Deadly Deserts

1. Deadly Deserts Sahara deserts

2. Sahara desert • Sahara is consided a the worlds lagestest desert. • it belongs to the subtropical group. • It is located in northern africa • With its northern easterly winds they can reach hurricane level and often sand storms . • Half of the dessert receives less then 1 inch of water but the other half can have up to 4 inches of water. • The area of this desert is about 3,500,000 square miles. This desert is as big as whole continent of Europe or United States and covers almost all of northern Africa.  • The highest peak in the Sahara is the volcano Emi Koussi (11,204 feet or 3,415 meters) in the Tibesti Mountains in northern Chad..

3. Animals in the desert • Thousands of years ago, the Sahara had enough water so that people and animals were able to survive on the edge of the desert. There is evidence that the area was able to sustain river animals such as crocodiles. Fossils of dinosaurs have been discovered as well. • giraffes, elephants and lions also roamed a once-lush Sahara. • Rodents, snakes and scorpions thrive in the desert environment. • the Mall Fennec Fox is another carnivore that makes its home in tunnels in the sand dunes during the day and comes out at night to prey on the rodents. • Many of these animals have adapted to this area because of its hot and cold tempretures.

4. Sand cat Sand cats are an endangered species. They are true desert animals and have adapted into to their environment greatly well. The coat is soft and dense, mostly pale sandy brown to light grey, slightly darker on the back and whitish on the belly. The tawny reddish ears are black tipped, as is the tail, which also has a few narrow black rings near the tip. The broad head has large eyes placed greatly forward, and low set, large, tapered ears which provide keen hearing for habitat where prey is scarce. They have evolved a thick coat which insulates them from the alternating intense heat and cold of a breeding in the wild is seasonal with births born January-April. After a 60 – 67 day gestation, one to eight – usually 3-4 – kittens are born annually in a burrow or among rocks. Weight at birth is 50 – 60 grams. At two weeks their eyes open, they first venture outside at three to four weeks, and eat their first solid food at five weeks. They become independent at three to four months, and sexual maturity is reached at about 9 – 14 months. They have lived to 14 years of age in captivity.

5. How the sand cat got adapted to its environment. Sandcats are adpated in the desert by burying themselves into the sand to get away from the scorching sun. The sand cat’s body is well adapted to cope with the extremes of its environment - its thick fur is of medium length and acts as insulation against the extreme cold of the desert nights and its feet and pads are covered with long hair which protect them from the heat of the desert surface and give it extra support needed in moving across the soft, shift interestingly, and again by way of adapting to its environment the sand cat can live without drinking water, instead obtaining all the fluid it requires from its prey - in this it is comparable to Black-footed Cat found in similar arid locations in parts of South Africa.ng sands. n the wild it has been observed that the young sand cat develops rapidly and become independent at a relatively early age. The litter size can range between 1-8 kittens (normally 4-5) and are born after a gestation period of approximately 62 days. The kittens have a daily weight gain of approximately 12g per day and reaches maturity at about 14 months of age.

6. Cactus A cactus is a plant many people like to grow but they can survive very well in the desert. The cactus family is one of the most easily recognized plant families in the world. Their beautiful blossoms, thick stems and unusual shapes attract thousands of people to the desert each year. Cactus, as a plant family, show variations between the individual species. They range from the three-inch fishhook cactus nestled in a rock crevice to the towering saguaro cactus which reaches heights of 30 to 40 feet. Cactus grow on rocky hillsides, alluvial fans and in barren washes throughout the desert.

7. How did the cactus adapt to its environment ? • Cacti are well adapted for survival in the desert. They have: stems that can store water and widespread root systems to collect water from a large area. Additionally, cacti have spines instead of leaves to minimise the surface area for water loss by transpiration. • Cactus take advantage of the lightest rainfall by having roots close to the soil surface. The water is quickly collected by the roots and stored in thick, expandable stems for the long summer drought. The fleshy stems of the barrel cactus are pleated like an accordion and shrink as moisture is used up. These pleats also channel water to the base of the plant during rain showers.