DESERTS
Environment
Deserts cover about one third of the Earth's land area. The desert is a harsh environment with very little rainfall and very hot and very cold temperatures. There is not much plant or animal life.

Climate
Some deserts get both very hot (during the day) and very cold (during the night, temperatures can drop well below freezing). Some deserts, however, are always cold (for example, the Gobi Desert in Asia, and the desert on the continent of Antarctica).
Different animals live in the different types of deserts.

Animals
Animals that live in the desert change to cope with the lack of water, the very hot or very cold temperatures, and the shortage of food. To avoid daytime heat, many desert animals are nocturnal; they burrow beneath the surface or hide in the shade during the day, emerging at night to eat. Many desert animals do not have to drink at all; they get all the water they need from their food. Most desert animals are small.

Plants of the Desert.
How do you think plants grow in a place that is very very dry?
Many of the interesting features are changes -- things that help the plant survive in it’s harsh environment. Desert plants have two main abilities
* ability to collect and store water
* features that reduce water loss
Indeed desert plants often look different than any other plants
Other Features
Deserts are the home to many living things. In fact, deserts are second only to tropical rainforests in the variety of plant and animal species that live here. Some animals never drink, but get their
water from seeds (some can contain up to 50% water)