What plants are in the tropical deserts of Africa. Flora of Africa

Ionin Artem's report

Animals and plants of tropical deserts

Dry continental climate tropical latitudes forms such natural areas, how deserts and semi-deserts.

Despite the harsh conditions, in the desert you can find plants that surprise and delight.

Among these plants velvichia. Her life can last up to 1000 years, and during all this time she grows only two huge leaves, the roots of this plant are 3 meters.

Yantak or camel thorn, its roots go down to a depth of 20 meters.

Different kindscacti. These plants store water in their fleshy stems, protected by sharp needles and thorns. The peculiarity of these desert plants is that they have adapted not only to store water in the stem, but also to protect it from animals. The seeds of some cacti can lie dormant for hundreds of years.

quiver tree- grows up to 7 meters high with sharp ends of branches.

Another plant of the desert is nara, a source of moisture and necessary substances for all the inhabitants of the desert.

In many desert plants, the leaves are covered with either fluff or a wax coating, which reduces the area for evaporation of the leaves, and sometimes they even change their shape.

Sandy deserts are inhabited by many animals , who also encountered a number of problems here.

Deserts are characterized by fast moving animals. This is due to the search for water and food, as well as protection from predators. No moisture, especially drinking water, is one of the main difficulties in the life of animals and plants of the desert. Some of them drink regularly and a lot, and therefore move in search of water or live closer to water. Such as antelopes, rhinos, elephants, jackals, hyenas, zebras. Others drink water rarely or do not drink at all, limiting themselves to moisture obtained from food. For example Camel can go without water for several days, and without food even for several weeks. Camels have fat reserves in their humps, and thick wool helps to avoid a large loss of water.

Due to the need for shelter from enemies and the heat, many animals have developed their own living conditions in the desert. For example, a round-headed lizard, a sand boa, and some insects are able to burrow into loose sand. Lizards and snakes also move very quickly on the sand. For example, a gecko can move on sand heated to a temperature of 60 degrees. The night fox Fenech also lives in the deserts - during the day it sleeps in a hole, and after sunset it hunts for insects and lizards.

Reptiles burrow into the sand not only for camouflage, but also to bask in the evenings, when the air has already cooled down, and the sand is still warm. On a hot day, they burrow deeper, where it is not as hot as on the surface.

AT tropical deserts there are many insects, spiders and scorpions. During the day, scorpions hide from the heat under stones, and at night they hunt.

