The Deadly Mojave Desert
by Berit Zuch
Surviving The Heat
The Mojave Desert is the one point in the US with the hottest temperatures ever recorded. That also means that if your plane crashed in the middle of this deadly land you won't definitely have limits on how long you may survive. The Mojave Desert is located in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a desert climate, vast mountain ranges, and the temperatures range from 120 degrees Fahrenheit to below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. So from scorching hot to frosty cold right when the sun goes down. So how do you survive in this harsh environment? Here is some pointers on what to bring, what to do, and what to watch out for.
Steps for Survival
1. The first thing you need if you are stranded (anywhere) is to have a map handy. So if you are stranded in the Mojave Desert a glove box would come in handy.
2. The second thing you will need is water for the long journey back to a city on foot. It is very easy to get dehydrated in the desert and die without water.
3. The next thing you always need to survive is food like snacks at least for you to live. If you don't have food there are still spiders for your happy meal.
4. The last thing is very important, the proper clothing. For the day a light long sleeved shirt and jeans with closed toed shoes and a sun hat. For night just closed toed shoes so you don't get frost bite. Also what you wore at day time and a big coat.
Animals
There are definitely some animals in the Mojave Desert too. Almost all of them are deadly dangerous such as rattle snakes, scorpions, and black widows. The rattle snake is one you really need to look out for. It is definitely not helpful to you in the desert when you are stranded alone. Its bite contains very damaging venom that will not help your walk home. Most rattle snakes can control how much venom that they release, but it could still damage tissue and can cause disrupted blood clotting. So a rattle snake isn't really the best meal in the desert.
Plants
Most of the plants are bad to like the fox tail cactus, the prickly poppy, and the cotton-top cactus. The fox-tail cactus is not one you want to play with ether. It is not helpful to you, it is not edible, and it's sharp pricks are very harmful, but it is not poisonous.