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Biome

Desert

Desert and Tundra Biomes

A biome defined by scarcity of water rather than by heat: any region receiving very little annual precipitation qualifies, which is why deserts range from the scorching Sahara to the frigid Gobi and the polar ice deserts of Antarctica. Plants and animals here carry specialized adaptations for conserving water and tolerating extreme daily temperature swings, since clear skies and thin vegetation let deserts lose heat rapidly after sunset even when daytime temperatures are severe. Hot deserts cover roughly a fifth of the Earth's land surface, concentrated in belts near 30 degrees north and south latitude where descending dry air suppresses rainfall.

Facts

Climate

Annual Precipitation (mm)

150 1

Desert precipitation varies hugely by subtype, from well under 25mm a year in hyper-arid cores to close to the roughly 250mm ceiling most definitions use; 150mm is a representative mid-range figure, not a single measured site.

Typical Low Temperature (C)

-4 1

A hot desert's own night low can fall well below freezing; the figure recorded here is a representative hot-desert winter night low, not the extreme reached in a cold desert such as the Gobi.

Typical High Temperature (C)

45 1

45C is a representative hot-desert summer day figure; the most extreme deserts reach as high as 54C.

Desert

1 entry

Photosynthesis

Connections

Demonstrates

Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica

Home To

Source Addax (Wikipedia)

African Spurred Tortoise

Source Wikipedia: African spurred tortoise

Source Agave parryi (Wikidata)

Agave victoriae-reginae

Source Agave victoriae-reginae (Wikipedia)

Source World Wildlife Fund

Araucarioxylon arizonicum

Source Wikidata: Araucarioxylon arizonicum

Arizona Bark Scorpion

Source Wikidata: Arizona Bark Scorpion

Astrophytum capricorne

Source Astrophytum capricorne (Wikipedia)

Source World Wildlife Fund

Source Wikipedia: Pogona

Source Bobcat (Wikipedia)

Bohemian waxwing

Source Bohemian waxwing (Wikidata)

Bolson Tortoise

Source Bolson Tortoise (Wikipedia)

Source Brown Hyena (Wikidata)

Source Caracal (Wikipedia)

Carolina Wolf Spider

Source Wikipedia: Hogna carolinensis

Chihuahuan Desert

Source Chihuahuan Desert (Wikipedia)

Deathstalker Scorpion

Source Wikidata: Deathstalker Scorpion

Desert bighorn sheep

Source Wikidata: Desert bighorn sheep

Source Desert Locust (Wikipedia)

Desert rosy boa

Source Desert rosy boa (Wikidata)

Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius)

Source Dromedary (Wikipedia)

Echinocactus horizonthalonius

Source Echinocactus horizonthalonius (Wikipedia)

Echinocereus engelmannii

Source Echinocereus engelmannii (Wikipedia)

Source Fennec Fox (Wikipedia)

Fouquieria columnaris

Source Fouquieria columnaris (Wikidata)

Garden Pea (Pisum sativum)

Source Pea (Wikipedia)

Giant Desert Centipede

Source Wikidata: Giant Desert Centipede

Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion

Source Wikipedia: Hadrurus arizonensis

Source Gobi Desert (Wikipedia)

Great Victoria Desert

Source World Wildlife Fund

Helmethead Gecko

Source Helmethead Gecko (Wikidata)

Hoodia gordonii

Source Wikidata: Hoodia gordonii

Source World Wildlife Fund

Source Leopard Gecko (Wikipedia)

Source Meerkat (Wikipedia)

Source World Wildlife Fund

Source Wikipedia: Ephedra nevadensis

Mountain Cottontail

Source Mountain Cottontail (Wikidata)

Source World Wildlife Fund

Source Wikidata: Pea

Peganum harmala

Source Wikidata: Peganum harmala

Source Wikipedia

Source Red Fox (Wikipedia)

Red-tailed Hawk

Source Red-tailed Hawk (Wikipedia)