Animals and plants of tropical deserts Prepared by primary school teacher MBOU secondary school No. 48 Ryabinina Olga Fedorovna  The richest in herbaceous vegetation sandy deserts . In the gypsum and rocky deserts, shrubs, semi-shrubs and wormwood predominate. But the Rub al-Khali desert and large ergs (sandy soils) of the Sahara with sand dunes stretching for many tens of kilometers are almost completely devoid of any vegetation.  Saxauls grow on the slopes of dunes. Around them, in places, bristly and as red as sand, hard grass comes across.  The Jericho rose is a resident of deserts and dry steppes, and the wind can carry this dried-up ball of grass for an infinitely long time. Therefore, it is called tumbleweed. It lives everywhere in the deserts of northern Africa and western Asia.  In the Namib Desert and South Africa, a tree up to 10 m high grows - Aloe Pilansa.  Aloe prefer sandy and rocky places. The most typical types of aloe are perennial herbs, such as real aloe.  The family of these prickly freaks lives mainly in deserts, where there is little moisture. The absence of leaves is an adaptation to the arid climate. Cactus flowers are very beautiful, and the cacti themselves are so funny and diverse.  Egyptian Balanites - a small tree up to 6 m, all covered with thorns. It grows in the deserts of Egypt and Palestine.  The full name of this tree is "African prickly argan" (or iron tree). It grows in dry desert regions of the planet. In height it reaches 10 m; the crown in diameter is about 14 m, the roots drill the soil almost 30 m deep. Thousands of thorns protect its branches from herbivorous animals. In a severe drought, the argan sheds its leaves and stops growing. In such hibernation, she can stay for years. Only rain awakens the tree to life. This tree lives 150-200 years, and some specimens - up to 400 years. Grows on the edge of the Sahara desert.  Goats learned to cope with argan over time. They climb to its top and eat leaves and fruits.  The vegetation of deserts is peculiar and depends on the type of desert, on the characteristics of the climate and the presence of moisture.  First, vegetation does not form a continuous cover anywhere.  Secondly, there are no forests, no undergrowth, no grass in the desert. The fauna of the deserts is quite diverse.  Camel is the most famous animal of the deserts. Camels can be single-humped (drameders) and double-humped (bactrians). "Desert lynx" - that's the name of the caracal.  “Sentry of the desert” is called the smallest of the mongooses - the meerkat. He lives in Africa in the Namib and Kalahari deserts.  Fenech is a miniature fox of peculiar appearance that lives in the deserts of North Africa. It is smaller in size than a domestic cat.  Rodents live in all the deserts of the world, in African and Arabian - a lot of gazelles and antelopes (oryx and addax). Mountain goats are found on the desert plateaus (in Arabia - Nubian goats, in the Sahara - maned sheep). In the deserts of Australia, you can see herds of kangaroos. The oryx antelope is a horse or saber-horned antelope. Addax antelope Gazelle Nubian goats Maned sheep Kangaroo Gerbils  Of the predators, cheetahs and hyenas live in the African deserts, as well as (albeit rarely) lions, in the American deserts - cougars, and in the Australian deserts - wild dogs dingoes. Cheetah Hyenas Lion Puma Wild dogs dingoes  In all deserts, without exception, there are many birds, various insects, lizards (including such large ones as monitor lizard, agama-tailed). Among the snakes, the most common inhabitants are sand efa, viper, gyurza, muzzle, cobra. From arachnids - tarantulas, karakurts. Many scorpions, salpugs (phalanges), ticks. Dragon lizard Efa Viper Gyurza Cotton muzzle Cobra Tarantula Karakurt Scorpion Salpuga (phalanx) Ticks  On the tops of large dunes, large birds - buzzards sit waiting for prey. They look out for gerbils, and as soon as the rodent moves a few meters away from the mink or simply gapes, it cannot escape the claws of a predator. Buzzard  Heat is more detrimental to desert dwellers than cold, so during the heat they descend into burrows, climb bushes, or simply hide in the shade.  Many representatives of the animal world are nocturnal, hiding in burrows from the destructive rays of the sun.

Plants in southern Africa have been the most extensively studied. The flora of the central and northern parts of the continent is less known.

The desert biome is the driest biome in Africa and is considered one of the driest places on earth. The largest desert region is the Sahara, in northern Africa. It is located from the western coast of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula and is part of the world's largest desert system, which extends to the south of Central Asia.

The smaller desert region in southern Africa includes the Namib Desert, located along the western half of southern Africa, especially near the coast, and the Kalahari Desert, which is located mainly inland and east of the Namib Desert.

Where there is more moisture, pastures predominate, and with an increase in the amount of rain, grasslands gradually turn into tropical savannahs. The difference between grasslands and savannahs is subjective but partly determined by tree growth, with more trees characterizing savannah. Grassland/tropical savannah biome forms a wide swath over a larger area central Africa and dominates the eastern and southern parts mainland.

Rainforests cover a much smaller part of Africa than the other two biomes. They are most common in parts of central Africa where there is no dominant grassland/tropical savannah biome and are found near the coast of central West Africa. Scattered areas rainforest also found along the main river systems of West Africa, from the equator almost to the southern part of the continent.

Tropical deserts of Africa

The Sahara and Namib deserts are dominated by sand dunes or rocky deposits, but most deserts have a noticeable amount of vegetation cover.

The Sahara is characterized by widespread plant species that occur in similar habitats. The deserts of southern Africa have a more distinctive flora, and many species are endemic to specific local areas.

