All About the Saguaro Cactus Mini Books
Created and designed by Debbie Martin All About The Saguaro Cactus Mini Books The Whole Word Publishing The Word, the whole Word and nothing but the Word." Copyright May 2010 by Debbie Martin 3627 D St. Bremerton, Wa 98312 All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the individual purchaser to reproduce his book in whole or in part for non commercial individual or classroom use only. Permission is not granted for school wide system wide reproduction of materials. Clipart public domain.
The Saguaro Cactus The saguaro (pronounced suh-wah-roe) also known as Carnegiea gigantea is a large, treesized cactus species. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, a small part of Baja California in the San Felipe Desert and an extremely small area of California. The Sonoran Desert is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, with an area of 311,000 square kilometers (120,000 sq mi). The desert contains a variety of unique plants and animals, such as the saguaro cactus. How do you pronounce saguaro and what is it's other name? Cut out above picture add to lapbook. Directions: Cut out booklet. Fold in half. Write inside and glue into lapbook.
Describe where the saguaro is native to. How many kilometers and miles is the Sonoran Desert? Directions: Cut out booklet fold in half. Answer question. Write inside. Cut out map. Color is desired. Glue into booklet. Glue completed booklet into lapook. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Color picture and cut out and glue into lapbook. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The Sonoran Desert The Sonoran Desert is home to 60 mammal species, 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, over 100 reptile species, 30 native fish species, over 1000 native bee species, and more than 2000 native plant species. The Sonoran Desert area southwest of Tuscon, Arizona and near the Mexican border is vital habitat for the only population of Jaguars living within the United States the Arizonan Jaguar. The Sonoran Desert is a vital habitat for the only population of what animal? The Sonoran is the only place in the world where the famous saguaro cactus grows in the wild. Cholla, beavertail, hedgehog, fishook, prickly pear, night blooming cereus and organ pipe are other species of cactus found there. Cactus provide food and homes to many desert mammals and birds, with showy flowers in reds, pinks, yellows, and whites blooming most commonly from late March through June, depending on the species and seasonal temperatures. Name the different cacti that grow in the Sonoran desert.
Cholla Cactus Beavertail Cactus Hedgehog Cactus Fishook Cactus Prickly Pear Cactus Night Blooming Cereus Organ Pipe Cactus Saguaro Cactus Directions: These cards are pictures of cacti found in the Sonoran desert. Cut out the cards and put them in pocket on next page. Glue into lapbook.
Cactus of the Sonoran Desert ** Directions: For pocket. Cut out. Fold in half and lightly glue sides but not the top to make a pocket for your cards on previous page. **
How does it grow? file ple m Sa The exposed wooden ribs of a dead saguaro cactus. The saguaro is the largest cactus in the United States. Most of the saguaros roots are only 4-6 inches deep and radiate out as far from the plant as it is tall. There is one deep root, or tap root that extends down into the ground more than 2 feet. After the saguaro dies its woody ribs can be used to build roofs, fences, and parts of furniture. Describe the roots of a saguaro. After the saguaro dies what can it's wood be used for? ** Directions: Cut out booklets. fold in half. Answer questions, write inside. Glue in lapbook. **
Sa m ple file The range of the saguaro is limited by freezing temperatures in winter. Saguaros are also limited by elevation. They are generally found growing from sea level to approximately 4,000 feet in elevation. Saguaros growing higher than 4,000 feet are usually found on south facing slopes where freezing temperatures are less likely to occur or are shorter in duration. Why do saguaros only grow to about 4,000 ft and not higher? Did you know? The saguaro blossom is the State Wildflower of Arizona. Directions: Cut out booklets, fold in half. Answer questions, write inside, glue into lapbook. Cut out the Did you Know? section. Glue into lapbook.
Saguaros are a very slow growing cactus. A 10 year old plant might only be one and a half inches tall. These tiny, young saguaros are very hard to find as they grow under the protection of a nurse tree, most often a palo verde tree, ironwood or mesquite tree. (A nurse tree is a larger, faster growing tree that shelters a smaller, slower growing tree or plant. The nurse tree can provide shade, shelter from wind, or protection from animals who would feed on the smaller plant.) As the saguaro continues to grow, its much older nurse tree may die. Some scientists believe that competition from the saguaro may lead to the death of the nurse tree by taking water and nutrients from the soil in the immediate area as young saguaros are often seen near trees, but old saguaros are not. Sa m ple file Young saguaros a under nurse tree What is a nurse tree and why is important to the saguaro? Directions: Cut out booklet. Write inside. Glue into lapbook.
