Just Deserts

Deserts are one of the most extreme environments for life on the whole of Earth.
There are two types of desert: hot and cold. Both types have very arid climates but hot deserts are by far the most common type and cover 14.2% of the world’s land surface, and they have hot summers and winters. Cold deserts also have hot or very warm summers but have winters with temperatures that are similar to the non-desert lands around them (such as the Gobi Desert in Mongolia).
The temperature in a desert can change drastically from day to night, because the air is so dry and the sky so cloudless that heat escapes rapidly at night. The daytime temperature averages 38C (100F) while in some deserts it can get down to -4°C (25F) at night.
The record for the highest summer desert temperature lies with Death Valley at 56.7C (134.1F).

Desert terrain is either bald earth, rocky or sandy, from which any precipitation can evaporate almost as soon as it falls. There is little shade for plants or animals, apart from next to or under rocks or larger plants and trees that manage to grow in these hostile environments.

Storms or other sources of precipitation give some welcome relief to all desert residents.

The occasional oases are a lifeline to the larger residents of the desert including the nomadic people who criss-cross the deserts.
Vegetation, such as palm trees, is lush around these precious bodies of water.

With no cloud cover and little in the way of light pollution, most deserts have very clear views of the night sky.

Camels are supremely adapted to desert life. The single-humped dromedary camel can manage for up to 10 days without drinking, but can lose 30% of their body mass in that time due to utilising the fatty deposits stored in their humps. This fat can help to provide some water when it is used by the camel as a source or energy - one gram of fat can provide one gram of water. Camels have a thick coat which insulates them from the intense heat of the desert sand. They have wide toes which help them to walk on loose sand. Their nostrils trap water vapour as they exhale, and their kidneys and intestines reabsorb as much water back into the body as possible, slowing dehydration. And they have a thick leathery lining to their mouth, which enables them to eat thorny desert plants. With enough greenery to eat, in milder heat, a camel doesn’t need to drink at all, managing to get sufficient water from its food alone.

Thorny dragons, also called thorny devils, live in the desert of central Australia.

Sidewinder snakes have a very effective way to cross loose sand.

The burrowing owl, who roosts and nests underground. Some do dig their own burrows but most move into abandoned burrows dug by something else.

Cacti are the ultimate desert plant. They are succulents, which mean they have fleshy stems designed to store water. Their defensive spines are modified leaves and these also help to cut down water loss by reducing airflow close to the plant.
Transpiration - the process where a plant opens pores to take in carbon dioxide - does not take place during the day in desert cacti. They wait for the cooler night time temperatures, thereby drastically reducing water lost in that process.

And cacti and succulents make great houseplants!!

The fennec fox’s large ears help it to keep cool by dissipating heat.

Merriam’s kangaroo rats use their large back feet to hop about on the sand.

Oryx can survive long periods without water and their horns are an effective defence, which they have been known to kill lions with.

Deserts can be pretty extreme places to live or visit. Can you cope with that sort of heat easily? Have you had a holiday in any desert region or lived there?
Have you ever ridden a camel? I have and grumpy creatures they are too!! 😁 Give me Arabian horses any day!!
And do you keep cacti or have any desert plants as houseplants or in your garden? If so what sort?
Please share all thoughts, pictures, gifs, music, etc on deserts and desert life - sun, sand, heat, oases, and all of that. Just don’t forget your water bottle!!

All are welcome.
And please feel free to share all discussions you enjoy.