Desert animals

HAIRY DESERT SCORPION

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Among the many scorpion species that call deserts home, the hairy desert scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis) is a standout. These sorpions can measure between 4 and 7 inches (10.2 to 17.8 cm) long, according to Utah's Hogle Zoo, making them North America's largest scorpions. Though they are a drab olive-green color, hairy desert scorpions fluoresce under ultraviolet (UV) light. No one knows exactly why scorpions fluoresce, but the best way to find these shy nocturnal predators is to take a UV light into the desert on a summer night, when they tend to be most active. 
Hairy desert scorpions are found in North America's Sonoran and Mojave deserts, as well as in Nevada and Utah. When looking to mate, male and female hairy desert scorpions lock pincers in a mating dance that looks more like a wrestling match. In fact, if the male does not flee quickly after depositing his sperm, he might find himself becoming his mate's next meal. 
Females gestate their young for six to 12 months, live-birthing up to 35 babies that piggyback on their mother's carapace until they're large enough to hunt on their own. Fortunately for humans, desert hairy scorpions would rather flee than sting, and their venom is relatively weak. For most people, the sting is similar to a bee's sting. 
HARRIS'S HAWK

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Harris's hawks (Parabuteo unicinctus) are oddities in the falcon world. These impressive red-winged raptors sometimes hunt in packs, working together to pursue their prey around bushes, thickets and the saguaro cactuses of Arizona's Sonoran desert. The birds eat lizards, other birds and small desert mammals such as kangaroo rats and ground squirrels. When they catch large prey, they'll share the meat with their fellow hunters, according to the conservation nonprofit Audubon.
These birds also often work in groups to raise their young. Two males may mate with a single female, and the trio work together peacefully to raise any ensuing hatchlings. Hawk siblings help each other, too; an older brood from earlier in the season may stick around to bring food to younger broods.