Mesembryanthemum

Plants use several adaptations to survive in harsh desert climates. Mesembryanthemum - a genus of flowering plants, widespread in all African deserts. These plants usually have thick, succulent leaves.

Such succulents store water in their leaves or stems. Most plants open their stomata (small openings in their leaves) during the day to get carbon dioxide from the surrounding air.

This will cause a lot of water loss in the desert environment, which is why succulents open their stomata at night. Through a biochemical process, they store carbon dioxide until the next day when it is released inside the plant, so can occur without the stomata opening.

Hedgehog jointed

To prevent water loss, many succulents have no leaves at all. Jointed barnacle ( Anabasis articulata), found in the Sahara Desert, is a naked succulent with articulated stems.

spurge-thorn

Euphorbia-thorn ( Euphorbia echinus) is another Saharan plant that has succulent, ridge-like stems with thorns. This evergreen shrub reaches 1 m in height. Its stems are branched and covered with short white spikes.

Water dependent desert plants

Water dependent plants are limited to areas near a permanent source of water such as a river, lake, stream.

Date palm

Date palm trees usually reach a height of 21-23 meters. Leaves 4-6 meters long, with thorns on the petiole. The fruit of this tree is the date.

Where water is available, tamarinds and acacias are often found. A variety of different sedges and rushes are found wherever there are abundant permanents, the most famous of which is reeds.

Desert ephemera

Annual plants whose seeds germinate when moisture becomes available and mature quickly, leave seeds and die, are called ephemeral. These plants make up a significant part of the African desert flora.

Most ephemeral plants are herbs. Ephemera are entirely dependent on seasonal or sporadic rainfall. A few days after significant rainfall, the desert turns bright green, and a few more days later, flowers appear, often in abundance.

cushion plant

Some ephemera germinate at astonishing rates, such as cushion plants, which germinate and produce actively photosynthetic seed leaves 10 hours after wetting.

Savannah

Are situated in . They are covered with grassy vegetation, but trees and shrubs grow chaotically. The most common type of savanna in Africa is the savanna-woodland, which consists of tall, moisture-loving grasses and tall, deciduous or semi-deciduous trees that are unevenly distributed.

Savanna grass

Grasses represent the majority of vegetation under and between trees. In some types of savanna, grass can be taller than 1.8 m. Despite much debate, two factors seem to perpetuate the dominance of grasses: seasonal moisture with long intervening dry periods, and occasional fires.

Given the excess moisture and lack of fire, savannahs seem to inevitably become forests. Human activities such as grazing or cutting down trees contribute to the dominance of grasses.

Different varieties of grasses exist in the savannah, but it is difficult to distinguish between them, except during flowering periods. Many grow best immediately after a fire, when exposed to the sun and potential pollinators.

Savannah trees and shrubs

Trees African savannah often have relatively wide branches that end at about the same height, giving the trees a distinctive look. Many of them belong to the legume family, namely brachystegia, julbernardia and isoberlinia.

There is especially a large number of acacia species, from shrubs to trees, many of which have thorns. Some also have a symbiotic relationship with ants that protect them from herbivores.

Baobab

Baobab is famous for its large sizes, unusual appearance and is found in many regions of the savannah. The tree has an extremely thick trunk with smooth, gray bark. Baobab can live for two thousand years.

Moist Evergreen Tropical Forests

The main characteristics of African moist evergreen tropical forests are their extremely lush growth, high species diversity and complex structure. The diversity is often so great that one tree species cannot be identified as dominant within an area.

Relatively large trees such as ironwood, iroko, and sapele predominate. forest trees grow so closely that their crowns overlap each other, forming a canopy that limits the amount of light that falls under them. Several big trees, called emergent trees, burst above the thick dome.

A layer of smaller trees grows under the main dome. A few small shrubs and herbs grow near ground level, but most herbaceous plants and other perennials are epiphytes growing on other plants.

