Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
Turtles, members of the Testudines order, are reptiles known for thriving in a large range of environments. The term "turtle" includes similar animals such as tortoises and terrapins. Given the turtle's ability to live in a variety of locations, it's no surprise that two species of turtle and two types of tortoise inhabit desert environments --- specifically, the Sonoran and Mojave deserts and Northern Mexico.
The Chihuahuan Desert stretches between Texas and New Mexico and offers many ecological systems and natural habitats, especially in the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge along the edge of the desert and the Carlsbad Caverns near Roswell. The desert hosts many species of dragonflies, even those that are rarely found in desert areas.
All living things are specially designed to survive in a particular climate or environment. Special behavioral, physical and physiological characteristics necessary for survival are known as adaptations. Animals living in continually cold climates are uniquely adapted for their frigid surroundings, while other animals only make temporary changes as the climate around them changes. In climates with different seasons, the onset of winter is signaled by the drop in temperature, and shortening of daylight hours. Animals in these environments have very different ways of dealing with their cold environments.
The mountains of the Himalayas are noted worldwide for their rugged and awe-inspiring beauty. Landslides are one of several natural hazards associated with living in these and other mountains. Large chunks of rock and displaced amounts of earth and dust become loose and slide down the mountain. Landslides can be the result of natural phenomenon, such as spring thaw, or human intervention, such as deforestation or water redirection. The Himalayas have their share of both.
Deserts are defined as land areas where annual rainfall totals 10 inches or less. These types of habitats are common around the planet, occurring almost exclusively between 25 and 35 degrees latitude in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Overall, these places are quite common, for they make up 20 percent of the earth's land surfaces. Wildlife includes many herbivores, such as lizards, rodents and some species of birds.
Cone-bearing evergreen trees, also known as conifers, dominate colder areas called taigas, also known as boreal forests, which only exist at high latitudes. While they are most common here, they can also inhabit temperate deciduous forests, or mid-latitude woodlands with flowering plants.
Deserts, cold or hot, are dry. That's the one overwhelming fact of any desert biome, or ecological community, be it the sands of the Sahara or the ice of the Antarctic plain. Deserts, say scientists, receive less than 20 inches of rain or snow a year. It's a mistake, though, to think of deserts as lifeless. The desert biome, in its own way, is as complicated and interesting as any rainforest.
The California desert turtle is also known as the California desert tortoise, the desert tortoise or the gopher tortoise because of its Latin name, Gopherus agassizii. Tortoises and turtles are very closely related, but turtles are aquatic animals while tortoises are land animals. The California desert tortoise is a species of gopher tortoise that lives in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts in California.
Gazelles are a small subgroup of antelope, not all of which are known to inhabit deserts. However, there are several species of desert gazelle throughout the world, all of which have a variety of physiological adaptations that enable them to survive in the harsh desert environment. Known species of desert gazelle include the springbok, addra, dama and oryx.
The Himalayan Mountains form some of the world's most beautiful and remote landscapes, including 14 of the world's highest peaks. The eastern Himalayas stretch for 1,500 miles, creating a natural barrier between the lowlands of the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan Plateau. Within this diverse region of grasslands, temperate forests and alpine slopes, a dizzying array of Himalayan animals, many unique and rare, makes its home in these mountains.
Rocky shore ecosystems are highly specialized environments with species adapted precisely to their surroundings. Such ecosystems, made up of boulders and bedrock, account for 33 percent of all coastlines worldwide. These environments can be divided into four major zones, each revealed in phases. They may seem nearly lifeless at first glance, rocky shores are teeming with life that is highly susceptible to human damage; visits to these ecosystems must be carefully monitored so as not to cause any harm. (see References 1 and 2)
There are millions of insect species living in the desert. Insects, with their hard outer coverings (cuticle) made of tough chitin, are perfectly suited to living in the desert's dry conditions. Trapping moisture inside their bodies, insects get their moisture from their food making a source of water unnecessary. Among the many desert insect species, a number of beetles, ants, grasshoppers and wasps have fascinating adaptations to their desert habitat.
Coming at the end of the Paleozoic Era, the Permian period began some 290 million years ago and ended about 42 million years later. This period produced a tremendous variety of creatures, both marine and terrestrial. However, the Permian period concluded with one of the largest mass extinctions in the earth's history, with perhaps as many as 95 percent of all species dying out.
Heavy snow and blizzards can be lethal for animals not used to sudden changes in temperature. Some animals will cope better in blizzard conditions than others, but no animal should be left alone to fend for itself. Smaller animals with short hair or medical conditions are likely to suffer most, as are those that are very young or very old.
