A desert is a barren area of land where little precipitation occurs and consequently living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. This requires animals to adapt to severe heat and be able to live off of days without possible water. It also makes it hard to find good vegetation and other resources for food. About one third of the land surface of the world is arid or semi-arid. Arid- having little or no rain and too dry or barren to support vegetation.

Approximately 25,000 square miles Mainly between 34 and 38°N latitudes Parts in California, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada Mountain ranges, salt pans, seasonal saline lakes Las Vegas is the largest city in the Mojave Elevation mostly 2000 to 5000 feet Colorado river and Mojave river (intermittent river) Smallest North American desert Desert- a region so arid because of little rainfall that it supports only sparse and widely spaced vegetation or no vegetation at all

The Creosote Bush grows in areas that are very hot and dry. The soil can be almost pure sand. When it competes for water with another plant it almost always wins. It loses little moisture from its tiny curled leaves. The Joshua Tree is found only in the dry Mojave desert on slopes above 2,000 feet. Often found in groves, this spiked-leafed evergreen grows from feet high and as much as 3 feet around. Prickly Pear Cactus grows in most of the deserts of America that stick out from thick, water-holding pads that look like leaves but are really wide stems and protect it from predators. Creosote Busch Joshua TreePrickly Pear Cactus

The Mojave Yucca is also called the Spanish Dagger because it has long, narrow leaves with needle-like points at the ends. It grows on rocky slopes and the hot desert floor. Big galleta is fast growing, long lived, and very drought tolerant. It is often found in deserts, on plains, sand dunes, and rocky hillsides up to an elevation of 4,000 feet. It is reported to be more effective than many other desert plants at extracting water from the soil during dry periods. Cactus- succulent plant with a thick, fleshy stem that typically bears spines, lacks leaves, and has brilliantly colored flowers Succulent- a succulent plant with a thick, fleshy stem that typically bears spines, lacks leaves, and has brilliantly colored flowers

Coyotes live in a hole or a den. Their den protects them from the heat and the wind. Coyotes eat almost anything. They hunt during the day or at night. The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake blends with its background. It can "feel the heat" of its prey, so it can hunt in the day or the night and it can live in any part of the desert. Some bats sleep or hibernate in the winter when there is no food. They make a high-pitched sound, called sonar, that helps them to fly at night and they can live and withstand any heat. Coyote Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Bat

Red Tailed Hawk is a bird of prey. It kills small animals for food and they have excellent vision and see in color. Strong, sharp talons enable them to catch their prey while their hooked beaks are designed for ripping and tearing pieces of meat. The desert tortoise eats cactus, grasses, and wildflowers from March until June. They store fat and water in their bodies and dig holes to live in during the hot summers. They have been known to estivate but come out again in the autumn when the weather is cooler. Estivate- spend a hot or dry period in a prolonged state of torpor or dormancy.

One endangered species is the desert tortoise. Poaching and driving off-highway vehicles within tortoise habitat continues to threaten tortoise populations. Desert tortoises are also threatened by several diseases such as the upper respiratory tract disease often found in captive tortoises. They are trying to stop this by creating safer roads and helping prevent disease spread and picking up more trash. One invasive species Bromus Tectorum also called cheatgrass. Cheatgrass displaces native vegetation and it outcompetes the seedlings of native and desirable species for soil moisture. This grass has also been shown to spread fast and been found as a source of some wildfires. Desert Tortoise Bromus Tectorum

Higher temperatures may produce an increasing number of wildfires that alter desert landscapes by eliminating slow-growing trees and shrubs and replacing them with fast-growing grasses. They are fixing this by checking large areas of grass and other igniters and keeping them watered as much as possible. All though there isn’t so much they can do about the fires they are trying everything they can. Another danger is off-road vehicles, when used irresponsibly, can cause irreparable damage to desert habitats. That’s why they are building more and more roads to prevent that. They are also creating certain area for off road fun and creating new laws to prevent any more damage which could affect the entire biome.

eedles_pdfs/brochures.Par File.dat/Wildlife.pdf