Chaparral

Location The chaparral biome is found in a little bit of most of the continents - the west coast of the United States, the west coast of South America, the Cape Town area of South Africa, the western tip of Australia and the coastal areas of the Mediterranean. The chaparral biome has many different types of terrain. Some examples are flat plains, rocky hills and mountain slopes. It is sometimes used in movies for the "Wild West“.

Temperature and Precipitation The climate of the chaparral varies greatly during the year. During the summer, the chaparral is very dry and desert-like and temperatures can reach over 100° F (38° C). Conversely, during the winter, temperatures can drop below freezing and hard frosts hit the land. The annual rainfall in the chaparral biome may reach 20–30 in., but in contrast to the grasslands, almost all of this falls in winter. Summers are very dry and all the plants — trees, shrubs, and grasses

Flora Many plants are drought and fire resistant to cope with the climate. Other plants are dwarfed, which is caused by severe drought, poor soil, and extreme changes of climate. Wild fires also stunt the growth of plants. Many of the plants are evergreen shrubs.

Fauna The animals are all mainly grassland and desert types adapted to hot, dry weather. A few examples: coyotes, jack rabbits, mule deer, alligator lizards, horned toads, praying mantis, honey bee and ladybugs, northern red diamond rattle snake, orange-throated whiptail lizard, pocket mouse, deer mouse, kangaroo rats, chipmunk, rabbit, fox, deer, lynx, and mountain lion.