,eatures of salt marshes.....................................................................................................-
What is a desert?
* desert is a ver" hot land where there is ver" less rainfall. The rainfall is not more than 26cm a
"ear. *t da"time0 it is e;tremel" hot and at ni&ht time0 it is e;tremel" cold.
Types of deserts
Desert are of di<erent t"pes dependin& on how the" are formed.
 The t"pes of deserts are=
1. Subtropical deserts 2. Coastal deserts . Rain shadow deserts #. Interior deserts (. Polar deserts
Subtropical deserts
Subtropical deserts are caused b" the circulation patterns of air. !ot0 moist air rises into the
atmosphere near the E>uator. *s the air rises0 it cools and drops as heav" tropical rains. *fter the rains0
the air is cooler and drier and moves awa" from the E>uator. *s it nears the tropics0 the air descends
and warms up a&ain. The descendin& air prevents the formation of clouds0 so ver" little rain falls on the
land below.
 These deserts are found alon& the Tropic of Cancer0 between 1( and 6 de&rees north of the
E>uator0 or alon& the Tropic of Capricorn0 between 1( and 6 de&rees south of the E>uator.
Ea!ples=
 The world?s lar&est hot desert0 the Sahara0 is a subtropical desert in northern *frica.
•  The Sahara Desert is almost the si3e of the entire continental @nited States.
•  The 7alahari Desert in southern *frica
•  The Tanami Desert in northern *ustralia.
•
water awa". So0 the water beneath the surface comes up
to
replace
the
water
as
upwellin&.
 The water that comes to the surface is colder and is rich in nutrients. Thou&h these nutrients
help in producin& more Ash0 the" create a cool atmosphere.
 The air blowin& towards the shore comes in contact with this cold water0 &ets chilled and
produces a la"er of fo&. This heav" fo& drifts onto the land. *lthou&h the humidit" is hi&h0 the factors
that cause rainfall are not present. * coastal desert ma" be almost totall" rainless but ma" still be
damp with fo&.
Ea!ple=
 The *tacama Desert0 on the PaciAc shores of Chile0 is a coastal desert.
Some areas of the *tacama are often covered b" fo& but it ma" not rain for as man" as ten "ears. The
*tacama Desert is the driest place on Earth. Some weather stations in the *tacama have never
recorded a drop of rainB
%ain shado& deserts
slopes that are awa" from the prevailin& winds.
$hen moisture:laden air hits a mountain
ran&e0 it is forced to rise. The air then cools and
forms clouds that drop moisture on the windward
wind:facin& slopes. $hen the air moves over the
mountaintop and be&ins to descend the slopes not
facin& the wind0 there is little moisture left. The
descendin& air warms up0 main& it dicult for
clouds to form.
• Death %alle"0 in the @.S. states of California
and 9evada0 is a rain shadow desert. Death
%alle"0 the lowest and driest place in 9orth *merica0 is in the rain
shadow of the Sierra 9evada 5ountains. •  The *tacama Desert is a coastal desert and a rain shadow desert since both conditions appl".
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Interior deserts
Deserts are formed in the interior areas because no moisture:laden winds reach them and the"
are far awa" from the sea. " the time air masses from coastal areas reach the interior0 the" have lost
all their moisture. Interior deserts are sometimes called inland deserts.
Ea!ple=
•  The +obi Desert0 in China and 5on&olia0 lies hundreds of ilometers from the ocean. •  The +obi is also in the rain shadow of the !imala"a 5ountains to the south and hence both
conditions mae it a desert.
Polar deserts Parts of the *rctic and the *ntarctic are classiAed as deserts. These deserts contain &reat
>uantities of water0 but most of it is loced in &laciers and ice sheets "ear:round. So thou&h millions of 
liters of water e;ist0 there is actuall" little available for plants and animals to actuall" use.
Ea!ple=
 The lar&est desert in the world is also the coldest. *lmost the entire continent of *ntarctica is a
polar desert. ,ew livin& thin&s can withstand the free3in&0 dr" climate of *ntarctica.
