Bolsón de Mapimí Biosphere Reserve

Today a desert, Bolsón de Mapimí, was once an ancient ocean called Tethys. Then, it was a tropical forest, and more recently, it was made up of a series of bodies of water that fed into two rivers—the powerful Río Nazas and Aguanaval. The Bolsón de Mapimí Biosphere Reserve in particular is teeming with diverse forms of life. There are 350 plant species, 270 vertebrates, and endangered endemic species such as Bolson tortoises (AKA Mexican giant tortoises), red-tailed hawks, prairie falcon, turkey vultures, common kestrels, woodpeckers, mule deer, and other species.