through the rocky hillsides, slowly soaking in any water available. In California, strange-looking Joshua trees, with their long, pointed leaves, crowd the desert valleys. All among the rocky hills, in winding canyons and on high tablelands, cactuses slowly swell and grow round and large. At night, the howls of coyotes echo through the hills, bouncing off sheer walls and filtering into the silent cracks between stacked boulders.
If you look closely, you can often find the creatures of the desert. A tiny rustle in the sagebrush. A streak of brown as a lizard scampers over a rock. The smug croak of a coal-black raven. To those who listen and look, the desert abounds with amazing animals.
The Roadrunner—
He is smart, and wily, yet forgetful. He is also curious—and bold. Anyone who sees the crested face of a roadrunner peeping around a bush cannot help but give it whatever it wants—which is usually tasty bits of food. But wait . . . what is that? He tilts his neck toward the sky . . . but it is only the buzz of a plane. He runs a short way, stops, cranes his neck to peer around a bush, and runs again, over the dirt road and out of view. He will be back. If he knows he can get food. For now he is about his ceaseless, tireless daily tasks.
Desert Hairy Scorpion—
The scorpion is ugly. But he does not know it. He thinks only of himself as he creeps under and over rocks, looking for prey. His tiny eyes peer out of a crack. Then, something in his crusty head clicks. He has seen something. His eyes narrow to slits. Who has dared to come into his realm? It doesn't matter that the intruders are humans, hundreds of times his size! He jumps out of hiding, the fierce jabs of his stinger almost making him turn a somersault! But we are safely out of reach.
Coyote—
The coyote trots amiably through the desert, simply enjoying the warm sunshine. He does not worry; he does not have to! He knows he can defend himself against any attacker the desert holds. He is waiting for night. He is excited to do what he is made to do. Which is howl to his heart’s content as he runs through the desert. And wake up sleeping people . .
The animals of the desert, and in fact, all animals on the earth, are made to do certain things. They cannot change it. Unlike animals, we have a choice about the things we do. Yet, like animals, we will be happiest doing what God has made us to do. Submitting to God’s will is not a sacrifice; it is for our good because in God’s presence is fullness of joy. (See Psalms 16:11). Seek God’s will through prayer, and you will find true joy in His plan.
Fascinated by the desert? Check out this post about our adventure trying to camp in the desert with no natural water sources!
Video by Joshua Venturo. Photos by Jenny and Joshua Venturo.
