The MexAmerica region extends across a wide variety of physical environments. It includes large areas such as Pheonix, Tucson, El Paso, San Antonio, and Texas. It is not defined by common physical or economic characteristics yet it is a region that is rapidly growing. Many people who live in this region share the same Latino ancestry and culture. The Rio Grande is a physical boundary of the MexAmerican region and west of El Paso is a geometric boundary. The landforms represent southern extensions of the mountain ranges to the north of MexAmerica such as the Rocky Mountains. Much of this area is arid and rugged with mountains and isolated peaks. East and South of Big Bend National Park, the land becomes less rugged and is much flatter.
A common characteristic of the entire region is its hot, dry weather. The mountains of California and northwestern Mexico block much of the moisture coming onshore from the Pacific Oceans. Areas east of these mountains are extremely dry. Some of the driest regions are Death Valley, California; Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, and the Chihuhuan Desert of eastern Arizona. A key feature of the Mojave Desert and the Sonoran Desert is the desert tortoise. This reptile is the official state animal of two states that are a part MexAmerica. Desert tortoises live in the deserts of MexAmerica and are able to live where ground temperature may exceed 140 degrees F. These giant tortoises could grow up to 14 inches and they are able to adapt to the heat because they dig underground burrows to escape the high temperatures. At least 95% of their lives are spent in burrows to protect themselves from the heat as well as freezing temperatures. A threat to this reptile is poaching for sale in the pet trade, habitat fragmentation, and habitat destruction as land continues to develop. Today, the population of desert tortoises have declined as much as 90% since the 1980s. However, it is unlawful to hunt, harm, harass, or collect the wild desert tortoise.
New York
Just as the desert tortoise is known as the state reptile for two states in the MexAmerican region, the beaver is the official state animal for the state of New York. The beaver was adopted as the state animal in 1974. Beavers are unique animals with broad, scaly, and flat tails and lustrous fur with the capability to change a landscape that is second to humans. They have webbed hind-feet, poor eyesight, but a great sense of hearing, smell, and touch. They live in dam streams in shallow valleys and prefer flooded areas that stream into wetlands. They are important to natural water flow and erosion control because beavers build dams in order to create ponds in which they live. These are called beaver lodges and they serve to protect the beavers from coyotes, wolves, and bears. Beavers work by carrying mud and stones with their paws and timber between their teeth and they usually work during the nighttime. Their favorite food is the water-lily which grows at the bottom of lakes and rivers.
http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/New_York/animal_beaver.html