State Wildlife Action Plan

The Colorado Plateaus ecoregion encompasses 64,454 km2 (24,886 mi2) of the northwestern quarter of New Mexico and is at the southeastern corner of 922,570 km2 (356,206 mi2) of contiguous cold desert that extends west across northern Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, as well as north into southern Idaho. In New Mexico, elevations range from 1,000-2,200 m (3,200-7,200 ft) and terrain consists of large plains dissected by plateaus, mesas, arroyos, and canyons. The climate is dry (average annual precipitation: 30 cm (11.8 in)) and characterized by cold winters and hot summers, with frost-free periods ranging from approximately 50-220 days.