'eserts of the &orld
Hu!idity
 There is ver" low humidit" in most deserts. The rains that come occasionall" mostl" evaporate
in the dr" air. So the rain never touches the &round.
Sometimes0 rainstorms brin& as much as 2( cm of rain in Fust one hour and this ma" be the onl"
time that it rains for a whole "ear. Desert humidit" is so less that not enou&h water vapour e;ists to
form clouds. The s" is almost cloudless and the sun?s ra"s are so hot that the" bae the land. The
&round heats the air so much that air rises in waves. These shimmerin& waves confuse the e"e and
mae us thin there is a puddle of water. This is called a mira&e.
Te!perature
In most deserts0 temperatures are at e;tremes. In some deserts0 it is so hot durin& the da" that
people &et deh"drated and could even die. Since there are no clouds and less humidit"0 desert areas
cool ver" >uicl" at ni&ht.
Winds
Some deserts have winds at speeds of about 166 ilometers per hour. *s there is little
ve&etation0 the wind carries sand and dust even across continents and oceans. $indstorms in the
Sahara hurl so much material into the air that *frican dust sometimes crosses the *tlantic 8cean.
Water in the deserts
Rain is usuall" the main source of water in a desert0 but it is ver" rare. 5an" people livin& in
deserts depend on &roundwater that is stored in permeable rocs called a>uifers that lie below the
&round. These a>uifers transmit &roundwater. +roundwater comes from rain or other precipitation0 lie
snow or hail. It seeps into the &round where it can remain for thousands of "ears.
@nder&round water sometimes rises to the surface0 formin& sprin&s. * fertile &reen area called
an oasis ma" e;ist near such a water source. People0 animals0 and plants all surround oases0 which
provide water0 food and shelter.
$hen &roundwater doesn?t seep to the surface0 people drill into the &round to &et water. 5an"
desert cities0 depend a lot on such a>uifers for water.
'esert Ve)etation
Since there is ver" less rain0 plants adapt to desert habitats in man" wa"s. The followin&
characteristics help them adapt= 
•  The plants are scattered far awa" from each other so that the" can
&et enou&h water around them •  The" have thic0 wa;" sin to reduce loss of water and to
reGect heat •  Their lar&e0 Gesh" stems help to store water
•  The thic leaves and stems help them absorb water when it
rains so that the" can continue to &row even when there is no rain •  The" have small leaves so the" use less water
• Desert trees and shrubs are short and have fewer leaves and
branches
•  Their thorns and thin0 spi" or &loss" leaves reduce water loss
•  The" have spies protect cacti from animals wishin& to use stored
water •  Their deep roots to tap &roundwater
•  The" have lon& shallow roots which spread over a wide area
•  The desert plants lie dormant for "ears until rain falls
Photosynthesis
*lso0 photos"nthesis is the wa" in which plants mae their own food. Desert plants mae their
food throu&h photos"nthesis but in a di<erent wa" so that the" can save the water the" have stored
inside them. This method is called C*5 photos"nthesis.
* # P a & e
 
Ho& do desert plants cope? Desert plants use three strate&ies to survive in the desert. These strate&ies are as follows=
1. Succulence 2. Drou&ht tolerance . Drou&ht avoidance
Succulence
Succulent plants store water in Gesh" leaves0 stems or roots. *ll cacti are succulents 8ther non:cactus plants lie a&ave0 aloe and elephant trees are also succulent * succulent should absorb lar&e >uantities of water >uicl" because it rains rarel" and for a little
while.
 The soil dries rapidl" under an intense sun. So0 nearl" all succulents have wide0 shallow root
s"stems.
Succulents use C*5 Photos"nthesis
 To protect their water from thirst" animals0 most of the succulent plants are spin" or to;ic or
both. Some protect themselves b" &rowin& onl" in inaccessible locations.
Some others use camouGa&e.
Ea!ples of Succulent Plants
 
'rou)ht Tolerance
Drou&ht tolerance is the abilit" of the plant to survive without water Durin& this time0 these plants shed leaves and enter dormanc" to avoid losin& water  Those plants that do not shed leaves have a special coatin& on their leaves that helps them
from losin& water.
