Sierra del Tigre facts for kids

Sierra del Tigre is a mountain range found in northeastern Sonora, Mexico. It is part of the northern Sierra Madre Occidental mountain system. This area is special because it has "sky island" mountain ranges. These are like tall islands of mountains surrounded by a "sea" of desert.

These sky islands, also called the Madrean Sky Islands, are often separate from the main Sierra Madre Occidental. You can find them in the northeastern Sonoran Desert and the far western Chihuahuan Desert. Many of these unique mountain ranges are also in southeastern Arizona.

The Sierra del Tigre range is located south of the San Bernardino Valley (Arizona). It lies south of the Chiricahua Mountains. Other nearby ranges include the Swisshelm, Pedrogosa, and Perilla Mountains. This mountain range is southeast of the cities of Douglas, Arizona, and Agua Prieta, Sonora.

Nature and Wildlife

The Sierra del Tigre is located in a part of the Sonoran Desert called the Plains of Sonora. Other mountain ranges in this area include Sierra Mazatan, Sierra San Javier, and Cananea San Pedro.

Sadly, this natural area faces some challenges. These include cities growing bigger and land being cleared for other uses. To the north, in the San Bernardino Valley, there are important protected areas. The San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge protects wetlands and grasslands. The Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge is also close by. These refuges help protect the plants and animals that live in the region.

History and People

The Sierra del Tigre was once home to a group of the Chiricahua Apache people, known as the Janeros or Nednhi. In the 1870s, a leader named Juh was important to this group.

The Sierra del Tigre was one of the last places where Apache groups defended their lands. They continued to do so against Mexican and U.S. forces until the 1930s.