Biome+2



Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's land surface. Most Hot and Dry Deserts are near the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn. Cold Deserts are near the Arctic part of the world. Hot and Dry Deserts temperature ranges from 20 to 25° C. The extreme maximum temperature for Hot Desert ranges from 43.5 to 49° C. Cold Deserts temperature in winter ranges from -2 to 4° C and in the summer 21 to 26° C a year The precipitation in Hot and Dry Deserts and the precipitation in Cold Deserts is different. Hot and Dry Deserts usually have very little rainfall and/or concentrated rainfall in short periods between long rainless periods. This averages out to under 15 cm a year. Cold Deserts usually have lots of snow. They also have rain around spring. This averages out to 15 - 26 cm a year/ = Plants = Barrel Cactus
 * [[image:http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/dry_desert.jpg width="316" height="216" align="middle"]] || [[image:http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/desert_location_map001.gif width="363" height="221" align="center"]] ||

**Common Name(s):** Barrel Cactus, Compass Cactus

**Genus:** Ferocactus

**Species:** wislizeni

Joshua Tree
 * || [[image:http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/barrelcactus.jpg width="200" height="198" align="bottom"]] || || When you imagine a desert, what do you think of first? Maybe it's sand, heat, or Gila monsters, but most likely it's cactus.  ||

**Genus:** Yucca

**Species:** brevifolia

|| ||  Pancake Prickly Pear Cactus
 * || [[image:http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/joshua_tree.jpg width="180" height="199" align="center"]]

**Genus:** Opuntia

**Species:** chlorotica =  Animals   = Armadillo Lizard
 * || [[image:http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/pancake_prickly_pear2.jpg width="180" height="328" align="bottom"]]  || ||

**Genus:** Cordylus

**Species:** cataphractus || ||  Banded Gila Monster
 * || [[image:http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/armadillo_lizard2.jpg width="194" height="171" align="center"]]

**Genus**: Heloderma

**Species**: suspectum cinetum || || Desert Tortoise
 * || [[image:http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/banded_gila_monster2.jpg width="201" height="143" align="center"]]

**Common Names:** Gopher Tortoise

**Genus:** Gopherus

**Species:** agassizii || ||
 * || [[image:http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/desert_tortoise.jpg width="180" height="136" align="center"]]