Source Wikipedia: Nematode

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica

Source Sahara (Wikipedia)

Source Wikipedia: Sand cat

Selaginella Lepidophylla

Source Wikipedia: Selaginella lepidophylla

Source Wikipedia: Crotalus cerastes

Source World Wildlife Fund

Source Sonoran Desert (Wikipedia)

Sonoran Desert Toad

Source Sonoran Desert Toad (Wikipedia)

Source Wikidata: Springbok

Taklamakan Desert

Source World Wildlife Fund

Source Tecopa pupfish (Wikipedia)

Source World Wildlife Fund

Source Turkey Vulture (Wikipedia)

Source Welwitschia (Wikipedia)

Wild Bactrian Camel

Source Wild Bactrian Camel (Wikipedia)

Sources

1. Desert (National Geographic Education)

National Geographic Education

Desert - Introduction
Most experts agree that a desert is an area of land that receives no more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation a year.
Desert - Desert Characteristics
Although some deserts are very hot, with daytime temperatures as high as 54C (130F), other deserts have cold winters or are cold year-round.
Desert - Chihuahuan Desert example
Daytime temperatures in the Chihuahua can climb beyond 37C (100F), while nighttime temperatures can dip below freezing (0C or 32F).

View the Source

Encyclopaedia Britannica

Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.

britannica.com/science/desert, opening definition paragraph
desert, any large, extremely dry area of land with sparse vegetation. It is one of Earth’s major types of ecosystems, supporting a community of distinctive plants and animals specially adapted to the harsh environment.
Home To: Saguaro Cactus
Demonstrates: Photosynthesis

View the Source

Sahara (Wikipedia)

WikipediaHome To: Sahara Desert, lead sectionView the Source

Gobi Desert (Wikipedia)

WikipediaHome To: Gobi Desert, lead sectionView the Source

Sonoran Desert (Wikipedia)

WikipediaHome To: Sonoran Desert, lead sectionView the Source

Chihuahuan Desert (Wikipedia)

WikipediaHome To: Chihuahuan Desert, lead sectionView the Source

World Wildlife Fund

World Wildlife Fund

Home To: Arabian Desert
Home To: Atacama Desert
Home To: Great Victoria Desert
Home To: Karakum Desert
Home To: Mojave Desert
Home To: Namib Desert
Home To: Simpson Desert
Home To: Taklamakan Desert
Home To: Thar Desert

View the Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Demonstrates: Dust Storm
Demonstrates: Haboob
Demonstrates: Heat Wave
Demonstrates: Mirage
Demonstrates: Dust Devil
Demonstrates: Flash Flood
Demonstrates: Microburst

View the Source

Fennec Fox (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia Foundation

Home To: Fennec Fox, Wikipedia intro states: "The fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) is a small fox native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara and Mauritania to the Sinai Peninsula. Its most disti"
Home To: Fennec Fox, Wikipedia intro: "The fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) is a small fox native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara and Mauritania to the Sinai Peninsula. Its most..."

View the Source

Wikipedia: Pogona

Home To: Bearded Dragon, Wikipedia intro states: "tion and some insects. They are found throughout much of Australia and inhabit environments such as deserts and shrublands."
Home To: Bearded Dragon, Wikipedia intro: "tion and some insects. They are found throughout much of Australia and inhabit environments such as deserts and shrublands."

View the Source

Wikipedia: Hadrurus arizonensis

Home To: Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion, Wikipedia intro states: "Hadrurus arizonensis, the giant desert hairy scorpion, giant hairy scorpion, or Arizona Desert hairy scorpion is a large scorpion found in"
Home To: Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion, Wikipedia intro: "Hadrurus arizonensis, the giant desert hairy scorpion, giant hairy scorpion, or Arizona Desert hairy scorpion is a large scorpion found in"

View the Source

Wikipedia: Hogna carolinensis

Wikipedia

Home To: Carolina Wolf Spider, Wikipedia intro states: "ensis is able to thermoregulate quite well. This is particularly important for animals that inhabit desert ecosystems or other locations with large temperature swings."
Home To: Carolina Wolf Spider, Wikipedia intro: "ensis is able to thermoregulate quite well. This is particularly important for animals that inhabit desert ecosystems or other locations with large temperature..."

