Reading Rainbow

Desert Giant

This is the story of the life cycle and ecosystem of the giant saguaro cactus and the animals it helps to support in the desert. In the video LeVar explains the life and seasons of the desert. Inhabitants including jackrabbits, bobcats, Gila monsters, a javelina pig and woodpeckers are a few featured in this segment. He explores how the cactus adapts to the heat and scarcity of water, and explains the appropriate dress for people in a hot, dry climate. A "snake man" gives a close-up look at rattlesnakes.