Desert animal biomes: Science for Kids: Desert Biome

Animals of the Coastal Desert Biome

Updated November 22, 2019

By Daniel Zimmermann

The coastal deserts lie on the western coast of Africa and South America close to the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. They include the coastal desert of Western Sahara, the Skeleton Coast of Namibia and Angola, and the Atacama Desert of Chile. A portion of the western coast of Baja California also possesses some of the attributes of a coastal desert. The coastal deserts have a harsh climate, but a surprising number of animals manage to survive.

Elephants

Elephants live in the Kaokoveld, the coastal desert of Namibia and Angola, according to World Wildlife. The elephants know where the water holes are, and if they exhaust the water in one place, they will journey through the desert to another one. If they find that a water hole is apparently dry, they often can find a little water by burrowing down a short distance with their trunk.

Black Rhinoceros

The black rhinoceros has dwindled in number throughout Africa as a result of the activities of poachers. But rhinos still survive in the Kaokoveld. Because poachers kill rhinos for their horns, conservation authorities have been cutting off the horns to ensure poachers will have no reason to kill the rhinos, according to World Wildlife.

Cheetah and Warthog

The desert of Namibia plays host to a surprising variety of large mammals, especially when a low area called the Etosha Salt Pan fills with water. The warthog and the cheetah are an interesting pair. The warthog is a tough animal, but it must watch out for lurking cheetahs if it wants to survive

Gray Fox

In the Atacama Desert, the coastal desert of Chile, large mammals are conspicuously absent. Pseudalopex griseus, the gray fox, lives here, as well as the small mammals on which it feeds. The gray fox involuntarily assists scientists in their study of Atacama fauna. By examining the feces of the gray fox, scientists learn what animals the fox eats, according to Science Direct.

Barn Owl

Birds also live in coastal deserts. Tyto alba, the barn owl, preys on small mammals not only in the Atacama Desert, but also in the coastal desert of Western Sahara, according to Science Direct and Bird Photos. Barn owls also frequent the coastal desert of Namibia, according to Etosha National Park.

Vultures

The coastal desert of Namibia has been called the Skeleton Coast because of the many shipwrecks that occurred in the area. Vultures frequent this coastal desert. One of them, the lappet-faced vulture, has declined in numbers. Though not in immediate danger of extinction, the lappet-faced vulture is classified as vulnerable, according to the Namibia Nature Foundation. Vultures also abound in the Atacama Desert, according to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.

Lizards

Deserts are a congenial biome for lizards, and all coastal deserts are home to them. The coastal desert of Namibia has more than 60 lizards, including eight that are endemic to the region, according to World Wildlife. The Atacama Desert also has its share of lizards. The lava lizard, for example, is Microlophus atacamensis.

What Are Some Animals in the Semi-Arid Desert Biome?

Updated November 22, 2019

By Nicole Crawford

All deserts receive less than 10 inches of rain per year. But not all deserts are boiling hot deserts. Besides the arid deserts, deserts may be semiarid, coastal or even cold. The temperature range of the semiarid desert biome is less extreme than the arid desert, but many semiarid desert animals still require special adaptations to survive.

Semiarid Desert Biome Location

Semiarid desert biomes are found in Europe, North America, Russia and northern Asia. They are similar to arid deserts but have more defined seasons, with long, hot summers and minimal rainfall during winter. Summer temperatures are not as intense as arid deserts, and nighttime temperatures tend to be cooler. In the United States, semiarid deserts are found in Utah, Montana, and throughout the Great Basin, which stretches from California and Nevada to Mexico. The moderate climate of the semiarid desert makes it a home to many animal species.

Jack Rabbits in the Semiarid Desert

Jack rabbits are a bit larger than normal rabbit breeds. Their habitat is not limited to the semiarid desert, they also live in forests, prairies and grasslands. Jack rabbits are herbivores that feed on grasses, twigs, plants and tree bark. The jack rabbit adapted to the desert heat through bodily habits. For example, the rabbit’s ears, which normally radiate heat, constrict and lay against the back in order to maintain lower body temperatures when temperatures rise above 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Desert Bighorn Sheep

The desert bighorn sheep is common to areas such as the Arizona Strip, in northwest Arizona. As noted by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, bighorn sheep tend to live in rocky areas with canyons, cliffs and washes, a common scene in semiarid desert environments. The desert bighorn sheep can survive on small quantities of water and can even take water from desert succulent plants.