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The 'ate Pal! Tree
•  The date palm tree is a remarable tree that can &row in poor soils.
• It is a drou&ht tolerant tree that re>uires a lot of sunli&ht.
• Its roots travel deep to &et water.
• It is cultivated mainl" for its sweet fruit0 the date.
•  Their leaves are to ( metres lon& and the trees ma" &row up to 1( to 2( metres tall.
• *part from the date fruit0 the seeds of the fruit can also be used to mae bread.
•  The Gowers are used in saladsB
•  The tree truns are used to mae furniture.
•  The palm trees &row near desert oases where there is water.
• It is a wonderful tree that has so man" uses.
'rou)ht +voidance
*nnual plants escape unfavourable conditions b" not e;istin&.  The" mature in a sin&le season0 then die after puttin& all of their life ener&" into producin&
seeds instead of reservin& some for continued survival.
Ea!ples
+eo&raphical ,eatures
5ost of us thin deserts have onl" sand and dunes. ut0 dunes cover onl" 16 percent of the
world?s deserts. The other deserts are either mountainous or contain dr" e;panses of roc0 sand or salt
Gats.
1eatures of !ountain deserts
Scattered mountains separated b" Gat basins !i&h &rounds that ma" rise slowl" or steepl" from the &round. These &rounds could even be
1666 meters above sea level.
$hen rainfall occurs0 it falls on the hi&h &rounds and the water turns into Goods. These Goodwaters
eat into deep &ullies and deposit sand and &ravel around the ed&es of the basins. The water >uicl"
evaporates leavin& the land dr". If the amount of water enterin& the basin is more than the water that
evaporates0 shallow laes are formed. These laes have a hi&h salt content.
Ea!ples= The +reat Salt ae in @tah and the Dead Sea.
1eatures of roc2y plateau deserts %ast Gat areas with some solid or broen roc at or near the surface.  There ma" be steep:walled0 eroded valle"s called wadis or can"ons.  These narrow valle"s are e;tremel" dan&erous especiall" durin& Goods that come after rains.
Ea!ple= The +olan !ei&hts
1eatures of sandy or dune deserts Sand" or dune deserts are e;tensive Gat areas covered with sand or &ravel. Some areas ma" contain sand dunes that are over 66 meters hi&h and 1) to 2# ilometers
lon&. 8ther areas0 ma" be Gat for 0666 meters lon& or more.
Ea!ples= the ed&es of the Sahara and the 7alahari Desert in South *frica.
1eatures of salt !arshes Gat and empt" areas sometimes has clumps of &rass but devoid of other ve&etation  These deserts occur in arid areas where rainwater has collected0 evaporated and left lar&e
deposits of alali salts and water with a hi&h salt concentration.  The water is so salt" it is undrinable. * crust forms over the salt water. It ma" be 2.( to 6 centimeters thic.
In arid areas there are salt marshes as bi& as hundreds of s>uare ilometers. These areas have
man" insects0 most of which bite.
 This t"pe of terrain is hi&hl" corrosive to boots0 clothin& and sin.
Ea!ple= the Shat:el:*rab waterwa" alon& the Iran:Ira> border.
1eatures of bro2en Terrain *ll arid areas contain broen or hi&hl" dissected terrain. Rainstorms erode soft sand and carve out can"ons. * wadi ma" ran&e from meters wide and 2 meters deep to several hundred meters wide and
deep.
• It has lon& e"e lashes and hair" ears
• It has thic e"ebrows which stand out and shade e"es from the sun
• Its wide feet prevents it from sinin& in the sand
•  The male camels are 1./ to 2 metres tall and the female camels are 1.- to 1.4 metres tall.
•  The male camels wei&h about #66 to )66 & and the female camels about 66 to (#6 &.
•  Their colour ran&es from li&ht bei&e to dar brown.
•  The hump measures 26 cm.
