The Desert Museum's newest habitat exhibit, Life on the Rocks, highlights some of the smaller species found in the rocky environments of the Sonoran Desert. It is not one exhibit, but many, and is laid out as a narrow canyon with exhibits on both sides.

Some exhibits are spacious, mesh-topped enclosures with natural soil and vegetation; others are glass-fronted crevices or cut-away burrows in simulated soil banks. Every few steps along the path yields a new discovery - a shiny, marble-sized black widow spider hangs upside down from her irregular web in a shallow, rocky recess.

It is easy to forget that Life on the Rocks is a constructed habitat when you're walking through it. The rocks look real, the plants are thriving, and the entire experience feels quite natural.

The Desert Museum's reputation for developing innovative exhibits continues with the Life on the Rocks exhibit. Many of its features are one-of-a-kind, the product of much experimentation and persistent fine-tuning. We invite you to come out and visit and see this exciting new habitat for yourself!