Desert Plants and Animals Adaptations and Hot Desert Locations

Which of the following is NOT an adaptation of plants to desert conditions?

• Thick, waxy cuticles

• Shedding of leaves

• High transpiration rates

• Storing water in tissues

Plants that can survive in very dry conditions are called _________.

• xerophytes

• hydrophytes

• mesophytes

• halophytes

What adaptation helps some desert plants survive high temperatures?

• Thick waxy coating on leaves

• Large broad leaves

• Shallow roots

• Brightly colored flowers

Deserts bloom suddenly after rainfall so to complete their life cycle quickly.

• True

• False

Kangaroo rats do not need to drink water because they get it from _______.

• food

• air

• sunlight

• leaves

Fennec foxes protect themselves from the hot ground by:

• digging burrows and staying underground during the day

• drinking lots of water

• climbing trees

• migrating to cooler areas

Many animals in the desert are nocturnal to avoid extreme daytime temperatures.

• True

• False

Hot deserts are primarily located between ______ and ______ degrees north and south of the equator.

• 20 and 30

• 0 and 10

• 35 and 50

• 5 and 20

Name two major hot deserts.

• Sahara and Gobi

• Amazon and Congo

• Andes and Himalayas

• Arctic and Antarctic

What is the primary reason cacti have spines instead of leaves?

• To reduce water loss

• To attract pollinators

• To store food

• To provide shade