Desert Biome

What is necessary to be classified as a desert?

• Dry, sandy environment

• Cacti, snakes, small rodents, and camels

• Temperatures that average above 90 degrees

• Receiving less that 10 inches of rain per year

In deserts, some rain never even reaches the ground. Why?

• It is absorbed by a plant's roots.

• It evaporates too quickly.

• It fills small, rocky holes.

• It is caught in the clouds.

True or False: It is possible for there to be absolutely ZERO inches of rain per year in the desert.

• True

• False

Which location holds the record for hottest place on earth?

• The Sahara Desert

• Wadi Halfa, Sudan

• Death Valley, California

• Timbuktu, Mali

What is the largest cold desert in the world?

• Spiti Valley

• Kalahari Desert

• Gobi Desert

• Antarctica

Why do temperatures in deserts drop so low at night?

• There is little ground cover to absorb heat.

• The land is too flat with very few hills.

• The air is so dry it doesn't hold in heat.

• Deserts get very windy at night, blowing the air around.

Cacti have thin leaves called _________ to protect them from being eaten by animals.

• thorns

• spokes

• prickers

• spines

Which desert animal gets all the water it needs from the food it eats? (It doesn't even need to drink!!)

• Kangaroo Rat

• Ground Squirrel

• Desert Fox

• Thorny Devil Lizard

Cold deserts have just 2 seasons. Which seasons are they?

• Summer & Winter

• Spring & Fall

• Fall & Winter

• Spring & Summer

All of these are ways YOU can protect desert biomes except--

• stay on roads and use marked trails

• protect the life there

• limit actions in the desert

• irrigate and use water