Almost on every accessible place, trunks and branches of trees have epiphytes that create a unique. All this dense plant growth is supported monsoon climate, at which more than 1500 mm of precipitation falls annually, most of them occur in the summer.

creepers

Creepers are large, woody vines that cling to trees, many of which hang to the ground. They were made famous in the Tarzan movies. The fruits are eaten by birds or monkeys, and the seeds are deposited in their faeces on branches high in the canopy. The seeds germinate and the stem goes down to the ground. As soon as the stem reaches the ground, it forms the root system; additional stems then develop and grow upward along the trunk of the tree.

Strangler ficuses

After many years, the strangler ficus can wrap itself around the tree so thoroughly that it will not allow water and nutrients to get to its "victim". Eventually, the host tree dies and rots, leaving a hollow trunk.

Epiphytes

Epiphytes are plants that grow or are permanently attached to other plants - phorophytes.

Mosses, or Bryophytes

The most common epiphytes are bryophytes - lower plants associated with mosses and lichens, a symbiotic combination of algae (or cyanobacteria) and fungus.

ferns

The most numerous higher plants are ferns and orchids. As these plants colonize tree branches, they gradually trap dust and decaying materials, eventually resulting in a thin layer of soil that other plants can use.

Grasses are almost entirely absent from the forest floor of the African rainforest; those that grow there have much broader leaves than usual. Some forest floor grasses are capable of growing in deep canopy shade, sometimes so adapted to low light that they can be damaged when exposed to direct sunlight.

Some of the popular indoor plants descended from them, so they don't need intense sunlight to survive. Nonetheless the largest number plants grow under canopy gaps, where more light penetrates.

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The desert, as a habitat for plants, is a harsh land. It is characterized by the scorching sun, low air humidity, winds, seasonal precipitation. Not every representative of the flora is able to survive in such conditions.

Euxerophytes. Their root system is shallow, but quite branched. Leaves with a protective down (desert wormwood).

Succulents. The root system is weak, but they accumulate water in the leaves and stems (cacti, aloe, agave).

Poikiloxerophytes. They differ in falling into anabiosis with a lack of moisture (selenium).

Ephemera

Ephemera - desert plants that live only one cycle, lasting from 1.5 to 8 months. The rest of the time they experience in the seed stage, the viability of which lasts up to 7 years. There are many examples of such plants, mainly desert flowers: desert beetroot, dimorphic quinoa, peacock poppy, sickle-shaped hornhead, cleavage cleavage, etc.

desert plant seeds

Plants in the desert reproduce mainly with the help of wind, i.e. they are anemophiles. Therefore, their seeds can be with "propellers", like in sandy acacia, "wings", like in saxaul, "parachutes", like in selenium. Once in a new place, the seed germinates quickly and in a few days grows a root, reaching a length of 50 cm.

Tropical desert plants

There is very little rain in deserts, but some still have underground water. In the large oases of the Sahara, they use it by raising it to the surface. Under the current conditions, they are even engaged in intensive gardening, growing palm groves. Tropical desert plants are of great economic and agricultural importance. These include date palms, the fruits of which are very important for food local residents. Nature is multifaceted. Oases alternate with places that seem lifeless. Similarly, desert plants differ significantly from each other, but they all adapted, grow and bear fruit.

Daytime temperatures in the deserts reach 60 degrees Celsius. That's warm air. Sand under the hot sun reaches 90-degree temperature. Living beings are like in a hot frying pan. Therefore, most desert dwellers are nocturnal.

During the day, animals hide in burrows, depressions between stones. Those who cannot hide underground, such as birds, have to look for shade. So, small birds often make nests under the dwellings of larger birds. In fact, the expanses of the desert - back side"medals" of the Earth's poles. They fix frosts down to -90 degrees, but here it is hot.

The fauna of the sandy expanses is just as scarce. However, each animal in the desert is interesting, because it is "overgrown" with adaptations for survival in harsh conditions.

