Use the navigational bar to above to move through each specific ecosystem, resources and adaptations.

Click on the camel to hear music from the Desert Biome.

Click on the snake to view a Quick Time Virtual Reality clip of the Mojave Desert.

You need to have Apple Quick Time to view the image.

Journey into a biome that goes to extremes! How hot or cold does it get in the desert? What types of plants and animals live in this biome? Do they require special adaptations and if so what are they? Why would anyone want to live there? You will learn the answers to these questions and more as you explore this diverse biome. Remember to complete the scavenger hunt questions and complete your data collection sheet as you move through this area of the world.

Did you know?

*Deserts cover about 1/5 (20%) of the earth's land area.

*The desert is a harsh environment with very little rainfall and extreme temperatures.

*Desert plants are not abundant; neither is animal life.

*Deserts are very dry regions with limited plant and animal life.

*Some deserts get both very hot (during the day) and very cold (during the night, when temperatures can drop well below freezing).

*Some deserts, however, are always cold (for example, the Gobi Desert in Asia, and the desert on the continent of Antarctica).

*Animals that live in the desert have adaptations to cope with the lack of water, the extreme temperatures, and the shortage of food.

*To avoid daytime heat, many desert animals are nocturnal ; they burrow beneath the surface or hide in the shade during the day, emerging at night to eat.

*Many desert animals do not have to drink at all; they get all the water they need from their food.

*Most desert animals are small.