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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
Filter Results1 entry
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

Addax, Species
Source Addax (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: African spurred tortoise
Agave parryi, Species
Source Agave parryi (Wikidata)
Source Agave victoriae-reginae (Wikipedia)
Source World Wildlife Fund
Source Wikidata: Araucarioxylon arizonicum
Source Wikidata: Arizona Bark Scorpion
Source Astrophytum capricorne (Wikipedia)
Source World Wildlife Fund
Source Wikipedia: Pogona
Bobcat, Species
Source Bobcat (Wikipedia)
Source Bohemian waxwing (Wikidata)
Source Bolson Tortoise (Wikipedia)
Brown Hyena, Species
Source Brown Hyena (Wikidata)
Caracal, Species
Source Caracal (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Hogna carolinensis
Source Chihuahuan Desert (Wikipedia)
Source Wikidata: Deathstalker Scorpion
Source Wikidata: Desert bighorn sheep
Desert Locust, Species
Source Desert Locust (Wikipedia)
Source Desert rosy boa (Wikidata)
Source Dromedary (Wikipedia)
Source Echinocactus horizonthalonius (Wikipedia)
Source Echinocereus engelmannii (Wikipedia)
Fennec Fox, Species
Source Fennec Fox (Wikipedia)
Source Fouquieria columnaris (Wikidata)
Source Pea (Wikipedia)
Source Wikidata: Giant Desert Centipede
Source Wikipedia: Hadrurus arizonensis
Source Gobi Desert (Wikipedia)
Source World Wildlife Fund
Source Helmethead Gecko (Wikidata)
Source Wikidata: Hoodia gordonii
Source World Wildlife Fund
Leopard Gecko, Species
Source Leopard Gecko (Wikipedia)
Meerkat, Species
Source Meerkat (Wikipedia)
Source World Wildlife Fund
Mormon Tea, Species
Source Wikipedia: Ephedra nevadensis
Source Mountain Cottontail (Wikidata)
Source World Wildlife Fund
Pea, Species
Source Wikidata: Pea
Source Wikidata: Peganum harmala
Prickly Pear, Species
Source Wikipedia
Red Fox, Species
Source Red Fox (Wikipedia)
Source Red-tailed Hawk (Wikipedia)
Roundworm, Species
Source Wikipedia: Nematode
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Source Sahara (Wikipedia)
Sand Cat, Species
Source Wikipedia: Sand cat
Source Wikipedia: Selaginella lepidophylla
Sidewinder, Species
Source Wikipedia: Crotalus cerastes
Source World Wildlife Fund
Source Sonoran Desert (Wikipedia)
Source Sonoran Desert Toad (Wikipedia)
Springbok, Species
Source Wikidata: Springbok
Source World Wildlife Fund
Source Tecopa pupfish (Wikipedia)
Source World Wildlife Fund
Source Turkey Vulture (Wikipedia)
Welwitschia, Species
Source Welwitschia (Wikipedia)
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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