THE MOJAVE DESERT
RELATED LINKS:
WILDLIFE
- Red Racer
- Gopher Snake
- Glossy Snake
- Common Kingsnake
- Mojave Rattlesnake
- Speckled Rattlesnake
- Panamint Rattlesnake
- Desert Sindwinder
- Diamondback Rattlesnake
- Great Basin Rattlesnake
- Gila Monster
- Chuckwalla
- Leopard Lizard
- Collard Lizard
- Spiny Lizard
- Desert Iguana
- Desert Whiptail
ANIMAL MOTION AND BODY COVERINGS
- Vocabulary
- Book List
- Web Resources
Deserts, also called arid regions, are areas of extreme heat and dryness, receiving less then 10 inches of rain per year. More important than the actual amount of rainfall, is how fast the moisture evaporates. In a desert the rate of evaporation is greater than the rate of rainfall.
The Mojave Desert is centered in southeastern California and portions of Nevada, Arizona and Utah and occupies more than 25,000 square miles. It is the smallest of the four deserts of North America. The climate of the Mojave is characterized by hot, windy, dry summers and freezing temperatures in the winter.
The harsh extremes of heat and aridity of the desert have led to the idea that it is barren and empty. On the contrary, the Mojave Desert is full of life supporting a complex and diverse range of plant and animal species. Nearly 200 plant species are found in the Mojave Desert that are not found in either adjacent deserts. In addition, a large group of reptiles, mammals and birds inhabit this region.
