Download Desert - Latter

Science 1-24c—The Desert
Temperature, Latitude, Precipitation
Latitude: 15-28° north and south of the
equator
Temperature: Hot and Dry Desert
ranges from 68 - 77° (20 - 25°C). The
extreme maximum temperature for Hot
Desert ranges from 109 - 120° (43.5 49° C). Cold Deserts temperature in
winter ranges from 28 - 39° (-2 - 4° C)
and in the summer 70 - 79° (21 - 26° C).
Precipitation: Hot and Dry Deserts
have under 6 in. (15 cm) a year; Cold
Deserts usually have lots of snow and
average 6-10 in.(15 - 25 cm)
a year.
Other Interesting
Facts
Animals
The only animals that can survive the
desert have the ability to burrow
underground. They only come out in
the night when it is a little cooler. Hot
and Dry Deserts animals include small
nocturnal (only active at night)
carnivores. There are also insects,
arachnids, reptiles, and birds. Some
examples of these animals are
Borrowers, Mourning Wheatears, and
Horned Vipers. Cold Deserts have
animals like Antelope, Ground
Squirrels, Jack Rabbits,
and Kangaroo Rats.
Desert
Deserts cover about one fifth
of the Earth's land surface. Most Hot
and Dry Deserts are near the Tropic of
Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn.
Cold Deserts are near the Arctic part
of the world.
Plants
Hot and Dry Deserts vegetation
is very rare. Plants are almost all
ground-hugging shrubs and short
woody trees. All of the leaves are
replete (packed with nutrients). Some
examples of these kinds of plant are
Turpentine Bush, Prickly Pears, and
Brittle Bush.
Plants of the Dry Desert have adapted
to the lack of water by using dew for
moisture and taking in water through
their leaves and stems.
Information taken from http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm by Stetson N. 2000
© 2012 American Heritage Schools, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted for copying of the notebook pages and other online resources for
use by the original purchaser’s own immediate family. No part of this publication may be transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.