Desert Mammals

Caracal

This is a desert cat. Easily kills antelope. Not only powerful grip and dexterity, but also size allow the predator to do this. The length of the caracal reaches 85 centimeters. The height of the animal is half a meter. The color of the animal is sandy, the coat is short and soft. On the ears there are brushes from a long awn. This makes the caracal look like a lynx.

The desert lynx is solitary, active at night. With the onset of darkness, the predator preys on medium-sized mammals, birds, and reptiles.

The name caracal can be translated as "black ear"

Giant mole rat

A representative of the mole rat family weighs almost a kilo, and is 35 centimeters long. Hence the name. The animal is blind because it leads a life similar to that of a mole. The desert dweller also digs holes in the ground. For this, the beast is equipped with powerful claws and large teeth protruding from its mouth. But the mole rat has no ears and eyes. Because of this, the appearance of the animal is frightening.

Mole rats - desert animals, which can be met by residents of the Caucasus and Kazakhstan. Sometimes animals are found in the steppe regions. However, living underground, mole rats rarely appear above it. If this happens, the animals burrow back at lightning speed. Therefore, the habits of mole rats are poorly understood even by zoologists.

The mole rat has no eyes, it is guided by ultrasonic vibrations

eared hedgehog

This is the smallest member of the hedgehog family. In the desert, the animal runs the risk of overheating, which is why it has grown large ears. Unlike the rest of the body area, they are naked. The open area of ​​the skin gives off excess heat to environment. This happens due to the expansion of capillaries. Their dense network permeates every millimeter of the hedgehog's ears.

With a 20 cm needle body length eared hedgehog stretched 2.5 cm. The color of the tips varies depending on the habitat of the mammal. Due to the coloring of the needles, the hedgehog is camouflaged among the surrounding landscape.

Distinguish eared from ordinary hedgehog you can of course for big ears

manul

Usually settles in the steppes, but in the south of Turkmenistan it also lives in deserts. Outwardly, the manul resembles a long-haired domestic cat. However, her face is fierce. because of anatomical structure the cat's face always looks dissatisfied. Manul is difficult to train. It’s easier to have a caracal at home.

The ends of the manul's hairs are white. The rest of the hairs are gray. As a result, the color of the animal looks silvery. There are black stripes on the muzzle and tail.

manul rarest species feline

fenech

Otherwise known as desert forest. Among the red cheats, the animal is the smallest, and not redder at all. The color of the fennec fox is sandy. The animal also differs in ears. Their length is 15 centimeters. The purpose of wearing such large ears on a miniature body is thermoregulation, as is the case with desert hedgehog.

Fennec ears - desert animal adaptations that perform another function. Large shells capture the slightest vibrations in the air. So the fox calculates reptiles, rodents and other small living creatures that it feeds on.

Fenech is often kept as a pet

dune cat

It lives in the deserts of the north and central regions of Asia. For the first time the animal was seen in the sands of Algiers. The discovery dates back to the 15th century. Then the French expedition went through the deserts of Algeria. It included a naturalist. He described a previously unseen animal.

The dune cat has a wide head with equally widely spaced ears. Their shells face forward. The ears are big. On the cheeks of a cat there is a semblance of sideburns. Dense wool is even on the paw pads. This is a device that saves the skin of a predator from burns when walking on hot sand.

Sand cat is one of the most secretive animals

meerkats

One of the few socially organized desert dwellers, kept in families of 25-30 individuals. While some get food, others stand guard. Having risen on their hind legs, the animals inspect the surroundings for the approach of predators.

Meerkats - desert zone animals located among the savannas of Africa. There the animals of the mongoose family dig underground passages deepening 2 meters. They hide in burrows and raise children. By the way, meerkats do not have mating courtship. Males literally rape females, attacking and taking when the chosen one is exhausted from the struggle.

Meerkats live in clans in which each has a certain status.

pereguzna

Refers to mustelids. Outwardly, the animal looks like a ferret with big ears and stupid muzzle. The color of the pereguzzi is variegated. Black spots alternate with beige and white.

