Do Humans Live In The Chihuahuan Desert?

The Chihuahuan desert is one of the most well-known deserts in the world. It is one of the largest deserts on the North American continent, and it is known for its biological diversity. It covers the northern parts of Mexico and the southwestern parts of the United States. Since it is placed in such a densely populated area, many are probably wondering if people are living in the desert.

The answer to that question is yes; there are people living within the cities that are located in the Chihuahuan desert. No people are living directly in the desert, but several cities can be found there. Some of them include El Paso, Las Cruces, Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua City. There are several millions of people living in these cities.

Life In The Desert

The Chihuahuan desert is large; it spreads across roughly 200,000 square miles. It is the largest hot desert in North America, and it is spread across six states in Mexico and some parts of New Mexico and Texas. The Chihuahuan desert is placed between two large Mexican mountain ranges, the western and the eastern Sierra Madre. 

The Chihuahuan desert has unfavorable living conditions, mostly because of the weather. During the day, it can get scorching, and when the nighttime hits, it becomes freezing. This does not prevent the desert from containing many exciting lifeforms. Some of them include mountain lions, mule deers, prairie dogs, and Mexican wolves. The prairie dogs in this desert are especially interesting because it is a specific subspecies called the black-tailed prairie dog, and it is extremely rare. 

Desert Cities

All in all, there are about 120 different species of mammals and almost 300 bird species found in the Chihuahuan desert. While there are no humans found in the wilderness of the desert, there are several cities placed on the outside edges of it. This means that there are plenty of people technically living in the Chihuahuan desert. Cities such as  El Paso or Las Cruces are not that small and are bustling with life. They do make for a gorgeous image, seeing a metropolis such as El Paso in the middle of the desert is a beautiful sight, one that is not easily forgotten. 

Not only are there animals and humans living in this desert, but plant life is also extraordinary as well. It is estimated that over 400 different species of cactus can be found in the Chihuahuan desert. There are also plenty of oases and desert pools that can be found there, and one can stumble upon various species of fish and other marine life forms there. Some can’t be found anywhere else, such as the pupfish and cichlids. 

People that live in the cities around the Chihuahuan desert mostly work in agriculture, and they use the small amounts of water that are available for irrigation or to feed the cattle. Things like these can disturb the balance of nature in the desert, and certain measures are being taken by the state and national governments in collaboration with ranchers to try and upkeep it. With time, humanity has become more aware of the damage we are doing to nature, and we must try and repair all of the deterioration we’ve caused throughout history. There are many plants and animals in this desert that deserve to be preserved, and we must do our best to try and keep nature intact.