Deserts are places where it hardly ever rains, plants have a difficult time surviving, the hot sun scorches the earth, and winds which are very strong whip the sand and dust from the ground.

But, the  desert just isn't an area of sand.  It is so much more as you will learn.  The desert is a unique habitat  filled  with fascinating plant life and a wide variety of animal life.

 If you thought in color, you just might imagine the desert in blacks, grays and greens. But as you will learn, you will have to now rethink in some of the most beautiful colors that you will ever see. 

Most of the plants and animals had to adapt to the harness of the desert environment. There are strong winds, extreme temperatures, and of course a lack of water.  During the daytime there are few clouds to shade the hot sun.  Temperatures can reach 100 degrees F.  At night the temperatures plunge downward and make this an exceptionally cold environment.  All of this warming and cooling cracks the rocks and turns them into smaller rocks and sand.  The strong winds and rains cause erosion.  The sand mounds up and turns into sand dunes.

To preserve desert life, rains falls in the amount of 10 inches or less each year.  This doesn't sound like much, but that is all that is needed to safe the plants in the desert.  When it does rain, it rains hard.  The soil is so dry that it cannot absorb the water.  Flash flooding is common, and the rest evaporates easily in the hot sun.

Take a deep look at the desert.  It is definitely a mysterious and beautiful place.

Although deserts are found throughout the world, we will only focus on the deserts that are in North American.  I will supply links to other deserts around the world, and pictures.