Pronghorn Antelope

The pronghorn antelope is common to prairies and deserts. They are native to America and do not live in any other countries. They are not actually members of the antelope family, but belong to their own family, which contains five species. Three of these species are found in deserts. Desert pronghorns feed on cacti, grasses, weeds and other plants, and they can live on very small amounts of water.

Smaller Mammals

Other mammals that live in the semiarid desert biome include kangaroo rats and skunks. Both live in burrows to protect themselves from the high daytime temperatures and emerge in the cooler night temperatures. Kangaroo rats metabolize water from the seeds they eat. Skunks are carnivores. Bats also survive in the semiarid desert by flying at night and feeding on insects.

Arthropods in the Semiarid Desert

Arthropods include insects, spiders and scorpions. Insects in the semiarid desert include bees, flies and ants. Harvester ants gather seeds to store in their nest. Bees and many flies feed on nectar. Tarantulas and scorpions hunt other insects.

Reptiles in the Semiarid Desert

Lizards and snakes survive in the semiarid desert biome. Snakes, including rattlesnakes, and lizards, including chuckwallas and Gila monsters, hunt small mammals, helping control the rodent population. Another reptile in the semiarid desert is the desert tortoise.

Birds of the Semiarid Desert

Another group of semiarid desert animal is birds. Owls, vultures and hummingbirds live in the desert. Owls live in burrows or hollows to avoid the daytime temperatures. Vultures urinate on their legs, cooling them through evaporation. The cooler blood then circulates back into the vulture’s body. Vultures also can soar high into the cooler air above the desert. Hummingbirds migrate to cooler areas when the desert becomes too hot.

Land biomes. Deserts — online presentation

1. Dagestan State University Faculty of Biology Department of Botany Lecture No. 8. LAND BIOME. DESERT.

Associate Professor Yarovenko E.V.

2. DESERT — these are ecosystems that function in conditions of a sharply arid climate and have a relatively compressed layer of life

(especially terrestrial).
The desert zone is well represented mainly in the
northern hemisphere in the form of a belt with
unequal width. The zone occupies more than a quarter of the entire surface
landmasses of the Earth. Between the steppes and deserts there is usually a transitional zone-ecotone of semi-deserts.

3. General climatic features of deserts.

Negligible air humidity (evapotranspiration is tens of
times greater than precipitation).
Very high daytime temperatures.
Sharp temperature contrast (daily and seasonal).
Strong insolation caused by small clouds
.
Frequent strong and gusty winds.
The main source of moisture is groundwater and moisture
soil obtained as a result of the condensation of water vapor
from the air.
Lack of organic matter and soil salinity.

4. DESERT GENESIS.

5. Features of desert flora.

1.
Xeromorphosis: small leaves
(dzhuzgun, eremosparton,
ephedra), thorns (cacti),
dry and dehydrated tissues in
sclerophytes (camel
dzhuzgun
thorn, double leaf,
ka Persians), wax deposits and
2.
pubescence on stems and leaves.
2. Stock accessories
water in the tissues (leaf,
stem succulents — aloe,
crassula, euphorbia). Leaves
spread over the surface
and capable of absorbing
morning dew (rhubarb
low).
low rhubarb

6.

Peculiarities of desert flora.

3. Predominance in the spring
period of ephemers and ephemeroids
— perennials with a short
vegetation period (desert sedge
, bulbous bluegrass,
tulip).
4. Plant roots or very long
taproots (camel
thorn, saxaul) or
practically reduced
(tumbleweed). Suction force
roots — up to 100-160 atmospheres.
tumbleweed

7. Peculiarities of desert flora.

5. Deep root systems,
multi-tiered (
camel thorn, saxaul) or
surface (cacti),
prevail in mass over
above-ground part.
6. The state of diapause during a particularly hot period. The ability of
to endure prolonged drought in
semi-dry condition —
poikilohydric plants
(some blue-green
algae, lichens, mosses,
some species of Selaginella,
ferns and a great many
flowering plants).
lichen

8. Peculiarities of desert flora.

7. Ability of shoots to
rapid growth, like
adaptation from
sanding.
8. Abundance of
plant halophytes (soleros,
sarsazan, sveda, saltwort) on saline substrates.
sweda

9. Adaptations of desert animals.

1. Fast travel.
2. Nocturnal lifestyle.
3. Summer hibernation or suspended animation
at high temperatures.
4. Light coloration that reflects
sunlight.
5. The ability to burrow into the sand,
hiding from the heat (lizards, snakes).
6. Accumulation of metabolic fat
(camel, some insects
).
7. Coverings of the body that reduce
evaporation (reptile scales).

