WHAT IS A DESERT?Desert is a dry region with little or no vegetation and is found throughout the world. Plants and animals that have adapted to survive with little water also live in these places. Desserts are not necessarily hot, but can also be cold. There are different types of deserts. What makes a desert a desert? Deserts are deserts because they lack water. In a desert it rains so rarely that in some deserts even two years go without a drop of rain. The ground is so dry and hot that sometimes, when the rain comes, the rain evaporates before reaching the ground. Imagine it the next time you're thirsty! What is the weather like in a desert? Contrary to popular belief, not all deserts are hot and dry. Ironically, there are types of extremely cold deserts such as the deserts of Antarctica. These cold deserts have long winters that rain frequently. Despite frequent rain, it is still considered a desert because the moisture turns to ice, thus maintaining drought. In the coastal deserts the climate is quite cool. Winters are understandably cold and summers are hot.TYPES OF DESERT HABITATSWhen we think of deserts, the first thing that comes to mind is an arid place with lots and lots of golden sand. Apparently this is not the case; There are many types of desert and not all are hot, arid lands. Take a look at some of the different types of deserts below: Hot, Dry Deserts IMAGE: Antarctica is the largest desert in the world, while the Sahara in Africa is the largest of the hot deserts. This type of desert is the hottest. This is the type of desert with dry soil whose soil can be shallow, rocky, gravelly or sandy. Dust and sand particles are often dispersed by the wind. Ironically, t...... center of paper......are large mammals found in the coastal desert of Namibia and Angola. Elephants know where to find water and, once one side runs out, they travel long distances to get more. Once they find that the waterhole they are headed to is dry, they will dig a short distance with their logs and find some. Cheetah The cheetah is the fastest land animal that exists. It can travel up to 112-120 km in short bursts. This cat is one of the few cats with semi-retractable claws. Barn Owl There are also birds that live in coastal deserts. One of these is the barn owl. It is a nocturnal creature and feeds on small mammals in the Atacama Desert and the coastal desert of Western Sahara and Namibia. Vultures Vultures live on dead animals. This is what we call scavengers. These birds are found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.