Plants and Animals of the Colorado Plateau: Woodland Zone
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Utah juniper leaves and berries.
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Two-needle pinyon pines can grow up to 20 feet tall and 20 feet wide when they are mature; they are called “two-needle” pinyon pine because two needles (leaves) are attached at each point on the stem. Compare this tree to Ponderosa pines and lodgepole pines in the Mountain Zone.
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Big sagebrush can be identified by its leaves: each leaf has three lobes at its end. Native Americans have used sagebrush for thousands of years for medicine, ceremonies, fiber, and dye.
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Alderleaf mountain mahogany; this 4- to 8-foot-tall shrub has seeds containing a hairy “tail.”
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Mule deer are commonly found in the Colorado Plateau’s Woodland Zone. How do you think they got their name? (Hint: Are those big ears or what?!)
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Common ravens are omnivores, which means they will eat anything available: roadkill, insects, eggs, seeds, berries, and even dung. These smart birds are known to store extra food away in secret hiding places for later. If a raven senses that another raven is watching where it is about to hide food, it will pretend to stash the food in one place, but will actually hide it in a different spot. Another fun fact: a group of ravens is called a “murder.”