Primary+Producers+and+Consumers+Desert

=__**Primary Producers**__= (B1)
 * Fremont Cottonwood**

Cottonwood is characteristic for its seeds which it produces in the spring which is similar cotton. Cottonwood trees are important to the desert biome because their broad leaves and lofty branches provide much-needed shade from the blazing sun. They usually grow along streams and provide adequate roosting and nesting places for animals of the desert (B2).

(B3)
 * Soaptree Yucca**

Soaptree Yucca is one of the most characteristic plants of the Chihuahuan Desert. This plant is used to make a popular substitute for soap from its soapy material found in its roots and trunks. The tree also has many other uses like its coarse fibers were used by Native Americans for leaves of their weaving basket. In times of drought, farmers use Soaptree Yucca's chopped trunks and leaves as an emergency cattle field (B4).

(B5)
 * Skunkbush Sumac**

Skunkbush Sumac is a low-growing, bushy shrub found in clumps along rocky terrains. When the leaves of the Skunkbush Sumac are crushed, the smell of a strong bitter or medicinal scent. Hence the name Skunkbush Sumac. This producer is often used for therapeutic purposes. The bark of this herb has been chewed and also brewed to prepare a drink for treating symptoms related to cold. The berries are consumed for alleviating gastrointestinal disorder symptoms and the leaves, as well as the roots of the Skunkbush Sumac, are boiled and then eaten to treat several different problems (B6).

=**__Consumers__**= (B7)
 * Carnivore:** Diamondback Rattlesnake

Contrary to popular belief, the diamondback rattlesnake usually is docile unless provoked. The rattlesnake also produces venom when provoked. They are very solitary animals, coming together only in the mating season. They usually eat house pets such as rats and mice. The average length is 5.5 feet, and their average weight is 5 lbs (B8).

(B9)
 * Herbivore:** Desert Cottontail

The desert cottontail is one of the most adaptable mammals. Its large ears circulate blood through its body's extremities. Many of the rabbits are born in litters, with up to six babies being born per litter, and a female may give birth to four or five litters throughout their lifetime. 90% of a cottontail's diet consists of plants, and a cottontail also eats its own feces, since the grasses they eay are hard to digest the first time around. The average length of a cottontail is 13-17 inches, and the average weight is 2-3 lbs (B10).

(B11)
 * Omnivore:** Coyote

Although the coyote is displayed negatively in popular culture, it is an important species necessary to the desert biome. It is a tertiary consumer, but it is very adaptable, eating fish, rodents, rabbits, frogs, deer, and even fruits and vegetables if necessary. Coyotes are very sociable animals, with them forming hunting packs. Mates usually stay together for life, and they raise their offspring together. Their weight can range from 20-50 lbs, their height ranges from 32-37 inches, and their length (from head to tail) is usually 16 inches (B12).

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