The length of the jumper is 50 centimeters along with the tail. The animal weighs about half a kilogram. With small dimensions, the animal is a predator, settling in the burrows of its victims. At the same time, they climb trees very well. The animals do this alone, uniting with relatives only in mating season.

In the photo there is a bandage or dressing

Jerboa

There is no rodent more than 25 centimeters in length. Most of it falls on a long tail with a brush at the end. The body of the animal is compact. The paws of the jerboa are jumpy, and the brush on the tail acts as a rudder in the air.

Animal world desert complements not a single jerboa, but about 10 species. The smallest of them do not exceed 4-5 centimeters in length.

Jerboas have a large number of enemies, which negatively affects their lifespan

Camel

AT North Africa the animal is sacred. The wool of camels reflects light, saving the "ships of the desert" from the heat. Camels store water in their humps. Some animal species have two, while others have one. The filler is enclosed in fat. With a lack of water, it breaks down, releasing moisture.

When water supplies are depleted in humps, camels accurately find sources of moisture. Animals smell them at a distance of 60 kilometers. Also, the "ships of the desert" have excellent eyesight. Camels notice movements at a distance of a kilometer. Animals also orient themselves among the dunes due to visual memory.

In the humps of a camel, there is not water, but adipose tissue that can be converted into energy.

Addax

it large antelope. In length reaches 170 centimeters. The height of the animal is approximately 90 centimeters. The antelope weighs up to 130 kilograms. The color of the ungulate is sandy, but there are white spots on the ears and muzzle. The head is decorated with long horns, curved in a large wave.

Of all the antelopes, the addax is the best adapted to life among the dunes. In the sands, ungulates find sparse vegetation, from which they receive not only nutrients but also water.

Antelope addax

Dorcas

Dorcas gazelle is small and slender. The color of the animal is beige on the back and almost white on the abdomen. Males have folds of skin on the bridge of their nose. The horns of males are more curved. In females, outgrowths are almost straight, about 20 centimeters long. The horns of males reach 35.

The length of the ungulate itself is 130 centimeters. At the same time, the animal weighs about 20 kilograms.

Desert birds

griffon vulture

Red Book bird within Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. The white-headed predator is named because it is mostly brown. White color is present only on the head and a little on the paws of the feathered one. It is a large flying predator, weighing up to 15 kilograms. The wingspan of the vulture reaches 3 meters, and the length of the bird is 110 centimeters.

The head of the vulture is covered with a short down. Because of this, the body seems disproportionately large, because it is hidden under full-fledged, long feathers.

Sips are considered long-lived, they live from sixty to seventy years.

Vulture

All 15 species of vultures live in desert areas. Most birds do not exceed 60 centimeters in length. Vultures weigh about 2 kilograms.

All vultures have a large and hooked beak, bare neck and head, hard feathers and a pronounced goiter.

Vulture is a big lover of carrion

Ostrich

The largest flightless birds. Ostriches cannot rise into the air, not only because of heavy weight, but also underdevelopment of feathers. They resemble fluff, are not able to withstand air jets.

The African ostrich weighs about 150 kilograms. One bird egg is 24 times larger than a chicken egg. The ostrich is also a record holder in terms of running speed, accelerating up to 70 kilometers per hour.

ostrich big bird on the planet

Vulture

What are the animals in the desert can stop dating? Vultures.Over recent decades only 10% of the population remained. The species is listed on the International Red List. Partly in the death of birds, their victims are to blame. They eat food and grasses "stuffed" with pesticides.

The second factor in the decline of the vulture population is poaching. They also prey on protected rhinos and elephants. The vultures flock to the carcasses until they are transported.

Employees environmental organizations they comb desert areas, focusing just on flocks of carrion birds. In order not to find the main prey of poachers, they also shoot vultures.

Looking out for prey, vultures are able to rise above the ground for more than 11 kilometers. Other birds are not capable of flying higher than Everest.