Sa m ple file Branches normally begin to appear when a saguaro reaches 50 to 70 years of age. In areas that don't get as much rain, it may take up to 100 years before arms appear. A saguaro can grow to be between 40-60 feet tall (12-18m). When rain is plentiful and the saguaro is fully hydrated it can weigh 12,000 pounds or more! When do branches first appear on the saguaro and when do they appear if they do not get much rain? When full of water, how much can a saguaro weigh? Directions: Cut out booklets, fold in half. Answer questions, write inside, glue into lapbook.
Sa m ple file Because most of a saguaro is made up of water, an adult plant may weigh 6 tons or more. This tremendous weight is supported by a circular skeleton of interconnected, woody ribs. The number of ribs inside the plant correspond to the number of pleats on the outside of the plant. The pleats also allow the plant to expand while it is absorbing rainwater, and to shrink when using its stores of water. Without the pleats, damage would occur to the plant s skin. Even so, a saguaro may take in more water than its pleats will allow. When this happens, the skin splits into an open wound. If this split does not heal quickly, bacteria may get into the warm, moist tissue of the plant and possibly kill the plant. Downward pointing spines are designed to direct rainwater to the roots by dripping off the ends of the cactus spines to the ground where the water can be absorbed rapidly by the roots. In addition to protecting the plant from hungry or thirsty animals, spines provide shade during hot summer days and warmth on cold winter nights. Spines also help prevent water loss due to dry winds. The spines also help to cool the outer skin, redirect the wind and insulate the plant. Directions: Cut out booklet. Fold n half. Answer questions, write inside booklet. Glue into lapbook. How is the tremendous weight of the saguaro supported?
Sa m ple file What do the pleats of the saguaro cactus do? What would happen if the saguaro drank in too much water? What do the spines on the saguaro do? Directions: Cut out booklets, fold in half. Answer questions, write inside, glue into lapbook.
Flowers Sa m ple file When a saguaro reaches 35 years of age it begins to produce flowers. Though normally found at the end of the main trunk and arms, flowers may also occur down the sides of the plant. Flowers will continue to be produced throughout a saguaro s lifetime. Saguaro flowers bloom for less than 24 hours. They are white in color about 3 inches (8cm) in diameter. They emit a strong smell. The night blooming flowers appear April through May and the sweet, ruby-colored fruit matures by late June. The saguaro's fruit is red. Each fruit contains 1,200 to 2,000 tiny black seeds, the size of poppy seeds. One saguaro may produce 40 million seeds in its lifetime. Only 1 out of 1,000 of those seeds will survive, thats only one or two per fruit! How old does a saguaro have to be before it produces flowers? Describe the saguaro's flowers. Directions: Cut out booklets, fold in half. Answer questions, write inside, glue into lapbook.
How many seeds does each fruit on the saguaro contain? How many seeds will the saguaro produce in its lifetime? How many seeds will survive? Sa m ple file Directions: Cut out booklet. Fold in half, answer questions, write inside. Next, cut out saguaro seeds card and glue into booklet. Glue completed booklet into lapbook. Cut out Did you know? section. Glue into lapbook. Saguaro seeds Did you know? The Arizona state quarter released in 2008 has a picture of a saguaro cactus on it.
Po llinat io n Sa m ple file During the night the flowers of the saguaro are pollinated by the lesser long-nosed bat and the Mexican long-tongued bat feeding on the nectar from the night-blooming flowers, which often remain open in the morning. Amino acids in the pollen help sustain lactation in bats (lactation is: milk production in female bats to feed their young). During the daytime the flowers are pollinated by bees. As many as 1000 species of bees are distributed within the Sonoran Desert region. Birds such as the white-winged dove also help pollinate the saguaros flowers during the day. The flowers remain open into the daylight hours and produce more nectar after sunrise. They open at night and remain open through the next day. They only have that very short time to attract an animal to be pollinated. Name the two bats that pollinate the saguaro at night. What helps to sustain lactation in bats? For above booklet. Cut out, fold on dotted lines. Write inside. How many bee species are there in the Sonoran Desert? What is the name of one of the birds that help pollinate the saguaro during the day? For booklets other that the small bat booklet. Cut out, fold in half. Write inside. Glue into lapbook.
Sa m ple file The Lesser Long-nosed Bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) is a bat found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and the United States in California, Arizona and New Mexico. Lesser long-nosed bats live approximately 20 years. Adult Lesser Long-Nosed Bats are yellow-brown or gray above, with rusty brown fur below. Their tails are short and their ears are small. They have a triangular nose leaf that juts from the end of their noses. These bats are small weighing only 0.4 to 0.7 ounces (1.2 to 20 gm). They are 2.5 to 3 inches long with a 14 inch wingspan. It can reach flight speeds up to 14 miles per hour. They feed mainly on nectar from night-blooming plants such as the saguaro, Organ Pipe cactus, as well as the century plant and other agave plants. They are important pollinators of night-blooming cactus. They give birth to a single pup in May. Thousands of these bats will spend their day roosting in caves or mines. Caves and abandoned mines offer general safety from predators, provide the proper temperature, are used as maternity sites, and places to rest during migration. Where does the Lesser Long-nosed Bat live? What does the Lesser Long-nosed bat eat? For booklets. Cut out, fold in half. Write inside. Glue into lapbook.
