The Desert Biome

Questions For The Experts:

• What is the hottest it can get in the desert?
• Have you ever been attacked by something in the desert?
• What is the scariest and ugliest animal you've seen in the desert?
• What is the weirdest thing you've seen something do in the desert?
• What is your favorite animal in the desert? Why?
• What is the strangest thing you've seen in the desert?
• What is the average temperature day and night?
• What are the most unusual plant and animal adaptations you can think of in the desert?
• How much heat can a scorpion stand?
• Where does a jackrabbit live in a desert?
• How do animals get their shelter during the day, when it is very hot out?
• Where do the animals live?
• How hot does it get during the day? (on an average)
• How do animals get their food?
• How often does it rain?
• Why is it so hot in the day and so cold at night?
• Where are some cold deserts?
• Why does a desert get so little rain and we get lots of it?
• Why is the Joshua tree one of the few that can survive in the desert?
• Are there any water animals in the desert?
• What was the largest insect you've ever seen in the desert?
• How many different animal species are there in the desert?
• Have you ever had delusions in the desert?
• What organisms live under the sand?

The desert biome is found in northern Africa, western North America, western Asia, the center of Australia, and on the west coast of South America.

Many mountain ranges influence deserts because they are so tall and wide. They do not let much rain get into the desert. If you look on a map you will see that there is a desert next to the Rocky Mountains in the United States, and a desert next to the Andes in South America.

Wind is also another way deserts form. The wind that blows in the desert comes from far away waters. As it is travels, the moistness leaves. By the time any wind reaches the desert, it is very dry. Wind also helps in the formation of sand dunes. Sand dunes are huge piles of sand blown there by strong gusts wind. Some sand dunes may be over 200 meters in height.

Canyons are another formation in the desert. Some canyons are called arroyos. Arroyos are formed when it rains. As the water rushes downhill, it makes the levels that form canyons.

There are many animals in the desert. some are very large, like the kangaroo or the gazelle. Both are big and have to travel long distances for water at a spring, or an oasis. Camels are also extremely big. They have one or two humps used for storing water and food.For this reason camels need very little water. Camels were often used as transportation by people of the desert. Another fairly large animal is the addax. The addax is a desert antelope. They live in the Sahara Desert. All addaxes are herbivores. There are less than 200 of them left because of hunting and tourists.

Some animals slither or crawl along. Examples of these are snakes and lizards. Snakes rarely drink water; they get their moisture from other prey that they eat. So do others, like the kangaroo rat. Lizards are commonly found in the desert. They stay out of the sun and move as little as possible.

There are also other animals in the desert. The fennec lives in northern Africa in the Sahara Desert. They are a relative of the fox. They eat mice, small birds, lizards, and insects. When necessary, they will eat fruit. One more desert animal is the jerboa. The jerboa is a small, long distance jumper that lives in the desert. They are free drinking animals and they eat plants, seeds, and bugs.

The desert biome includes the hottest places in the world because it absorbs more heat from the sun than land in humid climates do. Most deserts average less than 10 inches (25 cm) of precipitation each year. The amount may vary greatly from year to year.

Summer temperatures in the desert often reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. At night ,temperatures drop to 45 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Many deserts have mild winters, while others have freezing temperatures and snow. It all depends on the desert you are in.

Many different species of plants grow in the desert biome. The plants in the desert tend to be widely scattered because of the lack of water. The plants that survive compete for the small amount of water available. During the day the plant's stomata, or pores, close to prevent evaporation. Some plants store water in their leaves, roots, and stems. Woody desert plants have long root systems that reach deep water sources, while others have spreading shallow roots that are able to take in surface moisture quickly from heavy dews and occasional rains. Desert plants also tend to have small leaves. During dry periods, many plants drop their leaves on the ground. Photosynthesis is then taken over by the stems.

Some specific species of desert plants are the mesquite tree, which has roots that extend as deep as 263 feet, and the sotol cactus which is commonly found in Mexican deserts. There is also the barrel cactus which swells with water after rainfall and shrinks as it uses it, and the saguaro cactus which grows in many parts of the desert in Arizona. These are just four of the many desert biome plants.

"Desert." The New Book of Knowledge. 1991 ed.

"Desert." The World Book Encyclopedia. 1995 ed.

"Desert." Collier's Encyclopedia. 1993 ed.

"Desert." Academic American Encyclopedia.1995 ed..