View the Source

Astrophytum capricorne (Wikipedia)

Home To: Astrophytum capricorne, Wikipedia intro states: "ecies is designated as of "least concern" by the IUCN as it is widely distributed in the Chihuahuan desert."
Home To: Astrophytum capricorne, Wikipedia intro: "ecies is designated as of "least concern" by the IUCN as it is widely distributed in the Chihuahuan desert."

View the Source

Bolson Tortoise (Wikipedia)

WikipediaHome To: Bolson Tortoise, Wikipedia intro: "he largest, having a carapace length of about 46 cm (18 in). It lives in a region of the Chihuahuan Desert known as the Bols?n de Mapim?, which is located in no..."View the Source

Welwitschia (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Welwitschia, Wikipedia intro: "onyanga. It is native to Angola and Namibia, where it grows in the extreme conditions of the Namib desert, tolerating high heat and low precipitation. Welwitsch..."View the Source

Red Fox (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Red Fox, Wikipedia intro: "ich can be divided into two categories: the large northern foxes and the small, basal southern grey desert foxes of Asia and North Africa. The red fox usually o..."View the Source

Addax (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Addax, Wikipedia intro: "imorphic, as the females are generally smaller than the males. The addax lives in arid regions, semideserts, and sandy and stony deserts in North Africa. It mai..."View the Source

Wikipedia: Crotalus cerastes

Home To: Sidewinder, Wikipedia intro: "per, a venomous snake in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to desert regions of the Southwestern United States and adjacen..."View the Source

Wikipedia: Nematode

Home To: Roundworm, Wikipedia intro: "animals in both individual and species counts, and are found in locations as diverse as mountains, deserts, and oceanic trenches. They are found in every part o..."View the Source

Wikipedia: African spurred tortoise

Home To: African Spurred Tortoise, Wikipedia intro: "e sulcata tortoise, is an endangered species of tortoise inhabiting the southern edge of the Sahara Desert and the Sahel. It is the largest mainland species of..."View the Source

Sonoran Desert Toad (Wikipedia)

Home To: Sonoran Desert Toad, Wikipedia intro: "The Colorado River toad (Incilius alvarius), (previously Bufo alvarius) also known as the Sonoran Desert toad, is a toad species found in northwestern Mexico an..."View the Source

Wikipedia: Ephedra nevadensis

Home To: Mormon Tea, Wikipedia intro: "h to Oregon, and south to Baja California, including areas of the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau and desert Southwest. It is found in rocky and sandy soils, gene..."View the Source

Wikipedia: Selaginella lepidophylla

WikipediaHome To: Selaginella Lepidophylla, Wikipedia intro: "sometimes as the rose of Jericho (although distinct from the true rose of Jericho) is a species of desert plant in the spikemoss family (Selaginellaceae). It is..."View the Source

Wikipedia: Sand cat

Home To: Sand Cat, Wikipedia intro: "The sand cat (Felis margarita) is a small wild cat that inhabits sandy and stony deserts far from water sources. With its sandy to light grey fur, it is well ca..."View the Source

Tecopa pupfish (Wikipedia)

Home To: Tecopa pupfish, Wikipedia intro: "The small, heat-tolerant pupfish was endemic to the outflows of a pair of hot springs in the Mojave Desert of Inyo County, California. Habitat modifications, th..."View the Source

Echinocereus engelmannii (Wikipedia)

Home To: Echinocereus engelmannii, Wikipedia intro: "annii, the strawberry hedgehog cactus or Engelmann's hedgehog cactus, is a cactus commonly found in desert areas of the southwestern United States and the adjac..."View the Source

