Prepared by Abeer Alhabash Empty Quarter  The Rub' al Khali  or Empty Quarter is the largest sand desert in the world, encompassing most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula.  It is part of the larger Arabian Desert. It is covered in sand, these sand units differ in their evolution, formation, shapes and colors. Prepared by Abeer Alhabash

Prepared by Abeer Alhabash Location The Empty Quarter (Ar-Rub al-Khali) lies in the southeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It covers almost a quarter of the total area of the Peninsula Prepared by Abeer Alhabash

Which animals live in the desert? Prepared by Abeer Alhabash

Prepared by Abeer Alhabash Animals in the desert must survive the intense heat, searing sun and lack of water. Animals that live in the hot desert have many adaptations. Some animals never drink, but get their water from seeds (some can contain up to 50% water) and plants. Many animals are nocturnal, sleeping during the hot day and only coming out at night to eat and hunt. Some animals rarely spend any time above ground. Prepared by Abeer Alhabash

Some of the animals that live in the desert. Prepared by Abeer Alhabash

Prepared by Abeer Alhabash Scorpions Scorpions are burrowing animals. The Sahara’s loose sand and soil provides their necessary habitat. Scorpions rarely drink water. Scorpions absorb fluids through the flesh and organs of their prey. scorpions hunt at night, thereby escaping the desert sun’s intense, dehydrating heat. One of the scorpion’s most distinct adaptations is its ability to control its metabolism. Scorpions, like all arthropods, have tough exoskeletons, segmented exoskeletons as protection from the sun’s harsh rays and a sandstorm’s turbulent winds and debris, while its waxy nature minimizes water loss. Prepared by Abeer Alhabash

Prepared by Abeer Alhabash Arabian Oryx The Arabian Oryx is an antelope that is highly specialized for the harsh desert environment. During the driest seasons, they get most of their water from the desert plants they eat. Also, they can turn their storied body fat into metabolic water to hydrate themselves. These antelope are most active during the early morning hours or late in the evening. During the day they will spend their time in shallow holes that they dig out with their hooves allowing them access to cooler sand. Prepared by Abeer Alhabash

Prepared by Abeer Alhabash The fat sand rat overcomes the problem of the unpredictability of desert food supplies by laying down a thick layer of fat all over its body when there is plenty of food It then lives off this fat when food is short. Active day and night and collecting seeds which it carries back to its burrow.  sand rat A side winder is a small agile snake. It is mainly nocturnal and takes shelters from the heat of the day in the burrow of another animal or under a bush. snake Prepared by Abeer Alhabash