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This member of the lily family was useful to relieve arthritic pain.

because they also coat the veins and digestive system, lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and easing digestion.

Although these are just two tiny examples, most of the medicines we take today are derived from plants. How-
ever, nature’s health benefits are not limited to plants.

One of the last surviving species from an ancient line of reptiles, the famed Gila monster, is often regarded as a
living fossil. Where its cousins perished, the monster adapted and survived. The creature survives Red Rock’s
scorching summers and freezing winters by spending nearly all of its life underground. While this protects it
from the climate, it also makes finding enough food difficult. In the spring, the Gila monster emerges from its
burrow and uses its excellent sense of smell to locate its favorite food, eggs. Having gorged itself on a delicious
bird or tortoise nest, it retreats underground for the summer. Now equipped with a large supply of food, chemi-
cals in the Gila monster’s spit and body work to slowly break down and release that energy over the long
summer, stretching out nutrients as long as possible. The Gila monster is an expert in regulating its blood sugar
levels. Today, this chemical also helps regulate blood sugar in humans. Since 2005, Byetta,
a drug synthesized from Gila monster saliva, has been used by millions to treat their diabetes.

Mojave yucca Sagebrush Silktassel bush
Yucca schidigera Artemisia tridentata Garrya avescens

This member of the lily Deer and big horn This was used as a
family was useful to sheep graze on muscle relaxant, pain Reference source:
relieve arthritic pains. sagebrush but the taste reliever and as a Red Rock Canyon Plants. Published
is bitter and uncudwor- remedy for stomach 2001 by Red Rock Canyon Interpretive
thy to domestic cattle cramps and diarrhea. Association.

Who knew that ordinary plants and animals possessed such abilities? Who knows what other medicines lie
unstudied? In this sense, the Canyon’s greatest asset is not something you can do there, but something that lives
there. Red Rock Canyon is a literal storehouse of potential future scientific and medicinal breakthroughs.

The healthier Red Rock remains, the more benefit we will someday draw from its plants and animals. Con-
versely, as natural places disappear, so too does our ability to learn from the creatures that live there.
Photographer Nancy Newhall said, “Wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask.”
And so we protect Red Rock Canyon for that future child, brimming with questions we have not considered.
Who knows what potential discoveries lay ahead?

Thankfully, places like Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area are protected and supported by great
organizations like the Friends of Red Rock Canyon. Our volunteers contribute endless hours to enhance and
protect the Conservation Area. To join, or volunteer, please call us at 702-515-5366.

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