DESERT

What makes a Desert a unique habitat?

A desert is a landscape form or region that receives very little precipitation. Deserts are defined as areas that receive an average annual precipitation of less than 250 mm (10 in). They cover one-third of the Earth's land surface. They usually have a large diurnal and seasonal temperature range, with high daytime temperatures (in summer up to 45 °C or 113 °F), and low night-time temperatures (in winter down to 0 °C; 32 °F) due to extremely low humidity. Water acts to trap infrared radiation from both the sun and the ground, and dry desert air is incapable of blocking sunlight during the day or trapping heat during the night. Thus during daylight all of the sun's heat reaches the ground. As soon as the sun sets the desert cools quickly by radiating its heat into space.

Cold deserts (also known as polar deserts) have similar features but the main form of precipitation is snow rather than rain. Antarctica is the world's largest cold desert (composed of about 98 percent thick continental ice sheet and 2 percent barren rock). The largest hot desert is the Sahara.

Despite a lack of rainfall and drastic temperature fluctuations, deserts often have high biodiversity, including animals that remain hidden during daylight hours to control body temperature or to limit moisture needs. Most desert plants are drought or salt-tolerant. Deserts typically have a plant cover that is sparse but enormously diverse. Although cacti are often thought of as characteristic desert plants, other types of plants have adapted well to the arid environment. They include the pea and sunflower families. Cold deserts have grasses and shrubs as dominant vegetation.

What kind of animals can be found there?

The desert landscape is one of the most difficult and inhospitable for animals. The animals of the desert must be smart, resilient and able to adapt quickly to changing conditions. The Windaroo desert is home to Chameleons, Meerkats and Scorpions.

Would you like to know more about the Desert inhabitants?

Andean_Condor   Antelope   Bee   Beetle   Boa   Butterfly   Camel   Caracal   Chameleon   Frog   Gila_Monster   Goat   Hummingbird   Iguana   Jaguar   Kangaroo   Kingfisher   Leopard   Lizard   Meerkat   Mountain_Lion   Oryx   Ostrich   Owl   Porcupine   Przewalski's_Horse   Rattlesnake   Scorpion   Sheep   Small_Cat   Snake   Sociable_Weaver   Spider   Tarantula   Toad   Tortoise   Turtle   Wallaby   Wild_Ass   Zebra