The cardón cactus is the world’s largest species of cactus and is found only in Mexico! You can find cardones in the states of Sonora, Baja California, and, of course, Baja California Sur. These cactuses can live for over 300 years, weigh over 25 tons and can grow to be 70 feet tall!
The Baja Peninsula (Baja California and Baja California Sur) is also home to the Baja California bark scorpion (see if you can find it in the picture to the side!). The area has a large diversity of scorpions, but this species is by far the most common.
The cardón cactus is typically a light green color and is covered in spines to protect it from predators eating it as a snack. They grow very slowly, but even the younger ones are taller than most people. They also grow very wide, with new trunks continuing to grow as they age.
The Baja California bark scorpion is fairly small, normally about three inches long. They are a pale tan color, and sometimes even look translucent (see-through). They have a thin tail with a stinger on the end, and when they feel threatened, they raise their tail and open their pincers to scare away predators.
