Desert Habitat ['dĕ-zûrt] ['hæbɪtæt]

Very dry regions that support minimal vegetation.

The common picture of a desert is miles and miles of sand dotted with huge cactus, bare sandstone bluffs and tall spires of rock. But deserts are surprisingly varied. Many like the Mojave and Sahara are hot and sandy. But some like Antarctica or Greenland are cold and rocky. What all deserts have in common is a lack of moisture — typically, deserts get less than 10-12 inches of moisture a year. In such a dry environment, it's easy to imagine that deserts have little or no life. But deserts are home to a rich variety of plants and animals, all especially adapted to cope with little water and extreme temperatures.

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