Where is the Mexican Long-tongued Bat found? Sa m ple file The Mexican Long-tongued Bat (Choeronycteris mexicana) is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and in the United States this species is found in the southern parts of California, New Mexico, and Arizona. Mexican long-tongued bats feed on nectar and pollen from agaves and other plants. These bats' tongues can extend up to a third of their body length, a feature which makes them uniquely equipped to reach nectar deep inside an agave or cactus blossom. In southern Arizona, long-tongued bats often get nectar from neighborhood hummingbird feeders as well. The young are born well-furred for additional warmth in the cool mountain canyons where this species roosts. Describe the tongue of the The Mexican Long-tongued Bat. For booklets. Cut out, fold in half. Write inside. Glue into lapbook.
Parts of a Bat Directions: Cut out diagram of bat. Color of desired. Next cut out pocket. Fold in half. Lightly glue the bottom and side but not top to make a pocket. Next fold diagram in thirds. Put into pocket (make sure glue is dry).glue into lapbook.
The White-winged Dove is a dove whose native range extends from the south-western USA through Mexico and the Caribbean. It has also been introduced to Florida. White-winged Doves are large, pigeons. They are brownish-gray above and gray below, with a bold white wing patch that appears as a brilliant white crescent in flight and is also visible at rest. Adults have a patch of blue, featherless skin around each eye and a long, dark mark on the lower face. Their eyes, legs, and feet are red. The White-winged Dove inhabits scrub, woodlands, desert, and cultivated areas. It builds a flimsy stick nest in a tree and lays two creamcolored to white, unmarked eggs. White-winged Doves feed on a variety of seeds, grains, and fruits. Western White-winged Doves migrate into the Sonoran Desert to breed during the hottest time of the year because they feed on pollen and nectar, and later on the fruits and seeds of the saguaro cactus. Directions: Cut out booklets. Answer questions. Write inside, glue into lapbook. Where does the Whitewinged dove live? What does the Whitewinged dove eat?
Saguaro Fruit After the flowers of the saguaro have been pollinated, they mature into bright red fruit. When the fruit ripens it splits open showing juicy red pulp. The fruit are highly edible and prized by local people. Ripe fruit is an excellent source of food and moisture for many desert animals. Some of those animals include finches, woodpeckers, doves, bats, tortoise, javelina and coyote. Humans also eat the fruit of the saguaro. Tohono O'odham Indians have been harvesting the fruit for as long as they have lived in the desert. What animals feed on the saguaro's fruit? Directions: Cut out booklets, fold in half. Write inside glue into lapbook. What Indian tribe harvests the saguaro fruit?
Tohono O' odham Indians For years, many have known the people as Papago, but during the 1980s, Papago was officially changed to the Tohono O'odham, meaning Desert People in the O'odham language. The O'odham were seasonal farmers who took advantage of the rains. They grew crops such as sweet Indian corn, beans (tapery), squash, lentils and melons. They also took advantage of native plants, such as saguaro fruits, mesquite tree beans, cholla buds and mesquite candy (sap from the mesquite tree). At present very few O'odham farm due to lack of pumping of underground water. The O'odhams are well known for their basket weaving. O'odham baskets were used as household wares, such as food containers, medicine and trinket holders and strainers for liquids. Baskets have progressed to an art, where weavers can express themselves in various patterns and designs. Directions: Cut out booklets. Fold in half. Write inside. Glue into lapbook. What was the first name of the Tohono O'odham tribe and what does their name mean? The Tohono O'odham tribe is know for their basket weaving. What were the baskets used for? As farmers, what types of food did the Tohono O'odham Indians grow and eat?
