Deserts

In the world we find varied geographical regions which includes mountains, plains, deserts, plateaus all with their own physical features. Desert is basically a piece of barren land which is filled with sand and lacks water bodies and have dry weather all along. In day time deserts are extremely heated up and at night it becomes chilling cold at the same place. In the Indian subcontinent we find desert in the western part of the subcontinent in the state of Rajasthan.

The animals and plants in the deserts have their own adaptations, among plants we find a variety of cactus, cactus plants have special adaptations to survive in the desert, they have fleshy stem which holds water in them which turns out to be useful when there is scarcity of water also they have very long roots which can penetrate deep inside the soil in search of water also they don’t have leaves and have thorns in place of them in cactus the food is prepared in the step as it contains chlorophyll and is green in color. Also, we find camel in desert their feet have adaptation to walk on the sand also they can survive with less water and they have long eyelashes to protect their eyes from dust storms.

Types of Deserts :

1. Coastal Deserts :

Coastal deserts occur in cool to warm areas along the coast. They have cool winters and long, warm summers. Coastal deserts are located on the west coasts of continents between 20° to 30° lattitude. Winds off the coast blows in an easterly pattern and prevents the moisture from moving onto the land. The Namib desert in Africa and the Atacama desert in chile are coastal deserts.

2. Subtropical Deserts :

Subtropical deserts the hottest deserts. They are found in Asia, Australia, Africa and North and south America. In the united states, the chilhuahuan, sonoran and Mojave are all subtropical deserts. Subtropical deserts are very hot and dry in the summner and cooler but still dry in the winter. Rainfall happens in short bursts. The air is so hot and dry in these deserts that sometimes rain evaportaes before it even has a chance to hit the ground. The soil in subtropical deserts is usually either sandy or coarse and rocky.

Plants and animals in subtropical deserts must be able to withstand the hot temperatures and lack of moisture. Shrubs and small trees in the subtropical desert usually have leaves adapted to retain moisture. Animals in sbtropical deserts are usually active at night, when it is cooler.

3. Cold wintet Deserts :

Cold winter deserts are also known as semiarid deserts . They have long, dry summers and cold winters with low rain or snowfall. In the united states the Great basin, the colorado plateau and the Red Desert are all cold winter deserts. Other cold winter deserts include the Gobi desert in china and Mongolia and the patagonian desert in Argentina. The lack of rainfall in cloud winter deserts is often caused by the rainshadow effect. The rainshadow effect happens when a high mountain range stops moisture from reaching an area. The Himalayan Mountain prevent rainfall from reaching the Gobi desert.

4. Ploar Deserts :

Polar deserts are found in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Like warmer deserts, they also get very little precipitation.polar deserts are cold year- round.

Largest Desert in the world :

The antarctic polar Desert, which makes up the vast majority of Antarctica, is the largest desert in the world. In fact this single desert is larger than the combined size of the Gobi Desert, the Arabian Desert, and the sahara Desert.

* The driest desert of the world Atacama is surely the most dangerous desert of all.

The strongest animal in the Desert :

Based on strength to weight ratio, the dung beetle of the scarab is the strongest creature on earth. They can lift 1141 times their own body weight. It helps them a lot in finding the mate and food. The dung beetles also constitute a large percentage of scarab family.

The 7 hardest Animals to Hunt :

* Leopards

* Mountain Goats.

* Elk

* Eland.

* cape Buffalo

* Roan and sable

* Bears.

what can kill you in the Desert?

Aside from the oppressive heat and lack of water, the desert is also full of critters that can bite and sting. Some of these guys can even kill you if you aren’t able to find medical help. Spiders, scorpions, centipedes, and snakes are all found in dark places , abandoned builidings and under rocks.

Most Famous Deserts :

* Namib Desert – Africa