An ecosystem, a great deal smaller than a biome, refers to a group of constantly interacting things, both living and non-living. Ecosystems vary greatly in size; they can be as small as a fish tank or as large as the Pacific Ocean. Building a miniature desert ecosystem in your home is quite achievable. With all the elements in balance, your homemade desert ecosystem will flourish just like the real thing.
Arid regions are those with little vegetation and very dry climates. These areas generally receive less than 250 mm of rainfall per year. Arid regions, particularly deserts, are shaped by water and wind erosion, which generally depict their topography. Specific characteristics of these lands thus include rock formations, box canyons and hard, pavement-like surfaces.
The desert biome is distinguished largely by its low annual levels of rainfall, fewer than 20 inches per year, and covers about a fifth of the surface of the planet. Flora and fauna in the desert are often specialized to their habitats, designed to survive with little precipitation. You can replicate the circumstances of this biome, one of the distinct six into which the planet can be divided, in your own home or classroom.
Arid climates can be found on every continent. They range from hot and dry deserts that see almost no rain to semiarid scrub land where rain falls intermittently. Arid climates are not suitable for most life forms. Plants and animals that make their homes in arid climates have made special adaptations to the environment.
The marine rocky shore is an ecosystem which presents particular challenges to the animals that live there. In the inter-tidal zone animals must be able to cope with submersion in salty water when the tide comes in and desiccation when the tide goes out. Less mobile species must also be able to grip tightly to the rock to withstand the battering of the waves. These factors have created a fauna with peculiar and fascinating adaptations to their environment.
The ocean is often the setting for horror movies featuring monstrous-looking animals from the deep. While many of the creatures shown on television or in film are fictitious, many real animals lurking under the water are just as scary looking as those used to entertain us.
The moose is the largest animal of the deer family. It is recognizable by its large antlers; they can grow up to 6 feet in diameter. Wild moose live in northern parts of North America, Europe and Asia. A fully grown adult can grow up to 6 1/2 feet tall. Very few animals have the strength to kill a moose.
The desert can be an unforgiving place. Usually dry and hot, deserts like the Sahara, Mojave or Gobi are among the most dangerous terrains in the world. However, that hasn't stopped numerous animals from moving in and making themselves at home. Mammals, birds, reptiles and insects have all developed physiological adaptations that help them thrive in the harsh desert climates.
Eastern hemlock trees are abundant in Massachusetts and can live up to 350 years. Most of the forests in Massachusetts are filled with the eastern hemlock, which are coniferous with dark green branches and have a pyramid shape. These hemlock forests are the homes of a variety of animal and insect species that use the trees for daily survival.
When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness after fleeing Egypt, God provided manna for them to eat. It appeared on the ground each morning, and it's described as a kind of sweet wafer. Teach kids more about manna and the Israelites by making crafts that illustrate the theme.
A desert is a region that can be hot or cold and receives very little rainfall. Most desert animals have developed an array of physiological and behavioral modifications to deal with extreme temperatures, lack of water and potential predators. The dromedary camel, fennec fox, ostrich and the addax antelope are some animals that thrive in a desert habitat.
Many insect species live in the desert, though rainfall is scarce, and the cold-blooded insect must adapt to a scorching hot sun in the day and very cold temperatures at night. Herbivorous desert insects are particularly dependent on the plants whose leaves, fruit, seeds, pollen, sap or wood they eat. A prolonged drought that causes plants to decrease will cause the insects to decrease as well. A rainy period will revive both plants and insects.
The Arabian Sea is home to a large variety of animals such as fishes, dolphins, whales, dugongs and sea turtles as well as a host of smaller creatures. It borders Somalia, Oman, Pakistan, India and the Maldives (islands). The Arabian Sea gives access to the Red Sea, a major route for oil shipping. Accidental oil spills and other pollution damage has had a serious effect on some species of animal residing in its waters, placing some on the endangered species list.
The desert is a harsh, foreboding environment for a majority of plant and animal life. Between the scorching hot days, freezing cold nights and relative lack of cover or moisture, making a life in the desert can be an incredible challenge. However, several animals have adapted to this tough climate and call the desert their home.
Plants have adapted to nearly every world climate and a number of them do very well in semidesert and arid grassland. Grasslands get little rainfall and have poor soil, so there are very few trees. Deserts get even less rainfall and have few plants at all; the ones they do have must be very tough.
