Photosynthetic tissue underlying the peeling bark of an Elephant tree, Isla Catalina, Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico

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Isla Santa Catalina is an oceanic island, that was never attached to the Baja Peninsula and has been separated from the mainland for several million years, unlike most of the other islands in the Sea of Cortez. It is the home to a number of endemic species of reptiles (over 70% found nowhere else in the world) including a rattlesnake that has lost its rattles, because it has no predators. It also the home to an endemic species of a large barrel cactus, which can reach up to 3 ft in diameter and up to 12 ft in height. The giant cardons here are some of the biggest around, and they are in some of the best condition anywhere.

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Size: 3600px × 2400px
Location: Isla Catalina, Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico
Photo credit: © Terry Allen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: baja, bark, bursera, california, catalina, cortez, elephant, green, gulf, heritage, isla, mexico, microphylla, natural, nature, peeling, photosynthetic, sea, site, tissue, tree, unesco, wold, world