While not necessarily from the Thono O'odham tribe. Below are native American woven baskets. So you can get an idea of what they look like. Cut out basket cards. Then cut out pocket at the bottom of the page. Fold pocket in half. Glue the bottom and side but not the top to make a pocket for your basket cards. Native American Baskets
How does the saguaro eat? As with most plants, cacti make their food through a process called photosynthesis,the process by which green plants convert sunlight into energy. Unlike most plants that only take in carbon dioxide (CO2) during the day, cacti make use of a complex form of carbon dioxide fixation known as Crassulacean Acid Metabolism, or CAM. Directions: Cut out booklets. Fold in half. Write inside, Glue into lapbook. What is the special form of carbon dioxide that saguaros use? This method of taking in carbon dioxide reduces the amount of water lost to the atmosphere because the stomata (pores) are open only at night when temperatures are lower and humidities are higher. The plant changes the carbon dioxide into four-carbon compounds, which are largely malic acid, and stores it overnight. (Malic acid is the active ingredient in many sour or tart foods. Malic acid is found mostly in unripe fruits.) What is malic acid?
The following day, with sunlight as its energy source, the plant completes its cycle of photosynthesis. As a result of the special form of carbon dioxide known as Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM), the liquids within many cacti are very acidic (very sour). So if you were in the desert and wanted to get water from a saguaro you would have to be pretty thirsty because the water would be very bitter and sour. Is the water inside of most cacti good to drink? Why? Do you know what a Cristate Saguaro is? While most saguaro cacti grow in a typical fashion, a few individuals will grow in an atypical form known as a cristate or crested saguaro. These interesting looking forms often grow as a crest, but may also take other shapes such as balls or blobs. Directions: Cut out booklet, fold in half, write inside. Glue into lapbook. Cut out the Do you know? section and glue into lapbook.
Nests Native birds such as Gila woodpeckers, purple martins, house finches and gilded flickers live inside holes in saguaros. Flickers excavate larger holes higher on the stem. The nest cavity is deep, the parents and young entirely hidden from view. The saguaro creates callus tissue on the wound. When the saguaro dies, and soft flesh rots the callus remains behind. The Gila woodpeckers create new nest holes each season rather than reuse the old ones, leaving convenient nest holes for other animals, especially elf owls. Gila Woodpecker The Gila Woodpecker This woodpecker's habitat consists of low desert scrub typical of the Sonoran desert. They build nests in holes made in saguaro cacti or mesquite trees. Cavities excavated by these woodpeckers in saguaro cacti are later used by a variety of other species, including the Elf Owl. There, they usually lay 3-5 white eggs. They range from 8-10 in (20-25 cm) in length. This woodpecker's voice is a rolling churr sound. It also makes a yip yip yip sound and a kee-u, kee-u, kee-u sound. Directions: On this page and pages following are bird cards. These birds are birds that live in the saguaro cactus. One card is a picture of the bird the other is a description. Following is also a pocket to store the cards in and glue into your lapbook. Cut out cards and then put together pocket. Directions for pocket are on same page as the pocket.
Purple Martin male female House Finch The Purple Martin Is the largest North American swallow. These "aerial acrobats" have speed and agility in flight, and when approaching their housing, will dive from the sky at great speeds with their wings tucked. Martins make their nests in cavities, either natural or artificial. They often make use of natural cavities such as old woodpecker holes in trees or the saguaro cactus. Purple Martins catch insects from the air. The birds are agile hunters and eat a variety of winged insects. Rarely, they will come to the ground to eat insects. The House Finch Originally only a resident of Mexico and the southwestern United States, they were introduced to eastern North America in the 1940s. House Finches forage on the ground or in vegetation normally. They primarily eat grains, seeds, berries, weed seeds such as nettle and dandelion; and small insects such as aphids. Nests are made in cavities, including openings in buildings, hanging plants, and other cup-shaped outdoor decorations and nests abandoned by other birds are used. Dandelion seeds are among the preferred seeds feed to their young.
Gilded Flicker Elf Owl The Gilded Flicker Is a large-sized woodpecker of the Sonoran, Yuma, and eastern Colorado Desert regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico including all of the Baja Peninsula except the extreme northwestern region. Golden yellow underwings distinguish the Gilded Flicker from the Northern Flicker found within the same region, which have red underwings. The Gilded Flicker most frequently builds its nest hole in the saguaro cactus. Northern Flickers, nest in riparian trees and very rarely inhabit saguaros. The Elf Owl Breeds in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is the world's smallest owl, followed closely by the Pygmy owl. They are 5-12 inches tall and have a wingspan of 15-16 inches and short tails. They are 1-1.4 ounces. They can often be heard just after dusk or at sunset, calling to each other. Their call is a high pitched whinny or chuckle. Elf Owls usually choose abandoned, north-facing woodpecker cavities in the saguaro cactus, sycamores, cottonwoods and other hardwood trees, to raise their young. There the female lays three round white eggs. The eggs are incubated for about 3 weeks before the chicks hatch.
Nests of the Saguaro ** To make a pocket for your cards. Cut out pocket. Fold in half. Lightly glue sides but not the top to make a pocket for your cards. Glue into lapbook. **