"This is a land of harsh contradiction" " hot, dry and rocky yet built up and cut away by water." "Only the toughest survive or those who have made extraordinary adaptations to life in the wild west" "Iconic, colossal and unforgiving" " this is Canyonlands." "Canyonlands is harsh, survival here is hard-won and the game never ends." "For millennia predator and prey have faced each other in this unforgiving arena." "The mountain lion's strategy combines cunning, stealth and sudden speed." "The mule deer's relies on early warning." "It's a closely pitched match." "Timing is everything the mountain lion must hit the perfect mark between getting close enough for a strike and blowing its cover." "It's a no win for the lion or a scavenging raven." "Flight gives the raven the freedom of the 100,000 square kilometres of rocky landscape that make up the canyon country in the southwest of the United States." "It's a clever opportunist, ready to hunt or scavenge anything it can find as it roams the empty skies." "Maybe its freedom and character inspired Native Americans to look on the soaring raven as a sacred spirit ¡­ and a Creator of the land." "And to many this land means the wild west but its history goes back way beyond human imagination." "Over hundreds of millions of years, the elements have sculpted solid stone into forms that leave us speechless in awe." "One way, or another, water is responsible for this master work." "Water scoured rock and carved colossal canyons." "Torrents of water from flashfloods, trickles from occasional rain, freezing water from snowmelt in the mountains and hidden water in underground streams." "Water from primordial floods and even from ancient warm seas that covered and recovered this land a score of times, and finally left it as a desert where water is scarce and valuable." "All along, time has worked as a partner with water and 320 million years on they still shape this land." "Mammals have roamed the Earth for 200 million years but only those that can cope with the harsh conditions of Canyonlands have made this their home" "For a young bobcat, newly free of its mother, much has to be learned very quickly." "Adults are solitary, and this youngster must stake a claim on a viable territory of its own." "These territories are marked out with invisible sign posts like scent and urine, and the best ones have access to all-elusive water." "Water is crucial to the bobcat's survival, especially when summer temperatures can soar above 35 degrees" "But to an inexperienced bobcat, water can be a mixed blessing." "Flash floods from rainstorms and springtime melt-water can dramatically swell streams into challenging torrents." "And for a cat this size, about half a metre to the shoulder, the river is also a boundary, which larger mammals can ignore." "The bobcat is a small lynx and an experienced adult might take a young mule deer, but this juvenile will have to make do with smaller game." "And probably on this side of the river¡­" "Bobcats are smaller than mountain lions and so hunt smaller prey." "They survive in the desert by adapting their diet to whatever is plentiful at the time so this youngster must always be on the look out for new sources of food." "The success of a bobcat will depend on its ability to find a good territory that can supply its needs for food and shelter throughout the year." "Bad choices won't bode well for the future." "And when food is scarce there's often an opportunist waiting in the wings." "It doesn't have long to get these lessons right, and there will be other young bobcats looking for exactly the same resources." "Curiosity killed the cat" " or so the saying goes, but out here it's the key to success." "You never know what you might find around the next corner." "On the one hand, the lizard is lucky that the bobcat prefers rodents to reptiles, but on the other there's always someone else who likes leftovers." "Ravens often locate food by following larger predators." "They never miss a trick." "The raven is a master at this game and the bobcat will need to develop similar skills if it is to survive this wild frontier-land." "Autumn brings cooler weather and a change in the landscape." "As the temperatures start to drop in the highlands, mallards migrate to lower, warmer elevations¡­ and the mountain lion spots opportunity." "Night time in Canyonlands brings new contestants to its arena and new tactics for survival must be employed." "Prairie dogs seek safety underground." "By day their burrows give relief from the heat" "At night, they shelter the family from unwelcome visitors." "American badgers hunt at night when it is cool and dark and prey is more vulnerable." "A sensitive nose and very powerful claws make him a frightening foe." "When the badger gets too close for comfort the prairie dogs engage their master plan" " the escape tunnel." "A simple device but a very effective one." "One of the most fearsome predators of the night is also one of its smallest." "It's the Grasshopper or Killer Mouse, and it's really not as sweet as it looks." "Unusually this mouse has a taste for meat and may even take on small mammals" " including other killer mice." "Not even scorpions are off limits." "A painful sting but the killer mouse is immune¡­ and lives up to its name." "A mouse's life may be measured in months yet the land it walks on is measured in eons." "Whatever the scale, time rolls on and the cycle of the seasons rolls with it." "The mild autumn is passing and Canyonlands digs in for winter and the harsh chill it brings." "What could be worse than a searing desert?" "Perhaps a frozen one." "In the nearby mountains snow and ice will be hoarded immobile until spring." "Then it will finally melt into run-off that will feed Canyonlands' rivers and streams." "When spring finally arrives it is a time of rapid movement and change." "The low desert shrub-land soon greens¡­ and blooms." "In the desolate red-rock canyons, it's all about quality time." "Ravens usually mate for life, and, in spring, pairs renew their bonds with breathtaking aerial courtship displays." "Once the niceties are done with, the pair will mate, and with luck in three weeks new ravens will hatch." "Spring is the season when young prairie dogs emerge from their underground homes." "It's their time to grow and forage¡­ and it's also time for them to encounter their role as prey." "The golden eagle is Canyonlands' largest bird of prey, and prairie dogs are a staple of its diet." "The eagle is nurturing new life in the only way it knows how, and in turn, so is the prairie dog¡­" "And despite the casualties of survival, new life continues to thrive." "The imperative to survive, to thrive, seems hard-wired into nature it is an awe-inspiringly powerful drive." "But so many faces of Canyonlands are awe-inspiring." "It is still untamed, free and wild." "A place where the voice of nature can be heard." "However