A desert is characterized by little rainfall, sparse vegetation, and harsh conditions for humans and agriculture. Deserts cover one-third of the Earth's land and include the Sahara and Antarctica. Plants like cacti and shrubs have adapted to the scarce water through thick leaves and roots that can reach water deep underground. Camels are well-suited to desert environments, able to go long periods without food or water due to their humped backs that store reserves.

1. Paragraph on Desert
A desert is a vast, dry area characterised by sand or rocks that receives little rainfall, has adverse growing conditions for
crops and agriculture, and poses difficult living conditions for humans. Deserts cover one-third of the Earth’s land surface.
Antarctica is known as the world’s largest polar desert. The Sahara Desert is the world’s biggest non-polar desert. Deserts
are those land areas where life is difficult. These areas receive less rainfall as compared to the amount of evaporation. Plants
like cactuses, shrubs, and thorny or woody plants are found in the deserts. The scarcity of water is a major concern in these
areas which are difficult for people to survive in. People used to travel long distances for water but with time, this has
changed and water is being supplied to people. Due to the unfavourable conditions, agriculture is not possible in the deserts.
Camels can ingest the bitter or salty water available in the waterholes. Around the water sources in deserts, there are small
places of water called oases which are formed from underground river water. Camels are known as the “ship of the deserts”
because they can live and roam in deserts for long periods of time without water or food. They are known as the best mode
of transportation in the deserts. Camels are blessed with a hump on their back which stores food and water that can be used
when needed.
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2. Chinkara:

3. Mongoose:
MONGOOSE FACTS
•The mongoose is a small, agile, weasel-like carnivore that has a long bushy tail, short legs, a long body
covered with thick, coarse hair, small ears and a pointed nose. Mongooses are found only in dry forest
and scrubland.

4. •The mongoose will feed on insects, beetles, worms, snails, lizards, frogs and crabs, as well as eggs and
fruit. They prey on these small life forms.
•The mongoose is also renowned as a fighter of snakes. It is able to fight snakes as it is very fast. In a
standoff with a snake, it will usually be able to move to avoid strikes from the snake. The mongoose
will typically make a series of feints towards the snake, to finally dash in and seize the snake by the
back of the neck. The animal's sharp teeth will bite deeply to break the snake's spine. Coupled with it's
speed and courage is the fact that the mongoose has a high tolerance to the venom of a snake. It takes
about eight times the lethal dose of snakebite for a rabbit to kill a mongoose.
The Indian Spotted Eagle
The Indian spotted eagle (Clanga hastata) is one of the biggest flying predators and threatened species
found in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. This is also one of the major attractions of the Thar Desert
national parks.
These large, majestic birds with massive wingspan feed on partridges, doves, spurfowl, and snakes.
Other wild birds of prey found in the desert include the Indian vulture (Gyps indicus), the Shaheen
falcon (Falco peregrinus peregrinator), and the white-eyed buzzard (Butastur teesa).
The White-footed Fox
The white-footed or desert fox (Vulpes vulpes pusilla) is a small subspecies of the red fox native to the
Thar Desert, as it is found in the desert regions of Pakistan, Kutch in India and Baluchistan as well as
southern Iran and Iraq. It resembles the Bengal fox and the fennec fox, but they are not actually
related.
The white-footed fox is hunts sand grouse, partridges, and shrike. It is around 18 in (45 cm) long, with a
tail that's longer than 10 in (25 cm) with a white tip. Their coat is sandy or rusty red with light gray or
white patches, while most of the tail and the tips of the ears are black.

5. Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia)
This picture shows opuntia cactus with fruits
An iconic desert cactus is the prickly pear with green, pad-like succulent leaves that are
covered in spines. These are some of the most common desert plants found in the
Southwestern United States. The thick, fleshy leaves store a lot of moisture, which
helps the plant survive the desert ecosystem.

6. The prickly pear cactus also flowers in deserts when conditions are right. The yellow,
purple, and red showy flowers help to give color in barren, arid landscapes. These large
desert cacti can grow to between 16 and 23 ft. (5 – 7 m) and look similar to rabbit ears
cactus.
Red Pancake (Kalanchoe thyrsiflora)
The common names for this small desert-dwelling plant mostly describe the leaves of
this succulent—red pancake, paddle plant, desert cabbage, and flapjacks. The large,
round, fleshy leaves are a blue-green color with hints of red blushing on the edges. The
desert succulent produces yellow waxy flowers.
In a full-sun garden, these low-water desert plants don’t require much maintenance.
The hot sun helps the leaves keep their color, and the fleshy leaves hold moisture.
Tumbleweed

7. Pictures of tumbleweed blowing across deserted desert roads is a classic image of
movies of the Wild West. Tumbleweeds form from many different types of desert plants.
The ball of light dry weed is the whole plant when it detaches from the root system. Its
other common name is Russian thistle, indicating that it’s native to Russia as well as
the western United States.
As the plant gets blown through the barren desert landscape, it disperses seeds that
help this invasive plant to reproduce.
Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)

8. Aloe vera is a species of succulent plant that thrives in hot, arid climates. Pictures of
aloe vera growing in deserts show these fleshy-leafed plants growing in bone-dry,
sandy soil surrounded by rocks. There are over 500 species of aloe, with aloe vera
being one of the most common. Most types of aloe plants grow in a rosette shape. You
can also grow aloe vera indoors in pots.
Desert Palm Trees
In the picture: Bismarck palm
Pictures of desert palms gracing beaches are classic images of tropical beaches.
However, many palms are suitable for growing in dry, arid conditions of Arizona and
other southwestern states. When choosing the right type of palms for a desert climate,
it’s essential to consider sun exposure, humidity, and nighttime temperatures.
A list of a few suitable desert palms for hot and dry climates:
 Acrocomia species—Grows well in arid habitats as long as there is no cold.
 Bismarck palm tree (Bismarckia nobilis)—Has an impressive display of
silvery blue leaves in a fan shape.
 Cuban paddle palm tree (Copernicia baileyana)—This desert palm tree
grows in hot, dry climates and tolerates the cold well.
 Ravenea xerophila—A slow-growing palm that grows well in the full, hot sun
and has good drought tolerance.