Agave victoriae-reginae (Wikipedia)

Home To: Agave victoriae-reginae, Wikipedia intro: "wers are borne in erect racemes up to 4m in length. A. victoriae-reginae is found in the Chihuahuan Desert in the Mexican States of Coahuila, Durango and Nuevo..."View the Source

Echinocactus horizonthalonius (Wikipedia)

Home To: Echinocactus horizonthalonius, Wikipedia intro: ". It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it occurs in Chihuahuan Desert and Sonoran Desert habitats, particularly on limeston..."View the Source

Wild Bactrian Camel (Wikipedia)

WikipediaHome To: Wild Bactrian Camel, Wikipedia 'Wild Bactrian camel': lives in the Gobi Desert region (Lop Nur / Great Gobi A protected areas)View the Source

Meerkat (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Meerkat, Wikipedia 'Meerkat': commonly living in arid, open habitats with little woody vegetationView the Source

Red-tailed Hawk (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Red-tailed Hawk, Wikipedia 'Red-tailed hawk': occupies a wide range of habitats including deserts, grasslands, coniferous and deciduous forestsView the Source

Turkey Vulture (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Turkey Vulture, Wikipedia 'Turkey vulture': inhabits subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and desertsView the Source

Desert Locust (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Desert Locust, Wikipedia 'Desert locust': found primarily in the deserts and dry areas of northern and eastern Africa, Arabia, and southwest AsiaView the Source

Wikipedia

Home To: Prickly Pear, Wikipedia 'Opuntia': cacti are native to the Americas, well adapted to arid climatesView the Source

Leopard Gecko (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Leopard Gecko, Wikipedia 'Leopard gecko': native to the rocky dry grassland and desert regions of Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India, and NepalView the Source

Bobcat (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Bobcat, Wikipedia 'Bobcat': inhabits wooded areas, semidesert, urban edge, forest edge, and swampland environmentsView the Source

Caracal (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Caracal, Wikipedia 'Caracal': native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern IndiaView the Source

Wikidata: Springbok

Home To: Springbok, IntroductionView the Source

Wikidata: Deathstalker Scorpion

Home To: Deathstalker Scorpion, IntroductionView the Source

Wikidata: Giant Desert Centipede

Home To: Giant Desert Centipede, IntroductionView the Source

Wikidata: Arizona Bark Scorpion

Home To: Arizona Bark Scorpion, IntroductionView the Source

Pea (Wikipedia)

Home To: Garden Pea (Pisum sativum), IntroductionView the Source

Dromedary (Wikipedia)

Home To: Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius), IntroductionView the Source

Brown Hyena (Wikidata)

WikidataHome To: Brown Hyena, IntroductionView the Source

Bohemian waxwing (Wikidata)

WikidataHome To: Bohemian waxwing, IntroductionView the Source

Wikidata: Pea

Home To: Pea, IntroductionView the Source

Desert rosy boa (Wikidata)

WikidataHome To: Desert rosy boa, IntroductionView the Source

Wikidata: Peganum harmala

Home To: Peganum harmala, IntroductionView the Source

Wikidata: Hoodia gordonii

Home To: Hoodia gordonii, IntroductionView the Source

Wikidata: Araucarioxylon arizonicum

Home To: Araucarioxylon arizonicum, IntroductionView the Source

Wikidata: Desert bighorn sheep

Home To: Desert bighorn sheep, IntroductionView the Source

Fouquieria columnaris (Wikidata)

WikidataHome To: Fouquieria columnaris, IntroductionView the Source

Agave parryi (Wikidata)

WikidataHome To: Agave parryi, IntroductionView the Source

Helmethead Gecko (Wikidata)

WikidataHome To: Helmethead Gecko, IntroductionView the Source

Mountain Cottontail (Wikidata)

WikidataHome To: Mountain Cottontail, IntroductionView the Source

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