2. $haracteristics and Behaviour • Dromedaries have bush" e"ebrows and two rows of lon& e"elashes to protect their e"es.
•  The" can close their nostrils durin& sandstorms so that the sand does not &et in.
•  Their ears have protective hair.
•  The dromedar" can sta" without water for over a wee because the" can drin up to (- litres in
one &oB • It can sta" for months without food as it stores fat in its hump
• It can chan&e its bod" temperature to avoid losin& water throu&h sweatin&
• Its thic fur helps to eep it warm at ni&ht
•  The camels are active in the da"0 and rest to&ether in &roups.
•  The dromedar" is called the HShip of the desert because of how well it adapts to the desert
conditions • It can survive even after losin& #6J of its bod" water because of its special idne"s. This is
ama3in& as even losin& up to 1(J bod" water could ill other animals.
. Habitat •  The dromedar" lives in arid re&ions lie the Sahara Desert in *frica0 the dr"0 hot re&ions of 9orth
*frica0 Ethiopia0 the 9ear East0 and western to central *sia.
#. $a!ou4a)e •  The dromedar"?s li&ht to dar brown colour sometimes maes it dicult to spot them in the
sand" deserts
(. 'iet    Their diet includes folia&e and desert ve&etation0 lie thorn" plants which their e;tremel" tou&h
mouths allow them to eat.
The +r!adillo 5i6ard
•  The head of the *rmadillo i3ard is narrow in shape.
•  The tail is 1#:1) inches lon& and it wei&hs /:1- pounds.
• Its bac le&s are a little shorter than the front.
•  The head0 bod"0 and club:lie tail are all Gattened so that it can easil"
wri&&le into roc crevices for shelter. •  The nostrils of the *rmadillo i3ard are formed into little tubes. These
tubes help it smell for food or predators. • It lives on the &round and is active in the da"time.
• It feeds on a wide variet" of insects0 as well as on spiders and other
invertebrates.
2. $haracteristics and Behaviour
• It is usuall" a slow movin& animal but when the *rmadillo i3ard thins or nows itKs in dan&er0 it
 
the case of dan&er0 armadillo li3ards curl into a ball that cannot be eaten b" most animals
because of the spines on the nec and tail. • It is because of this posture it is called the *rmadillo i3ard.
• *nother protection is their spin" scales that &o all the wa" around its bod". Their tails and spines
also can be used to defend themselves as well.
. Habitat
•  The *rmadillo i3ard can be found in the deserts of the southern tip of *frica.
•  The *rmadillo i3ardKs armour is most useful a&ainst man" birds0 mammals0 and other reptiles.
• !umans are the bi&&est enemies of armadillo li3ards. esides them0 the" are often tar&eted b"
birds of pre".
#. $a!ou4a)e    The bod" of the *rmadillo i3ard is covered with s>uare:shaped scales.
 The" are li&ht to dar brown on the upper side of the bod" and "ellow on the bottom side.
Its upper lip is brown in colour and chin is covered with blac mars.
   This uni>ue colouration of its bod" provides camouGa&e in the desert.
(. 'iet
   The *rmadillo li3ard is an omnivore.
  Its diet mainl" consists of termites and it also consumes scorpions0 millipedes0 spiders and
certain t"pes of plants.
The Blac2 .a!ba Sna2e
1. 'escription •  The blac mamba snae is about / to 1# feet lon&.
•  The" are actuall" brown in colour.
•  The inside of their mouths is blue:blac in colour. So0 it is called the blac mamba.
• It is considered the deadliest snae in the world.
2. $haracteristics and Behaviour • $hen threatened0 the blac mamba snae shows the inside of its mouth which are blue:blac in
colour. • It is also one of the fastest snaes in the world movin& up to 26
ilometres per hour. •  The blac mamba is a sh" snae. $hen attaced0 it tries to
escape. • ut0 when it is cornered and cannot do escape0 it lifts its
head and almost one:third of its bod" o< the &round0 opens its
mouth and hisses.
 
• If the attacer does not &o0 the blac mamba stries man" times inFectin& a lot of poison.
