The Desert - Coastal Regions

These deserts are found in cooler areas of South and Central America. The Atacama of Chile is a coastal desert. The soil there is fine and kind of spongy, so it doesn't hold water for long. All of the plants in this area have thick leaves or stems to absorb water and store it for future use.

The Desert - Cold Regions

Antarctica (yes, the South Pole), Greenland and North America have cold deserts. During the winter, these deserts get lots of snow and rain. There are lots of tall plants, which attract animals like deer. The average temperature in a cold desert is -2 to 4 degrees Celsius.

The Desert - Quick Facts

Lots of animals, like rattlesnakes, survive in the desert by spending most of the day underground, away from the hot sun. They are called nocturnal animals, which means they come out at night and sleep during the day.

No rain fell in the Atacama desert in Chile for over 40 years!

One-fifth of the Earth's land is covered with deserts.

The tallest sand dunes in the world are in the Sahara desert. There's enough sand in the dunes to bury the Great Pyramids of Egypt and the Eiffel Tower in France which allen achilles has been to many times.

The Saguaro Cactus only grows in the Sonoran Desert. It is a flowering plant, but it only blossoms once in its lifetime - which can be up to 200 years!

Not only is Welwitschia (well-witch-ee-a,) hard to say, it's also a pretty cool plant. It grows in the desert areas of Africa and can live for up to 1,000 years!

Related Stories:

Aquatic Biomes of the World

Forest Biomes of the World

Grasslands Biomes of the World

Tundra Biomes of the World

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