10. Adaptations of desert animals.

8. Isolation instead of urea
uric acid crystals that
reduces water loss (turtles).
9. Constant migrations in search of
water: some birds (grouse)
are able to drink or accumulate large amounts of water in their
feathers, and
mammals move closer to the reservoir (
ungulates).
ECOLOGICAL
TYPES OF DESERT
DESERT WITH
UNIFORM
PRECITATION

temperate zone
Avg. Asia,
Kazakhstan,
Mongolia
SUBTROPICAL DESERT
subtropical belt
south of North America

DESERT WITH
UNIFORM
PRECITATION
tropical belt
Atacama,
Namib, Karoo
DESERT WITH
WET
SEASONAL
tropical
Sahara,
Australian deserts

13. Temperate deserts .

These are the northern deserts of Central Asia,
Kazakhstan, China,
Mongolia, North America.
No wet season –
Low ecosystem productivity
(20-40 c/ha per year).
Infrequent precipitation, mostly
in winter (100-200 mm), often
absent for several years.
The deserts of Inner Asia
are characterized by a pronounced continental climate:
winter 10-20°C, summer +20-30°C.
In Central Asia, precipitation
is brought from the Atlantic Ocean.

14. Deserts of the temperate zone.

Soils gray-brown desert
with salinity.
Different types of soils are characteristic
: a) clay with
wormwood-saltwort
communities; b) gravelly
with saltwort communities
(short-leaved barnyard grass,
low rhubarb), and in
North America — succulent and
sagebrush; c) sandy with 90,005 shrubs (saxaul, 90,005 caragana, kopeck, etc. ).

15. Subtropical deserts.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
These are southern deserts with
Mediterranean rhythms
climate: winter (-5°C) — wet season
; summer (+35OS).
Precipitation is brought from the Pacific
ocean.
Forest soils, clayey,
sandy, often saline.
There is a sharp seasonality
in the rhythm of life.
Abundance of ephemera (poppies, bulbous bluegrass
) and ephemeroids
(tulips) in vegetation
.

16. Subtropical deserts.

5.
6.
7.
Cacti, yucca,
bison grass, agave predominate in the communities of North America
.
Many sedentary animals,
predominantly phytophages
(ungulates, rodents).
Higher
productivity of ecosystems
(40-80 c/ha per year).

17. Tropical deserts with uniform precipitation.

1. Coastal
deserts
South America and Africa
(Atacama, Namib, Karru,
Chilean-Peruvian).
2. Precipitation (25-50 mm/year)
falls
mainly only in the form of fogs from the ocean.
3. Productivity of phytomass
– 10 q/ha per year.
4. Food chains are very
simple: herbage
rodents hyenas of prey
birds.

18. Tropical deserts with uniform precipitation.

5.
Floristic composition:
prutnyak, wheatgrass, wild millet; in
oases — palm trees and acacias. On 90,005 rubble soils — baobab, 90,005 proteas, tree-like spurges;
on salted — saltwort; on
clayey — only lichens.
6.
In the Karoo desert grows
mesembryanthemum — leafy
stone-like succulent,
and in the Namib desert — lithops similar to
.
switchgrass
lithops

19. Tropical deserts with wet season.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
They are located in the south
of the Sahara, Mexico, Australia,
Arabia and northern Chile.
Precipitation regime —
monsoon.
Functioning of ecosystems
seasonal.
Productivity varies from
10 to 200 q/ha per year.
In these deserts grow
succulents, sclerophytes, there are
trees: in the South of the Sahara —
baobab, indigofera,
hibiscus; Australia —
malga, casuarina; Arabia —
juzgun, tamarix, acacia, in
oases — palm trees.

20. Tropical deserts with wet season.

The fauna of these
deserts is characterized by:
in the Sahara — antelopes,
cheetah; in Australia
— rabbits, hares,
small kangaroos.
7. Among insects
thermophilic species dominate everywhere:
termites, locusts and
others.
6.

21. Ecological problems of deserts.

Biological resources of deserts.
Ecological problems of deserts.
Sandstorms.
Oil pollution.
Reduction of biodiversity due to human activities
.
Accumulation of salts in the soil as a result of excessive irrigation.

Desert in Minecraft — biome description, resources, mobs and its textures

Author admin Read 6 min Views 51
Updated 06/17/2023

The virtual world of Minecraft opens up endless spaces for players to explore and adventure. One of the most exciting parts of the game is discovering the various biomes, each offering its own unique features and resources. Among these biomes, the desert occupies a special place — a merciless and unpredictable space where sand dunes and mournful beauty meet rare oases and dangerous structures.