•  The victim is sure to die in twent" minutes0
. Habitat • lac mamba snaes live in swamps0 the woods0 forests and deserts.
•  The" can live with ver" little food and can survive in ver" hot areas.
•  The blac mamba lives in man" places in *frica lie Ethiopia0 7en"a and Somalia.
#. $a!ou4a)e
•  The blac mamba snae lives on trees and uses the trees as camouGa&e. The" hide and then
attac their pre".
• lac mamba snaes feed on birds and small mammals.
The 9an)aroo %at
1. 'escription
•  The an&aroo rat is a ver" cute little animal that loos lie a mini an&aroo but is as bi& as a
mouse. • It has lar&e hind le&s and feet.
• It usuall" &rows to about 1# inches / cm in len&th0 includin& its tail.
• Its hair is a "ellow bu< colour above and white below.
•  The tail has a white:tipped tuft at the end.
•  The 7an&aroo rat has ver" bi& e"es.
2. $haracteristics and Behaviour •  The an&aroo rat moves e;actl" lie a real an&aroo.
• It is a rodent.
• It drums the &round with its hind le&s and ics sand at obFects0 probabl" to see if it is alive.
• It spends most of its da" under&round sleepin&0 and comes out to feed at ni&ht when it is cooler.
• It has adapted to desert life b" &ettin& its water from the food it eats.
• *nother &reat adaptation the an&aroo rat has is a chee pouch0 which it can store food in for
wees while Andin& shelter.
• It uses its lon& and Gu<" tail for balance and steerin& its wa".
•  The 7an&aroo RatKs main defense a&ainst predators such as owls0 weasels0 snaes0 fo;es0
bad&ers0 and co"otes are their lon& bac le&s. •  These bac le&s help them leap -:4 feet o< the &round and completel" chan&e direction upon
landin&. •  The" have e;tremel" &ood hearin& and can even hear the silent owl which is completel" silent.
•  The" mana&e to escape from their predators because of their reall" &ood hearin& sills.
. Habitat    The" live in lar&e dens with wide openin&s which the" di& themselves at the base of bushes
lie the creosote bush.    Their burrows are up to # 1L2 feet 1.( m deep.
   The an&aroo rat lives in the desert scrub of the 5oFave and Sonoran deserts of California and
*ri3ona0 and western throu&h southern 9evada.
#. $a!ou4a)e
•  Their sand" brown colour mer&es with the desert bac&round.
(. 'iet •  The an&aroo rat mostl" eats seeds0 leaves0 stems and insects.
:; # P a & e
• It is brown or blac in colour
• It is covered with thousands of Ane hairs.
• It?s head and chest are Foined to&ether
• It has ei&ht le&s and also ei&ht e"esB
2. $haracteristics and Behaviour •  The sensitive hairs on the tarantula?s bod" help in detectin&
movement around it • It uses this to attac other insects
• $hen it is bein& attaced0 the tarantula rubs its le&s on its bod" so its hair brushes into the
enem"?s e"es. . Habitat
•  Tarantulas live in dr" areas in the desert
•  The" live worldwide and in deserts in the south western states of 9orth *merica and also in
5e;ico0 Central and South *merica.
#. $a!ou4a)e • Since desert tarantulas mer&e with the desert0 we cannot see them easil" sometimes.
(. 'iet •  Tarantulas feed on insects lie &rasshoppers0 beetles0 other small spiders and will sometimes
eat small li3ards.
The Blac2 Wido& Spider
1. 'escription • 5ale and female blac widow spiders loo >uite di<erent
from each other. •  The female spiders have shin" blac bodies and an
hour&lass:shaped red marin& on the underside of their
bod". • ,emale blac widows are about 1.( inches lon& and the
males are half the si3e.
2. $haracteristics and Behaviour • ie man" spiders0 blac widow spiders eat insects that &et cau&ht in their webs.
