Deserts are the driest places on Earth — but they're teeming with specially adapted life!
What is a Desert?
A desert is any area that receives less than 10 inches (25 cm) of precipitation per year. That's the defining feature — not necessarily heat. Deserts cover about one-fifth of Earth's land (more if you count semi-dry land) and come in two main types: hot deserts and cold deserts.
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Hot Deserts
Scorching & Dry
The Sahara (Africa) is the world's largest hot desert — about the size of the United States
The Arabian Desert covers much of the Arabian Peninsula
The Sonoran Desert (USA/Mexico) is one of the most biologically diverse deserts on Earth
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Cold Deserts
Frozen & Dry
Antarctica is actually the world's largest desert — it receives almost no precipitation
The Gobi Desert (China/Mongolia) has extreme temperature swings between seasons
Cold deserts have freezing winters but can be very hot in summer
Desert Animal Adaptations
Desert animals have evolved remarkable strategies to survive extreme heat, cold nights, and almost no water.
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Camel
Desert Traveler
Humps store fat (not water) — which can be converted to energy during long journeys
Wide, flat feet spread their weight on sand like natural snowshoes
Long eyelashes and closeable nostrils protect against blowing sand
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Fennec Fox
Heat Dissipator
Enormous ears act like radiators — blood vessels release heat into the air
Get almost all their water from the food they eat — rarely need to drink
Dig deep burrows to escape the midday heat and sleep through the hottest hours
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Sidewinder Snake
Sand Mover
Moves in a distinctive S-shaped sideways motion to minimize contact with hot sand
Nocturnal — hunts at night when temperatures are cooler
Can detect the body heat of prey using heat-sensing pits on its face
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Scorpion
Nocturnal Hunter
Fluoresce under ultraviolet light — glow bright blue-green in the dark
Can slow their metabolism and go a long time between meals when food is hard to find
Thick exoskeleton prevents moisture loss in the driest desert conditions
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Desert Lizard
Sun Regulator
Cold-blooded — use the sun to warm up and shade to cool down
Many have light-colored scales that reflect sunlight and reduce heat absorption
Can run bipedally (on two legs) to move quickly across hot sand
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Roadrunner
Fast Runner
Prefers running over flying — can reach speeds of up to about 20 mph on foot
Hunts lizards, insects, scorpions and even rattlesnakes, which it kills by quick, clever attacks
Absorbs morning sun through dark patches on its back to warm up quickly
Desert Plant Adaptations
Desert plants have evolved extraordinary ways to find, store, and conserve water in one of Earth's most challenging environments.
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Cactus
Water Storer
Stores water inside its thick, fleshy stem — a large saguaro can soak up about 200 gallons of water after a big rain
Spines are actually modified leaves that reduce water loss and deter animals
Shallow but wide root system quickly absorbs any rainfall across a large area
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Sagebrush
Drought Resistant
Small, gray-green leaves with a waxy coating to prevent water loss
Has aromatic leaves that give it a sharp, sage-like smell
Deep taproot reaches groundwater far below the surface
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Joshua Tree
Desert Icon
Actually a type of yucca — found only in the Mojave Desert of California
Spiky leaves minimize water loss while still conducting photosynthesis
Often lives 150 years or more and grows slowly — roughly half an inch to 3 inches per year
🏜️ The Sahara Desert
The Sahara is the world's largest hot desert — covering about 3.5 million square miles across North Africa. It's about as big as the United States! Temperatures can top 120°F (49°C) during the day and drop below freezing at night. Despite its harshness, hundreds of kinds of plants and animals live there.
10 Desert Facts for Kids
#1
Largest desert on Earth is Antarctica — not the Sahara! Antarctica receives almost no rain or snow
3.5M mi²
Size of the Sahara Desert — the world's largest hot desert, spanning 11 African countries
134°F
Hottest air temperature officially recorded on Earth (56.7°C), in Death Valley in California's Mojave Desert, in 1913 — some scientists question that old reading
~20%
of Earth's land is desert (about one-fifth), and even more is dry, semi-desert land
10 in
A desert gets less than about 10 inches (25 cm) of rain or snow in a whole year. That dryness, not heat, is what makes a desert.
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Not all deserts are hot. The Gobi Desert in Asia gets freezing winters, and Antarctica is the coldest desert of all.
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Deserts can be scorching by day and freezing at night, because dry air and clear skies let the heat escape quickly after sunset.
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A camel's hump stores fat, not water. Its body turns that fat into energy when food is hard to find.
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A saguaro cactus can grow more than 40 feet tall and live 150 years or more, storing rainwater in its stretchy, pleated trunk.
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Many desert animals are nocturnal: they sleep through the hot day and come out to hunt in the cool night.
Desert Questions Kids Ask
What is a desert biome for kids?
A desert biome is a place that gets very little rain or snow, less than about 10 inches (25 cm) a year. Deserts can be hot, like the Sahara, or cold, like the Gobi and Antarctica, and the plants and animals that live there have special ways to save water.
Is Antarctica really a desert?
Yes. Antarctica gets almost no rain or snow each year, so it counts as a desert even though it is covered in ice. It is the largest desert on Earth.
How do animals survive in the desert?
Many desert animals hide in burrows or shade during the hot day and come out at night. Some, like the fennec fox, have big ears that release heat, and others, like the camel, can go a long time without drinking.
What plants live in the desert?
Cactuses, sagebrush, and Joshua trees all live in deserts. Cactuses store water in thick stems, and many desert plants have long or wide roots to catch rain quickly when it falls.
Are all deserts hot?
No. Some deserts, like the Sahara, can reach about 130°F in the day, but cold deserts, such as polar deserts, have cold winters or stay cold all year. Even hot deserts can drop below freezing at night.
Sources & Further Reading
Want to learn more? These trusted sources are a good next stop for kids and grown-ups.