Jay

The saxaul jay lives in the deserts. She is the size of a thrush. The jay weighs about 900 grams. The color of the bird is ashy on the back and pinkish on the breast and belly. The tail with wings is black, cast in blue. The animal has long gray legs and an elongated, pointed beak.

The desert jay prefers to feed on coprophages. These are organisms that eat feces. Accordingly, saxaul jays look for breakfasts, lunches and dinners in the excrement of other animals.

desert raven

Otherwise called brownhead. The desert raven has a chocolate tone not only on the head, but also on the neck and back. The length of the bird is 56 centimeters. The feathered one weighs about half a kilo, is found in Central Asia, the Sahara, and the deserts of Sudan.

The desert raven nests on acacia, saxaul, tamarisk. Females build nests on them together with males, using the dwelling for several years in a row.

desert shrike

It belongs to the passeriformes, weighs about 60 grams, and reaches a length of 30 centimeters. The color of the bird is gray-gray. Black stripes run from the eyes to the neck.

The shrike enters animals of the deserts of Russia found in the European part of the country. Outside of it, the feathered one is found in the Middle East, Central Asia, Kazakhstan.

Ryabka

Lives in the deserts of Africa and Eurasia. Like many birds of arid areas, grouse fly for many kilometers for water. During the breeding season, chicks remain in the nest. Ryabki bring water to them on feathers. They absorb moisture from representatives of the species.

Grouse in nature 14 species. All live in arid steppes and deserts. In order to water the chicks, the grouse "covered" even the paws and fingers on them with plumage. From the outside it seems strange why a desert dweller needs such a warm “fur coat”.

desert reptiles

arrow snake

already shaped poisonous snake, typical of Central Asia. The species is especially numerous in Kazakhstan. Sometimes the arrow is found in Iran, Tajikistan. There, the snake moves so rapidly that it seems to be flying. Therefore, the reptile was called the arrow.

The body of the arrow also matches the name. The snake is thin, with a pointed tail. The animal's head is also elongated. Inside the mouth are poisonous teeth. They are deeply planted, can dig into the victim only when it is swallowed. Swallowing a small one is only capable of miniature creatures. Therefore, for a person, an arrow poses almost no threat.

Arrow very fast snake

gray monitor lizard

It grows up to one and a half meters and weighs more than 3 kilograms. The giant lives among lizards in the East, Africa, Asia. Only young monitor lizards are gray. The coloration of adults is sandy.

Zoologists believe that monitor lizards are the ancestors of snakes. In lizards of the genus, too Long neck, a deeply forked tongue, the brain is enclosed in a bone sheath.

The gray monitor lizard is one of the largest reptiles

Roundhead

Found in Kalmykia. Outside of Russia, the lizard lives in the deserts of Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Iran. The length of the animal is 24 centimeters. The lizard weighs about 40 grams.

The profile of the lizard is almost rectangular, but there are skin folds at the corners of the mouth. When the animal opens its mouth, they stretch. The outer sides of the folds are oval. Therefore, the head of a lizard with an open mouth appears round. The covers inside the mouth of the animal and from the inside of the folds are pink-scarlet. The size of the open mouth and its color scare off offenders of the round head.

Roundhead burrows into the sand with body vibrations

efa

It belongs to the viper family. The snake lives in Africa, Indonesia and Asian countries. Living in deserts, efa grows up to a maximum of 80 centimeters. Often the snake stretches only half a meter. This helps save resources. They are needed by reptiles 24 hours a day. Unlike other snakes, the efa is active both during the day and at night.

Efa is poisonous. With the small size of the animal, the toxins of one individual are enough to kill an adult. In the absence of medical care, he will die painfully. Efa poison instantly corrodes red blood cells.

horned viper

The size of the snake is medium. The length of the animal rarely exceeds a meter. The horned viper differs in the structure of the head. She is pear-shaped, flattened. Above the eyes, several scales are folded into horns. The snake's tail is also covered with similar spikes. The needles are pointing towards outside.