•  The female spiders han& upside down in their webs showin& the red marin& as a warnin& to
other insects. • ut0 the other insects are probabl" not afraid of the marin&. The" come closer and &et cau&ht
in the web. • $hen the pre" is cau&ht in the web0 the spider >uicl" comes out from hidin&0 wraps the pre"
ti&htl" in its stron& sil web. • It then punctures and poisons its pre".
•  The venom taes about ten minutes to tae e<ect.
•  Till the poison acts0 the spider holds on to the pre" ti&htl".
• $hen the victim stops movin&0 the spider releases di&estive en3"mes into the pre"?s wound.
•  These en3"mes li>uef" the pre".
•  The blac widow spider then feeds on the li>uid.
(< Habitat
   The" ma" be found in dar0 dr" shelters and dense ve&etation0
:: # P a & e
 
  lac widows are found in temperate re&ions throu&hout the world0 includin& the @nited States0
southern Europe and *sia0 *ustralia0 *frica0 and much of South *merica.   In the @nited States0 the" e;ist primaril" in the South and $est.
#. $a!ou4a)e
• lac widow spiders do not use camouGa&e methods.
(. 'iet • lac widow spiders t"picall" pre" on a variet" of insects lie Gies0 mos>uitoes0 caterpillars and
beetles.
'esert Birds
The =strich
1. 'escription •  The ostrich has a bod" too bi& for its le&s.
• It cannot G".
•  Their e"es are about 2 inches in diameter.
•  The" have a small head with a bea and a lon& and Ge;ible nec.
•  Their bodies are covered in brown coloured feathers.
•  The" have a tail and ver" lon& powerful le&s.
   The" have two toes with bi& claws.
2. $haracteristics and Behaviour
•  The ostrich never uses its win&s to G".
• It uses the win&s to balance and turn when runnin&.
• If ostriches detect predators0 the" run awa".
• If the" cannot run awa"0 the" ic their predators powerfull" and can inFure the predators.
   The food the ostrich eats is collected at the top of the throat until there is a bi& si3ed lump of 
food to slide down the lon& nec into the stomach.    The bod" temperature on the ostrich varies and can be adFusted to a hi&her temp on hotter
da"s to reduce water loss from their bodies.
. Habitat • 8striches are found in *frica and South *ustralia in &rasslands and arid desert re&ions.
#. $a!ou4a)e • 8striches can lie completel" Gat on the &round stretchin& their nec.
•  This wa"0 the" camouGa&e with the &rasses and cannot be seen at times.
(. 'iet    The ostrich is an omnivore.
It feeds on &rass0 seeds0 insects and vertebrates.
•  The ostrich eats whatever it can And in its environment even small stones0 sands and pebbles.
1ood $hain  The followin& picture shows the food chain of animals that live in the desert.
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Weather Patterns and Seasons
• Deserts have ver" little rainfall.
•  The weather is e;tremel" hot durin& the da" and cold durin& the ni&ht.
•  The weather patterns and seasons are listed in the table below.
Hot and 'ry 'eserts Se!i>arid 'eserts $oastal 'eserts $old 'eserts
or!al
Te!perature
26M C to 2(M C 21M C to 2-M C 1M C to 2#M C 21M C to 2)M C
Etre!e !ai!u!
te!perature
#.(M C to #4M C @p to /M C @p to (M C :2M C to #M C
%ainfall %er" little rainfall or
concentrated rainfall
dr"
Short warm summers
with some rainfall. Weather in +utu!n $arm $arm $arm !eav" rainfall in some
areas Weather in Winter $arm with ver" little
rainfall.
on& and cold winters.
Weather in Sprin) $arm $arm Cool Some rainfall
'isasters in the 'eserts  There are two t"pes of disastersN natural and man:made.
atural 'isasters
1lash 4oods
• ,lash Goods occur when there is heav" rainfall.
• $hen there are thunderstorms and if the rains are too heav"0 Goods can happen even in hours.
•  The sand in the deserts cannot absorb water well. So0 when it rains heavil" and continuousl"0
the water starts Allin& up the basins. $ater overGowin& from these basins causes Gash Goods. • *lso0 the water moves with so much force that it can even uproot trees0 brid&es and buildin&s.