Finding yourself in the middle of a desert with little or no food is challenging because a desert is thin on plants and animals. Water is the more important concern because you can survive for three weeks without food. However, it's a good idea to research desert life to find out what's safe and what isn't safe to eat should the worst befall you when taking a trip into a desert.
The Sonoran Desert stretches from southwestern Arizona and southeastern California down into the state of Sonora in Mexico, and is among the hottest deserts in the world. With an average yearly rainfall of 10 inches and sandy soil, it is one place where water is very hard to find. If you are planning an excursion into this rugged terrain, pack at least 2 gallons of water should you find yourself stranded and in need of rescue.
Animals inhabit locations all around the world, from deep within the water to the coldest arctic regions to the hottest deserts on the planet. Deserts aren't known for their abundant supply of water, which means that animals in these regions must have adaptations to cope. Common adaptations among animals include ones for coping with heat, hunting and adaptations to avoid being hunted.
Deserts are vast dry regions that make up one-quarter of the earth's land surface and found away from coasts where moisture rarely reaches. Due to the heat, animals often migrate in along the desert plains into mountains seeking cool, shady places and spend most of their day in caves and burrows and hunt during the night. A variety of animals adapt to the difficult conditions of the terrain.
Deserts cover approximately one fifth of the world's surface. A desert is classified as an area of land that receives less than 10 inches of rainfall per year. Hot deserts can reach scorching heats, like the Arabian or Sahara deserts. The Antarctic desert, on the other hand, is so cold that no human inhabits it for too long. Desert animal types depend on which animals can survive in the extreme hot and cold environments.
Predation in animal behavior is the pursuit, capture and killing of other animals for food. Predatory animals are solitary hunters like leopards or group hunters like wolves. Predators are physiologically and behaviorally adapted to facilitate hunting. Red-tailed hawks have excellent eyesight. Wolves possess an outstanding sense of smell. Cheetahs run at incredibly high speeds. Predators are classified as endangered when they're in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their range.
In arid regions, weathering is a slow process because of the absence of water. As a result, it often takes large spans of geological time for weathering to cause arid landforms. These processes depend upon any number of natural factors, including wind, the amount of soluble rocks on the landscape and water sources, such as dew that forms on the rocks each morning. With such elements in place, weathering can begin to influence the landscape.
Deserts occur where rainfall is less than 50 cm per year and constitute nearly 20 percent of the Earth's surface area. North America's four major deserts -- the Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts -- account for roughly 10 percent of this area. Compared to other biomes, deserts are characterized by low productivity and relatively low biological diversity. Animals endemic to this ecosystem have adapted, often in remarkable ways, to a climate characterized by extreme temperatures and scarce water.
The Atacama Desert is a 994-mile strip of parched earth on Chile's northwest coast. It is one of the driest places on Earth. According to "The Encyclopedia of Earth," there are some areas that have never received a drop of rain in recorded history. The handful of animals that cling to life in this harsh place are extremely tenacious survivors.
Although deserts cover approximately 20 percent of the earths land surface, there is very little plant or animal life in these habitats. Animals that do, though, have adapted to survive with limited food sources and very little water. A number of desert animals have a nocturnal lifestyle to escape the daytime heat. These animals burrow below the ground or shelter in the shade during the day, and emerge during the hours of darkness to feed.
Desert Mountain Crafts is the founding name of a family owned company now called Rainbo Wood Works. The company specializes in wooden inlay inspired by their former location in the southwestern United States.
Extreme environmental conditions in the desert make survival there tough. While some deserts such as the Sahara are hot and dry, others such as the Atacama are cold. Though animals that survive in the desert have adapted to harsh climactic conditions, several desert animals like the fennec fox, pronghorn and caracal are in approaching endangered status owing to a variety of factors, including lack of food sources, hunting and encroachment of their habitat by humans.
Deserts are on every continent, covering more than a fifth of the earth's surface. They are arid places with less than 10 inches of rain a year. Most deserts are hot, with the Sahara Desert in Africa reaching up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. A few, particularly those on Antarctica, are always cold. Desert animals have been able to adapt to the extreme conditions of the desert by using mechanisms or having physiological structures that assist them in retaining water, acquiring water, avoiding heat or dissipating heat.
Desert biomes are characterized by harsh climate conditions that prevail throughout the year. Deserts can range from hot and arid to cold and barren, depending on the particular region. Africa, the north, south and central Americas and Asia are all home to different types of desert conditions. The dominant animals within a desert biome develop specific adaptations that allow them to survive under harsh climate conditions.