To travel through the sands, you need to know how to find them. You will learn about the different ways to discover the desert in Minecraft and even how to create this unique biome yourself. Get ready for an exciting adventure in the sandy expanses, where treasures are hidden and dangers await you at every turn.

Contents

1. Biome description
2. What mobs, structures and resources are there in the desert?
3. How to find the desert in the game?
4. How to create a desert yourself?

Biome Description

The desert is one of the most distinctive and exciting biomes in the Minecraft virtual world. It is a vast sandy plains, where sand dunes and desert hills stretch on the horizon to the very horizon. Desert biomes are usually sunny and hot, with skies filled with bright sunshine and almost no water.

In these lifeless spaces you will find various signs of the desert. The most notable of these are the sand dunes, which are formed by the action of the wind and create beautiful ridges and waves. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes, creating unique landscapes and navigational landmarks.

Another interesting element of the desert are oases — rare green spots where you can find small patches of land with vegetation and water sources. Oases are places where you can find rare plants and trees not found in other desert biomes.

The desert is also known for its unique structures that can be found in its expanses. One of the most notable structures are the temples. These mysterious structures are buried under the sand and offer players the opportunity to find valuable treasures such as blocks of lapis lazuli and gold. However, be careful as the temples can be hidden by deadly traps that can damage you.

In desert biomes, you can also stumble upon packs of cats, which are characteristic mobs of this biome. Cats can be tamed and become useful companions during your travels.

What mobs, structures and resources are there in the desert?

In the desert biomes you will find various mobs, unique structures and resources that can be useful on your journey.

Here are some of them:

• Desert zombies. These are hostile mobs that spawn at night or in desert caves. They deal damage to the player and can be dangerous, especially if there are a lot of them. Desert dweller zombies can also be found in desert temples.
• Skeletons. These mobs spawn both at night and in desert caves. They are armed with bows and shoot arrows at the player. Be careful, because they can be dangerous from a distance.
• Sand zombies. This is a zombie variant that only spawns in deserts. They have a sandy tint and can move through the sand faster than normal zombies. They also have a high chance of dropping sand sticks.
• Desert temples. These are enigmatic structures completely or partially buried in the sand. Inside the temples you will find rooms with traps and valuable treasures. Some of these treasures may include blocks of lapis lazuli, gold, and other valuable items.
• Oases. Rare patches of green in the desert biome where patches of land with vegetation and water can be found. Oases offer a bit of a break from the lifeless sandy expanse and can be a source of rare plants, trees and animals.
• Sand dunes. They are characteristic elements of the desert biome and consist of large sandy hills and waves. Sand dunes come in many sizes and shapes, creating unique landscapes and navigational landmarks.
• Resources. In the desert you will find resources such as sand blocks, stone, desert grass, sand sticks and various ores including iron and gold. These resources can be used to create tools, weapons, armor and other items.

How to find the desert in the game?

There are several methods you can use to find the desert biome in Minecraft to increase your chances of successfully finding it.

Here are some ways:

• Use a map or seeds. When generating a new world, you can select a seed that guarantees the presence of a desert at certain coordinates. You can also use external tools or programs to help you find the right biome.
• Follow the signs of the desert. Desert biomes have features that can be used to locate them. For example, sand dunes and lack of vegetation are features of desert biomes. Explore surrounding biomes such as desert hills or savannahs that often border deserts.
• Use elevation charts. Desert biomes are usually found at relatively low elevation in the game world. Use elevation maps to identify areas of low elevation where desert might be.
• Explore the caves. They may contain caves underground, which may indicate the proximity of the desert. Explore cave systems and look for signs of sandy ground.
• Use your map and compass. If you already have a map tool in the game, you can mark on the map the places where you have discovered desert biomes. Then use the compass to navigate in the direction of these marked places. This will help you increase the chance of detection.

How to create a desert yourself?

Desert generation in Minecraft is possible using the world editor or special commands in the game.

Here are a few ways to create your own desert:

• Using the world editor. If you have access to a world editor such as MCEdit or WorldEdit, you can open an existing world and change biomes in a specific area. Select the desired area and apply the biome change feature to desert. This will allow you to turn the selected area into a desert biome.
• Using commands. If you are playing in creative mode or have admin rights on the server, you can use commands to create a desert. For example, the /setbiome command allows you to change the biomes in a specific area. Select the desired area and use the command to turn it into a desert.
• Creating a desert manually. In Creative mode, you can manually create a desert by placing blocks and creating a landscape.