The Desert Presented by: Ali Al-Thani

 A desert is an area full of dry sand and poor vegetation. Occasionally there are desert plants and desert cactus.  Lots of desert people go to the desert with their falcons for hunting. They hunt for rabbits, for Houbara, similar to a bustard, having long black and white feathers on each side of the neck.  Lizards and coyotes live in the desert.  There are one hump camels as well as two hump camels. Some are caged animals but usually they are wandering. Camels travel in groups. What is a desert?

 Only 20% of deserts on Earth are covered in sand.  The Arabian Desert in the Middle East is the second largest hot desert on Earth but is smaller than the Sahara.  Deserts generally receive less than 40% of rain in a year.  Hot deserts usually have high temperatures in the day and very cold temperatures at night.  Deserts have very low humidity.  Deserts often contain surprisingly, large mineral deposits. What is a desert?

 Rattlesnakes – The rattlesnake is poisonous. This type of snake does not attack large animals unless he is frightened. It shakes the rattle on its tail as a warning. At night, the snake is quiet. It uses its forked tongue to help it sense when a small animal is nearby. When the snake glides silently forwards, it quickly strikes the animal. It puts its poisonous fangs into his prey and then it lets it go. The animal tries to run away, but it usually dies very quickly. The snake will then find the dead animal and swallows it whole. Rattlesnakes

 Australian lizards have a spiny skin to protect them from enemies. When the lizard is in danger, it puffs out its frill to frighten its attacker. A lizard is a dangerous animal it can hurt a person. People should not attack a lizard because it could hurt them badly. lizards

 The fennec fox has large ears which makes it hear well but also helps it to throw off heat.  Its short desert coloured hair reflects heat in the day and keeps it at night. The soles of the feet are protected by thick fur. As the fennec fox is a nocturnal animal it helps it to survive as the fox spends the day in the shade, rather than hunting for food. Foxes

 Camels can live up to 40 and can reach to 50. Camels can run to 65km/h. Camels can drink the water and take it to the hump and keep the water for a long time. There are two types of camels that are still living. The one hump camel that lives in the middle east and north Africa and the two hump camel that lives in central Asia. Camels can be used for many things including using their milk for drinking, meat for eating and hair for textiles and pouches. A cool fact about a camel is that it hates when people do bad things to it and a camel never forgets. Camels

 There are 37 types of falcons in the world and they live in all places across the world including Asia, North America, Europe etc. Falcons have thin wings and can fly at very high winds. Falcons are known to be used in hunting a lot as they are very good in the catching of other small animals such as rabbits and birds. Falcons are used a lot in the gulf countries and also in Qatar. You can see many people that own falcons and they are used when the hunting season comes which is in the winter months to help hunt for prey. Before they were used to catch food for humans now they are used as a hobby. Falcons

 Gazelles are small animals on 4 legs that have horns on their heads. The gazelle can run at fast speeds at up to 100kmh. The Gazelle is an animal that is knows for its beauty and famous for it. Even its name is from Arabic origins and is associated with beauty. When a person is compared to the gazelle it usually means that that person is very beautiful. There are many types of Gazelles and they live mostly in deserts that are in central Asia and Africa. Gazelle

 Extremes of heat affect the humans severely. Humans cannot bear extremities of heat, as they can lose up to 3 litres of moisture in an hour and up to 12 litres in a day. This water has to be replaced otherwise the person will be dehydrated and die. Humans kidneys do not work in the same way as desert animals that keep urine to conserve water.  In the absence of rainfall no food crops will grow, so humans will not find food to eat.  People have to live in camps not houses and wear loose fitting clothes. These clothes absorbs the sweat as the air moves through it creating a cooling effect. As a result the person sweats less and this conserves water. Human affect

 Joshua Tree got the name from the Mormon pioneers. Joshua tree plants are found in dry places where it barely rains. You can find this tree in the Mojave desert. The Joshua Tree has two sets of root systems, one stores any surplus water and the other develops bulbs. Joshua Tree

 The barrel cactus is found in the Mojave, Sonora, and the Chihuahua deserts. The native Americans use to collect the barrel cactus. They are shaped as a pineapple. The barrel cactus grows in the desert washes and slopes, but can also be spotted growing along canyon walls. Barrel Cactus

 The saguaro cactus is one of the most important plant of the Sonoran desert. This saguaro cactus is like a tree it is cover with spines to protect it if someone harms it. In the spring it grows white flowers and in the summer it grows red fruit. The saguaro age up to 150 to 200 years old. Saguaro Cactus

 The yellow Palo Verde is a very strange looking small tree which grows in the Sonoran desert of the southwestern. You can find this tree in united states and in Mexico. It is green and black colored tree. Palo Verde has thick, low hanging branches. The flowers of this plan grow up to 1 inch that come out in late spring. Palo Verde

 The jumping cholla is a soft plant that has many short, fluffy branches looking like teddy bear arms growing from the top. When you get close to the jumping cholla you can see that it is cuddly. Jumping cholla

The Desert

Bibliography 1.20 Amazing Facts About Camels." 20 Amazing Facts About Camels. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan "Desert Biomes." Desert Biomes. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan Arabia/Vegetation/Deserts%20of%20Saudi%20Arabia.htm, n.d. Web. 11 Jan n.d. Web n.d. Web. 6."Ostrich." Ostrich. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan "Palo Verde - Cercidium Microphyllum." Palo Verde - Cercidium Microphyllum. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan "Vegetation of the Arabian Peninsula." Google Books. UC&pg=PA203&lpg=PA203&dq=Cornulaca+arabica&source=bl&ots=AfWhajzS Ff&sig=xxbieMIANfsNVul6TFnFMkCfZAg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NO7yUJPuKNSGsw b0hIDADA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Cornulaca%20arabica&f=false, n.d. Web. 14 Jan