The Sahara Desert stretches throughout most of southern Egypt, with only the north coast of Egypt escaping the dry desert climate. Desert animals in Egypt tend to be small because the dry conditions cannot support larger animals' water needs. Many of these desert animals seek shelter during the day and come out at night to forage for food when temperatures are cooler.
Between ages 1 and 3, children are considered toddlers. Their minds are sponges and their attention span is short, so most learning is done through play. Hands-on activities foster learning while keeping toddlers amused and engaged. Embrace this playful stage and make arts and crafts projects focused on desert animals and creatures. Spark your child's interest by showing her pictures and talking about the animals before you begin.
The majority of people and animals on earth occupy regions that have relatively temperate climates; however, there are a few animals that live within the most uninhabitable regions on the planet. Animals that live within these harsh climates have adapted to survive. Adaptations of arctic animals are very different from those of their desert counterparts.
Located in the Northern Territory of Australia, the Tanami Desert is considered a semi-arid climate with an average yearly rainfall of about 15 inches, and temperatures that regularly reach 100 degrees F according to Outback Australia Travel Guide. Numerous native and nonnative species have adapted to these extreme conditions. The diversity of the region includes rare and truly unique animals, in addition to animals common around the world.
Different types of desert mammals and birds are omnivores in North America. These creatures take advantage of their hunting skills to capture and consume prey and they forage for plant matter such as fruits and seeds. The desert omnivores have a diet that allows them to subsist on different kinds of foods, a trait that is helpful in the arid ecosystems in which they live.
The desert biomes of North America support a mixture of herbivores---animals that eat only plants. These herbivores include small mammals and large mammals, as well as some reptiles and birds. Their job of finding sufficient plant life and drinking water in the desert to support their appetites is not always easy.
Deserts can be one of the most un-inhabitable environments on earth; however, many creatures have evolved to live and survive within these regions. Although most people are familiar with some desert animals, there are far more species that live on the desert than most people realize. Understanding how these animals survive this grueling terrain helps people appreciate the ability of evolution to produce these tenacious creatures.
The Gobi Desert is the fifth biggest in terms of its size in the world, covering half a million square miles. The Gobi Desert, located in southern Mongolia and northern China, is home to a diverse collection of wildlife. These creatures have made the adaptation to living in a desert biome. The wildlife of this part of the world includes large-hoofed mammals and much smaller rodents.
Each individual environment requires a specific adaptation to deal with the difficulties of living in that habitat. Cold deserts combine the dryness of deserts with the harshness of winter. Animals that live in cold deserts must be able to conserve energy and live in the cold.
The Permian Period is the most recent period of the Paleozoic Era, extending from 290 million years ago to 248 million years ago. During the Permian Period, marine life flourished and began to specialize. Many of the Permian Period fossils that are found today are corals, fresh-water fish skeletons and ammonites. Land fossils include conifers, beetles and reptiles.
Deserts can be classified into three groups; hot and dry, coastal and cooler, and semi-arid. Hot and dry deserts are mostly made up of sand and rocks. The animals that inhabit these deserts adapt to their environment's extreme temperatures and climatic conditions.
The Sonoran Desert covers about 100,000 square miles, stretching across the United States and Mexico. It includes the Mexican state of Sonora and southern portions of Arizona, California and New Mexico. In contrast to other North American deserts, the Sonoran is tropical in origin and most of its area is frost-free. Its wide variety of habitats and bi-seasonal rainfall support great biological diversity.
Semi-arid deserts are found in Europe, North America, Russia and northern Asia. They are similar to arid deserts but have more defined seasons, with long, hot summers and minimal rainfall during winter. Summer temperatures are not as intense as arid deserts, and nighttime temperatures tend to be cooler. In the United States, semi-arid deserts are found in Utah, Montana, and throughout the Great Basin, which stretches from California and Nevada to Mexico. The moderate climate of the semi-arid desert makes it a home to many animal species.
The Colorado Desert includes some 7 million acres within the much larger Sonoran Desert in southeastern California. According to the California Department of Fish and Game, the climate of this desert region has hotter summertime temperatures during the day than most of America's other deserts. Frost rarely occurs here and the area has two separate rainy seasons, one in the winter and another in the latter part of summer. Various animal species exist in the Colorado Desert, despite the climate.
From wild cats, to a cunning and shifty canine, to a piglike species and super hardy sheep, the southwest desert of Arizona is a natural zoological niche. Sandy and barren in some areas, cooler, forested and mountainous in others, the desert provides perfect habitat and food sources for its variety of creatures.
