Birds like hawks, cardinals, snowy owls, and woodpeckers are found in this biome. Mammals include white-tailed deer, raccoons, opossums, porcupine and red foxes. Animals that live in the temperate deciduous forest must be able to adapt to the changing seasons. Temperate deciduous forests have a great variety of plant species. Lichen, moss, ferns, wildflowers and other small plants can be found on the forest floor. Shrubs fill in the middle level and hardwood trees like maple, oak, birch, magnolia, sweet gum and beech make up the third level. Temperate Deciduous Forest

Grasses dominate temperate grasslands. Trees and large shrubs are rarely found in grassland areas. There are many species of grasses that live in this biome, including, purple needle grass, wild oats, foxtail, ryegrass, and buffalo grass. Temperate grasslands have a low diversity of wildlife, but a high abundance of wildlife. In North America the dominant grazing animals are bison and pronghorn. Rodents include pocket gophers and prairie dogs. Carnivores include wolves, coyotes, swift foxes, badgers and black-footed ferrets. Temperate Grasslands

Desert animals have evolved to handle the desert's heat and lack of water. They have adapted their bodies and behaviors to the desert climate. Most can survive on small amounts of water and many get all of their water from their food; such as kangaroo rats, rattlesnakes, roadrunners, scorpions, lizards, elf owls, jackrabbits, and dung beetles. Plants have to have similar adaptations to help them conserve water and protect themselves from predators. Some of these plants include; agave, saguaro cactus, ocotillo, desert willow. Some trees include the acacia, mesquite, and palo verde. DESERT

The wildlife of the temperate rain forest includes beavers, raccoons, cougars and black bears. The elk may be the most important animal of all. The elk are called the "landscape gardeners" of the Olympic National Forest. Their foraging and trampling provide the balance that is necessary. As with the tropical rain forest, water is the main story here. The high humidity means that epiphytes are much more common here than they are in the drier temperate deciduous forest. Also, plants like mosses and ferns, which rely on water for reproduction, are also common here. Temperate Rain Forest

Taiga Mammals living in the taiga include foxes, lynxes, bears, minks, squirrels, while larger ones include grey wolves and their prey: caribou, reindeer and moose. In winter, wolves hunt these herbivores in packs, often dividing themselves into two groups to encircle their prey before attacking them. Not many plants can survive the extreme cold of the taiga winter. There are some lichens and mosses, but most plants are coniferous trees like pine, white spruce, hemlock and Douglas fir. Coniferous trees are also known as evergreens. They have long, thin waxy needles.

Tundr a Animals that live in the tundra have special adaptations that allow them to survive the extreme temperatures and conditions that are present in the tundra. A good example of an animal with special adaptations is the arctic fox. The arctic fox has short ears and a short, round body with a thick coat to minimize the amount of skin exposed to the frigid air. Others are the polar bear, caribou, arctic hare, and snowy owl. The tundra has a lot of plant life within this biome. Some common plants include the bearberry, arctic moss, Caribou moss, Diamond leaf willow, Labrador Tea, Pasque Flower, and the Tufted Saxifrage. The animals in the tundra eat these plants to survive and gain energy to stay warm.

Tropical Grasslands (Savanna) Buffalo, wildebeest, plains zebra, rhinos, giraffes, elephants and warthogs are among other herbivores of the African savanna. Carnivores include lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, wild dogs and hyenas. Termites are especially abundant in the tropical grasslands of the world. Grasses are the dominant plant life in the savanna. Some grasses grow 6 to 9 feet tall. Trees growing alone or in small clusters are also part of the savanna biome. The acacia and baobab trees are common in tropical grasslands.

Tropical Rain Forest Tropical rainforests support a greater number and variety of animals than any other biome. One of the reasons for this great variety of animals is the constant warmth. Tropical rainforests also provide a nearly constant supply of water and a wide variety of food for the animals. Small animals, including monkeys, birds, snakes, rodents, frogs, and lizards are common in the tropical rainforest. Although tropical rainforests receive 12 hours of sunlight daily, less than 2% of that sunlight ever reaches the ground. The tropical rainforest has dense vegetation, often forming three different layers--the canopy, the understory, and the ground layer.