Smothers Desert Info

Deserts of Texas,
United States, and The World

Deserts make up about 20% of the earth's land. Deserts are a brutal environment where it rains less than 10 inches per year. There are two types of deserts - hot and cold. Hot deserts precipitation is from rain and cold deserts precipitation is from snow. When most people think of desert, they think of sand,~ miles and miles of sand. However the desert is so much more than endless miles of sand. The desert is filled with brilliant colors and a unique plant life and animal life.

Life in the desert is not easy for plants, animals, and people where temperatures are extreme. The blistering sun scorches the earth during the day and temperatures can reach upwards of 100 degrees F. At night when the temperature plunges, the desert becomes a cold bone chilling environment. Temperatures can drop well below freezing. Desert plant life is not abundant; neither is animal life. Deserts are very dry regions with limited plant and animal life.

Different animals live in the different types of deserts of the world. The people and animals of the deserts have learned to adapt to the difficult conditions~the extreme temperatures, lack of water, and the shortage of food. Many desert animals are nocturnal (sleep during the day and awake at night) to escape the heat of the day. These animals burrow beneath the rock or hide in the shade during the day, coming out at night to feed. Many desert animals do not require water at all; they get all the water they need from their food. Most desert animals are small; therefore they need only small amounts of food or water.

Even though deserts are found throughout the world, we will look mainly at the deserts in Texas and the United States. The deserts in the United States cover the southwestern area of the country. These are the deserts on the United States: Chihuahuan Desert, Great Basin Desert, Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert.
Listed below are animals that are in our desert unit.

Desert Links

Links for Desert information in Texas, United States, and World
Visit Big Bend	Big Bend Photos	Big Bend National Park
Big Bend	The Chihuahuan Desert	Tramline be sure to take fieldtrip
The Living Desert	Desert USA be sure to view QuickTime VR	Virtual Guidebooks
Gobi Desert	Sonoran Desert	Desert of Arizona
Welcome to the Desert	Desert Biomes	Sahara
Desert Museum