Deserts
By: Rachael Henry and Abby Kinney
ANNUAL PRECIPATATION
The average rainfall is usually under 10 inches a year. There is quite few water holes so the animals cant drink as much as they want at a time like us. Usually the water holes are nearly dried up due to heavy evaporation and slight precipitation. The desert has two main seasons; dry and wet. The dry season is sunny, hot, and very few to no clouds and is from April to October. The wet season brings around 18 inches of rain per year and lasts from November to March. Plant seed that where dormant in the dry season sprout up over night in the wet season.
CLIMATE
It is a low latitude climate. The climate can fly up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or 49 degrees Celsius. The humidity in the desert is 10%-20%. It is extra extra dry; also the air can dry out the land. It's the hottest biome on Earth. IN the morning it can reach to the sky over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. At night it can dip down to the ground from 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit.
PLANTS AND ANIMALS
PLANTS- The desert doesn't seem like its a good place for plants to grow bring its hot, dry, and there is little rainfall but some plants have adaptions to the desert. Some of these plants are: the saguaro cactus, barrel cactus, Brittle Bush, chain fruit cholla, Creosote bush, crimson hedgehog cactus, desert ironwood, joshua tree, jumping cholla, mojave aster, ocotillo, palo verde, pancake prickly pear cactus, soap tree yucca, and triangle leaf bursage. These plants have adapted to the dry climate and lack of water by learning to soak up dew and ground water through their roots and leaves.
ANIMALS- The animals that live in the desert have had to adapt the to severe dry weather. There is a temperature range for desert animals and if the temperature goes out of range the animal dies. Some animals that live in the desert are; the armadillo lizard, gila monster, bobcat, cactus wren, coyote, desert bighorn sheep, desert kangaroo rat, desert tortoise, javelina, cactus ferruginoug pygmy owl, Sonoran desert toad, Sonoran pronghorn antelope, thorny devil. These animals have adapted to the dry and humid weather in the desert.
The Saguaro Cactus
The saguaro cactus has smooth skin and is covered with 2 inch spines. In may and june it blooms white flowers with yellow centers. These flowers are about 3 inches and and bloom at the tip of the cactus' branches. This flower only opens at the cool of the night and stays close in the heat of midday. The cactus stores its water in its ribs as it soaks it up from the ground when it rains. The cactus grows up along with its branches.
Desert Tortoise
This tortoise is native to the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. It has a brown shell that is lighter in adults and darker in the young. It has powerful claws to dig deep burrows. Its front arms are protected with thick armor-like scales.
Gila Monster
The gila monster is a venomous lizard native to the U.S. and the mexican state of Sonora. It can grow up to 2 feet and exceed 5 pounds. It is the largest U.S. native lizard. Their bodies are black marked with pink, orange or yellow dramatic patterns. It is one of the very few venomous lizards in the world. It's a carnivore and its life span can last up to 20-30 years in the wild.
SOURCES
http://www.desertusa.com/cactus/saguaro-cactus.html
Deserts by Barbara A. Somerville
Desert by April Pulley Sayre
http://www.desertusa.com/reptiles/desert-tortoise.html
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/gila-monster/