awesome this landscape appears there is no denying that life is hard" " above or below the ground." "One trait of all life here is the ability to survive with a bare minimum." "To succeed where others cannot, honeypot ants have taken adaptation to extremes." "Highly specialized workers have evolved to become living reservoirs storing nutritious nectar in their bodies for the summer drought ahead." "Like stuffed diners, they are called "repletes", and their only job is to save the colony from starvation." "The repletes are too vulnerable to leave the nest, so other specialized workers take on the job of collecting nectar on the flowers and plants nearby, then bringing it back to the colony." "Hanging upside down, the repletes await more deliveries but the workers' first duty is to feed the colony's Queen." "It is a non-stop production line" " food in at the front and eggs out at the back." "Now the repletes are given more to store, and their grape-size bellies distend even larger." "All the while, the Queen's attendants will take her new eggs to the nursery." "The chances for the survival of each tiny egg are good, for by ingeniously storing reserves of food, one of Canyonlands' smallest creatures has solved the greatest problem." "Nothing here is taken for granted workers constantly scavenge for dead insects." "Each nutritious carcass will be carefully dissected and placed into the chambers of developing larvae." "The next generation of honeypot ants will feed on them as they grow." "Specialisation helps ensure success, and all over Canyonlands insects inhabit their own unique niches." "After dusk, the evening primrose opens its flowers to release its perfume." "The scent carries on the night air and attracts the nocturnal sphinx moth." "The moths find the primrose scent irresistible, and the primrose depends on the moths to reproduce." "As the moth drinks the flower's sweet nectar, it unwittingly pollinates the plant." "Once the strategy has succeeded, the flowers soon fade and die." "Nestled safely in her burrow, a killer mouse nurses her new litter of young." "If food were scarce she might eat them to survive." "It's an uneasy balance but maternal instincts usually win out although she must stay well fed for them to survive." "Staying well-fed means hunting more often." "The desperate beetle employs its ultimate defense a foul, blinding spray from its rear." "The attacker is stunned but a killer mouse never gives up." "Sometimes they even jam the beetle's rear end in the sand, just to make sure they don't miss out on a meal." "Though there has been no rain," "Canyonlands' spring still blooms." "Melt-water from the mountains briefly floods the parched land and sustains spectacular desert flower gardens a reproductive flourish for thousands of plants." "Spring time for the ravens is demanding." "They have four hungry mouths to feed." "The work of hunting and scavenging is non-stop." "Ravens rarely prey on rattlesnakes." "They are too large and dangerous." "For naive young coyotes, learning the ropes, a rattler can be a curiosity." "The sound and movement of the snake seem all too irresistible." "Maybe they won't be so tempted next time" "The mild days of spring are short-lived, and as summer approaches" "Canyonlands sends reminders of what a hot, parched place it will become." "But there are a few secret corners that call to mind a kinder past." "Tiny rivulets of water escape the porous rock and descend to shaded alcoves called Hanging Gardens." "Supported by little more than water and dust, plants keep a tenuous hold on vertical rock and thrive." "Here there are lush mosses and ferns columbines, even orchids." "These oases are a small reminder of Canyonlands' lush, wetter past when seas covered what is now a searing desert." "But a desert this is, and if any young animal is to survive here now it needs to hone its skills whenever it can¡­" "The litter of Killer Mice has grown up, so more tiny predators are on the prowl." "Grasshopper looks good to a month-old mouse, but might just be a bit ambitious." "A grasshopper is a good start;" "it will take some time to build up to killing another mouse." "The only problem will be keeping it away from the rest of the litter." "The transition from dependant offspring to independent adult is a crucial rite of passage for any animal and for many this vital step is imminent." "Instinct tells the raven that now is the time for the chicks to fledge." "The parents fly past the nest repeatedly to urge the chicks out." "It's a waiting game that is about to pay off." "The first chick is ready to try, as the parents watch." "It's hardly a full-fledged flight, but the mother quickly swoops in to reward the chick with food." "Once the chick is out of the nest, it cannot return." "The mother can only repeat the demonstration and wait for progress." "Late spring sometimes brings wet weather, but rain here can be a false promise." "Even though rain may fall, the earth remains untouched." "The heat and dryness can be so great that it evaporates before reaching the ground." "It takes a great downpour to make it to the desert floor, and when it does the drenching can be intense." "The cloudburst passes as quickly as it came, but for a moment Canyonlands is refreshed." "This brief deluge can be the difference between life and death." "Water is so scarce that creatures seem tuned to take advantage instantly." "Even ants emerge from their underground chambers to drink." "Predator and prey take advantage of the brief flush of water before they resume their uneasy game." "The ravens' flying lessons are going passably well three of the four chicks have now taken the plunge and left their nest." "Only one lags behind." "The mother tries again to encourage an exit with a demonstration." "Still no go, but its siblings are keen to test their wings." "The chick can't stay in the nest alone and must take this step toward independence" "Finally, the chick's first flight¡­" "¡­even if is a brief one." "Still reluctant, it seems happier to walk." "It's strange to see the symbol of Canyonlands' free skies having so much trouble getting off the ground." "Stuck between a rock and a hard place the chick must take its siblings' lead." "One of them shows the way." "He doesn't quite reach his destination, but the mother will reward him." "At the end of a tiring day the chick passes its first test and flies to its family." "With each rite of passage the chicks will become more independent, and independence is the only way forward in this harsh desert land." "The raven has the freedom of Canyonlands, but what does this freedom bring?" "Maybe the chance to stake a claim on one of the few wildernesses left in the modern world." "Canyonlands is without parallel;" "and perhaps because it's so harsh and so remote this awe inspiring arena will remain an Eden for as long as these red rocks stand the test of time."