Sierra del Burro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sierra del Burro |
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 Location in Mexico
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| Geography | |
| Location | Coahuila, Mexico |
| Range coordinates | 29°03′N 102°06′W / 29.050°N 102.100°W |
The Sierra del Burro (also known as Serranías del Burro) is a mountain range in Coahuila, Mexico. It's the northernmost part of a larger mountain system called the Sierra Madre Oriental. This mountain range begins near the Rio Grande river, close to Big Bend National Park in Texas, USA. It stretches southeast for about 70 miles (110 kilometers). The highest point in the Sierra del Burro reaches about 6,804 feet (2,074 meters) high.
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Exploring the Sierra del Burro
The Sierra del Burro changes as you travel from north to south. Near the Rio Grande, in the north, it's about 15 miles (24 km) wide. The mountains there reach a height of about 3,000 feet (910 meters). As you go further south, the range gets wider, becoming more than 40 miles (64 km) across. Its highest point, about 6,804 feet (2,074 meters), is in the south where it connects with the Sierra del Carmen. At this point, it becomes part of the bigger Sierra Madre Oriental.
Rivers and Water in the Desert
The Rio San Rodrigo is the biggest river that starts in the Sierra del Burro. All the water that flows from these mountains eventually drains into the Rio Grande. The Sierra is located in the Chihuahua Desert, which is a very dry place.
Plants and Animals of the Sierra
Most of the plants you'll see here are desert plants. These include chaparral and Tamaulipan matorral, which are types of scrubland with tough, thorny bushes. Higher up, at elevations over 4,900 feet (1,500 meters), you can find oak forests.
The Sierra del Burro is home to many animals. One special animal is the American black bear. While black bears are endangered in most of Mexico, they are still found in good numbers here. However, they are still considered at risk. You might also spot Beaver in the rivers. Because the Sierra is close to the Big Bend area in Texas, it shares many similar plants and animals.
Weather in the Mountains
The climate in the Sierra del Burro is dry or semi-dry. It usually gets about 10 to 20 inches (25 to 51 centimeters) of rain each year. Most of the rain falls in the summer. However, strong thunderstorms often happen in April and May. For many years, weather experts have noticed that the Sierra del Burro is a place where very strong thunderstorms, called supercells, form. These storms are influenced by the mountains and can produce powerful tornadoes and large hail every year.
Because the land is rough, dry, and difficult to live in, there are no towns or paved roads in the Sierra del Burro. Only a few people live here, mostly on large ranches.
Protecting the Sierra del Burro
The Sierra del Burro is not part of the big El Carmen-Big Bend Conservation Corridor Initiative, which is a project to protect land between Mexico and the U.S. However, local ranchers in the Sierra del Burro have started their own group called CONECO. They want to protect their ranching traditions and also help save wildlife and their natural homes. This group has already protected about 500,000 acres (2,000 square kilometers) of land. Other conservation groups, both in Mexico and around the world, see CONECO as a great example of how private landowners can help protect nature.
See also
In Spanish: Sierra del Burro para niños