The word "tropical" brings to mind lush jungles, palm trees, turquoise seas---not desert. Yet several deserts exist around the world within the tropical zone, that area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, each at 23 degrees latitude on either side of the equator. Five continents have deserts in their tropical regions. These dry biomes are home to a wide variety of animals that have adapted to dry conditions.
If you've ever wondered why some flowers only open at night, the answer is this: location, location, location. If a flower is native to an area where the creatures it lives among are largely nocturnal, that's the time when it's most likely to be pollinated. Animals like bats, insects and moths come out at night to tiptoe in the night garden, and as they do, they collect pollen from one flower and transport it to another, ensuring a new generation of the species. Many desert flowers are night-blooming, since the evening hours are the most temperate and the most likely…
Bats are probably one of the most misunderstood of animal species. However, bats are beneficial to people. Generally, a bat consumes about one-third of its weight in insects each night, with some species eating up to 3,000 mosquitoes a day. Other species, such as the lesser long-nosed bat, are important pollinators in desert and tropical ecosystems. While the federal government recognizes that bats can be a nuisance, federal policy recommends "bat-proofing" or exclusion of bats from dwellings.
The Hoover Dam ecosystem, a part of the Mojave Desert, is home to a number of animal species, including the bighorn sheep, coyote, ground squirrel, ringtail cat and the endangered desert tortoise. The desert tortoise in particular has suffered the impact of the Hoover Dam through the disruption of nesting grounds and destruction of nests by construction and visitors. The roadrunner, golden eagle and turkey vulture are just a few of the bird species found in the area, and the desert is also home to scorpions, tarantulas, rattlesnakes and lizards. Attempts to avoid altering the bighorn sheep's natural environment guided…
The United States Environmental Protection Act covers the many endangered animals that live in North American deserts, including the Mojave, the Sonoran and the Great Basin. The U.S. Forestry Service works hard to protect these animals and thanks to that effort, some animals that were once on the endangered species list are no longer on the list or are under a new status, such as threatened.
Despite incredibly hot temperatures and dry, dusty terrain, many species of animals flourish in the desert. These creatures' senses make them especially adept at finding food, and their fur or skin has the same colors of the terrain, helping them hide from predators or lie in wait for prey.
The Arabian Desert occupies most of Saudi Arabia, northern Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Baharain, Kuwait, southern Iraq and southwestern Jordan. It is the home of a multitude of animal species from insects, to spiders and scorpions, to birds of prey, lizards and deadly snakes. It is also the home of many mammal species, including rodent, dog and primate families.
The desert turtle, also called a desert tortoise, is a land dweller that belongs to the family of turtles known as Testudinidae. This turtle lives in the Sonoran Desert and Mojave Desert of the southeastern part of California as well as southern portions of Nevada into Arizona and New Mexico. The herbivorous desert turtle can go over a year without water and survives in an environment where temperatures on the ground are greater than 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Thar Desert is located in parts of India and Pakistan and is known as the Great Indian Desert. It is bounded by two rivers, a mountain range and a salt marsh. In the winter, temperatures fall below freezing, and in the summer, temperatures can reach to more than 125 degrees Fahrenheit. The Thar has monsoon rains and dust storms. Despite the extremely harsh conditions, the desert is home to many types of wildlife, some of which are disappearing in other parts of the region. The animals of the Thar must often survive the extreme temperatures with little or no…
Desert plants and animals must adapt both physically and behaviorally to survive in a harsh environment. In the desert, survival depends on using energy efficiently and conserving water.
A desert gets less than 10 inches of rain each year, and has dry air and very high temperatures in the daytime. Each one in spite of this is home to a variety of animals.
The Middle East is home to two major deserts which host an array of animal species able to survive the extreme climate and landscapes. Though biodiversity is relatively scarce in these deserts compared to other types of environments, and human activity has destroyed parts of the habitat, several types of mammals and reptiles continue to make their home there.
Covering a huge portion of southwestern Arizona as well as the entire southeastern tip of California, the Sonoran Desert extends well into Mexico and the Baja Peninsula. It comprises a total of 120,000 square miles and despite the dry conditions there is abundant wildlife. Various species of mammals, reptiles, and birds call the Sonoran Desert home.
The Simpson Desert is located in central Australia. Due to its harsh climate, there are a limited number of animals that can survive there. The most common types of animals seen in the Simpson Desert are reptiles and amphibians, but some mammals and birds thrive there as well.
The Namib Desert is located in Angola, Africa. The climate is incredibly hot and dry, and is so harsh that most animals cannot survive in it. The most common types of animals that thrive in the Namib are reptiles, but certain mammals and birds can live there as well.
