Desert Habitat

Source-Enchanted Learning
Deserts cover about one fifth (20 percent) of the earth's land area. The
desert is a harsh environment with very little rainfall and extreme
temperatures a desert is defined as a re!ion that !ets less than ten inches
of precipitation per year. "ecause of these dry conditions# there is limited
plant and animal life in deserts. Desert plants (li$e cacti) are not abundant
neither is animal life.
%ome deserts !et both very hot (durin! the day) and very cold (durin! the
ni!ht# when temperatures can drop well below free&in!). %ome deserts#
however# are always cold (for example# the 'obi Desert in (sia# and the
desert on the continent of (ntarctica).
Different animals live in the different types of deserts. (nimals that live in
the desert have adaptations to cope with the lac$ of water# the extreme
temperatures# and the shorta!e of food. To avoid daytime heat# many desert
animals are nocturnal they burrow beneath the surface or hide in the shade
durin! the day# emer!in! at ni!ht to eat. )any desert animals do not have to
drin$ at all they !et all the water they need from their food. )ost desert
animals are small.
Desert Extremes* The bi!!est desert is northern (frica's %ahara Desert
it covers rou!hly +#,00#000 s-uare miles (.#0/,#000 s-uare $ilometers). The
driest deserts are the (tacama desert of northern 0hile# %outh (merica#
and the 1ut Desert in eastern 2ran these extreme deserts !et less than
half an inch (about 3 centimeter) of precipitation each year 4 and it is from
condensed fo!# and not from rain.
)odified by 5ristine 6on!