• ,lash Goods are ver" dan&erous because the" are sudden and powerful.
Sand stor!s
• $hen a stron& wind blows it lifts the sand particles o< the &round.
•  These particles start G"in& in the air to&ether because of the force of the wind. This is a sand
storm. • In dr" desert areas0 thunderstorms cause sand storms.
Bli66ards
• In polar deserts0 winds are the main reason for bli33ards.
• Some snow in the polar deserts is fro3en and forms sheets of ice. The snow that is loose and not
fro3en is blown b" stron& winds and lifted into the air. This causes a bli33ard.
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=@>roadin)
• 8<:roadin& is the drivin& of vehicles on uneven &round for adventure and fun.
• 8<:roadin& erodes the sand and maes it loose. This could create sandstorms.
• It a<ects the plants b" dama&in& their root s"stems.
•  The noise of the vehicles scares the animals in the desert and maes them hide.
=ther %easons
• +lobal warmin& o It is caused when the temperature increases further and reduces the water levels further. o  This will harm the plants and animals that live in the desert.
• DesertiAcation o Productive land becomes non:productive desert land over time. This process is called
desertiAcation. It a<ects the dr" areas on the ed&es of deserts. o DesertiAcation is caused b"
on& dr" periods causin& ve&etation to die 8ver&ra3in& of ve&etation b" cattle Deforestation b" humans to use Arewood or mae place for buildin&s.
!uman *daptation
People livin& in deserts have the challen&e of Andin& enou&h water to live. !umans can survive
without food for wees but not even for a couple of da"s without water.
5ivin) in the Sahara desert
5ifestyle
• In the Sahara0 people live a nomadic life and are called edouins.
• 9omads are people who fre>uentl" eep movin& to new places to live.
• Some people &row crops on irri&ated land in an oasis and others have Gocs of sheep0 &oats
and camels. •  The oases villa&es have marets where people trade with each other. Someone who has wool
and hides e;chan&es it with another person for dates0 co<ee and other thin&s the" need.
$lothin)
• People wear lon& robes and turbans to protect their e"es and heads from the sun and from
sand storms. •  The clothin& is made from the wool of camels0 sheep and &oats which are the animals the"
normall" own. The" also wear sandals to protect their feet from the hot &round. • Durin& the da"0 wool clothin& is worn loosel" to allow air to Gow and eep the bod" cool.
• *t ni&hts0 wool clothin& worn ti&ht eeps the people warm. $ool acts as a temperature
re&ulator and is worn to eep people warm and cool.
Shelter
•  The" live in tents and mud houses to escape the heat.
•  The traditional edouin tent was woven from &oat?s hair and protected the people from rain0
sun and the cold ni&hts. •  The people livin& in tents can move easil" from one place to another in search of water and to
And &rass for their cattle. • $hen the" travel0 the" rest near oases with palm trees.
1ood
• *s edouins move fre>uentl"0 the" do not carr" around a lot of thin&s lie fruits and ve&etables.
• Since rice and Gour was eas" to carr"0 their diet mainl" includes these.
• *s the" &rew cattle0 mil is also available.
$ulture
• edouins mae their own music with Fust their voices and the clappin& of their hands.
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•  The" sin& son&s to feel stron& in the desert and so that the" don?t feel lonel".
•  The" also sin& son&s for their camels so the camels feel happ" and stron&.
iblio&raph"
http=LLand"desert;.blo&spot.inL2612L6(Lsahara:desert:bedouin.html
http=LLdi&ital:desert.comLwildlifeLinsects.html
http=LLen.wiipedia.or&LwiiListOofO*loeOspecies
http=LLfamil"crafts.about.comLodLsocialstudieshistor"LGLDesert:Diorama:Craft.htm
http=LLlistovative.comLtop:4:plants:commonl":found:desertsL
http=LLwww.softschools.comLfactsLanimalsLarmadilloOli3ardOfactsL))6L
http=LLwww.vtaide.comLpn&LhabitatsLdesertsLinsects.htm
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