The horned viper looks intimidating, but the snake's venom is not fatal to humans. Animal toxins cause a local reaction. It is expressed in tissue edema, itching, pain at the bite site. You just need to be patient. Discomfort passes without a trace for health.

The snake got its name from a pair of horns on its head.

sand boa

In the family of boas, he is the smallest. A relative of the anaconda does not grow even to a meter mark. If you look at the anus of the snake, small claws are visible. These are the rudiments of the hind limbs. Therefore, all boas are called false-legged.

Like other boas, the desert boa constrictor obtains food by clasping and squeezing prey.

spinetails

Representatives of the genus of 16 species of lizards. They are found in the Sahara, the deserts of Algeria. Animals choose mountainous, rocky wastelands.

The tail of the lizards of the genus is covered with spike-like plates. They are arranged in circles. Thanks to exotic appearance the lizard began to be kept in terrariums.

Thorntails hide by leaving their spiked tail outside.

Gecko

There are 5 species of skink geckos living in the deserts. All have a wide and large head. She is set high. The scales on the tail are folded like tiles.

Animals of deserts and semi-deserts choose dunes with sparse vegetation. Lizards do not sink into sand because they have a fringe of their scales on their fingers. The growths increase the area of ​​contact with the surface.

steppe turtle

It is called steppe, but lives exclusively in deserts, loves thickets of wormwood, saxaul and tamarisk. From marsh turtle the animal is distinguished by a convex shell. It is not suitable for cutting water. Where are they from in the desert?

There are no swimming membranes between the fingers of the steppe turtle. But the paws of the animal are equipped with powerful claws. With them, the reptile digs holes in the sand. Animal life in the desert made adjustments to their anatomy.

Being a long-liver in the desert, the life of turtles is significantly reduced when kept outside the will

Insects and arthropods of the desert

Scorpion

Scorpions have 6-12 pairs of eyes. However, vision is not the main sense organ for arthropods. Stronger developed sense of smell.

Scorpions can go without food for 2 years. Together with the toxicity, this ensures the survival of the species. Scorpions are already 430 million years old. Exactly as many adults carry numerous children on their backs. On mother they go the first week of life. The female protects the offspring, because few dare to attack an adult scorpion.

Chernotelka

These are desert beetles. On the photo desert animals small, beetle-winged, black. This is one of the many subspecies of darklings, called the desert linger. The front legs of the beetle have teeth.

Dark beetles of other species settle in the tropics, and in the steppes, and even in people's homes. Leading a nocturnal lifestyle, and hiding under wooden floors, insects rarely catch the eye of the owners of the building. Therefore, in the old days, meeting a beetle was considered unfortunate.

Scarab

Most of the 100 scarab species are native to Africa. In Europe and Asia, there are only 7 varieties of the beetle. In length, it is from 1 to 5 centimeters. The appearance of the animal is similar to the dung beetle. The species are related. Insect occupations are also related. Scarabs also roll up dung balls, rolling them over the sands.

Scarabs bury dung balls in the sand, jealously protecting them from other beetles. If they encroach on the food supplies of a relative, there will be a fight.

In ancient times, the scarab was considered a sacred deity.

Ants

In deserts, ants build houses not so much above, but underground. Only the entrances to the anthills are visible. Long-legged individuals inhabit the system of passages. Otherwise, you will simply drown in the sand.

Ants rarely find food in deserts. Therefore, families have colonies of so-called honey barrels. They have flexible bodies. Filled with food, they can stretch 10 times. Here what animals live in the desert. They fill their bellies with honey barrels in order to feed their relatives in rainy days, weeks and even months.

Smoky phalanges

This is a spider. In length, the animal reaches 7 centimeters. The animal is distinguished by powerful chelicerae. These are the mouth appendages of spiders. At the phalanx, they consist of two parts fastened like a joint. The general appearance of the arthropod chelicera is similar to the claws of a crab.

Of the 13 species of phalanges, only one lives in the forests. The rest are inhabitants of the deserts and semi-deserts of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan.