High Deserts of Nevada

The Mojave

Mammals- Desert mammals can be

Common Animals
Amphibians
red spotted toad
pacific treefrog
california treefrog

Bugs
arachnids
black widow
brown recluse
tarantula

Reptiles
Birds
Reptiles in the
ravens
Mojave Desert
cactus wren
are a group of
roadrunner
vertebrates
golden eagle
represented by
red tailed hawk
two different
orders; squamata
- lizards and
insects
jerusalem cricket snakes,
testudines little black ant
turtles.
bee assassin
green valley
grasshopper
red velvet ant

divided into four broad categories: the

carnivores (meat eaters), small and large
herbivores (plant eaters), and insectivores
(insect eaters). All must conform to specific
behavioral traits to survive in such arid
lands. Most desert mammals are nocturnal,
which means active during the night.
Temperatures are lower and humidity is
higher then and the animal loses less water
through perspiration and breathing. Besides
being nocturnal, many adopt other watersaving habits as well.

Carnivores Bobcat
Coyotes
Gray Fox
Herbivores
Big Horn Sheep
Jackrabbit
Omnivores Bat
Kangaroo Rats

Common Plants and Their Adaptations

Because of the harsh conditions present in the high desert from heat and frequent droughts, plants
there have a variety of adaptations to cope.
Some plants have small openings in their tissues called stomata. Moisture evaporates, or
transpires, through a plant's stomata. Some desert plants have an oily coating on their leaves or
pads that trap moisture, thereby reducing water loss (Mojave yucca, creosote, beavertail
cactus)
Many desert plants have light-colored spines, hairs, or leaves that act as heat reflectors,
though on a very small scale. Fine hairs covering the leaves of many desert plants trap
moisture as well as reflect sunlight (Old man cactus, brittlebush, phacelia).
Some desert plants use their spines and leaves as parasols to create pockets of shade.
Look closely at a cholla cactus. Its spines are arranged in such a way that the branches of
the cactus are shaded from the sun's intense rays. Dead leaves lying against a Joshua
tree trunk perform the same function. They create a layer of shade (Cholla cactus, Joshua
tree).
Other desert plants can balloon and shrink depending on the availability of water. When it
rains in the desert, these plants can increase as much as 50 percent through water
absorption. In drought periods, these desert sponges gradually shrink as they use their
internal water to help them survive. (Barrel cactus, beavertail cactus).

Climate/Temperatures
climate- surpasses 120 F (49 C) from
late June to early August
rainfall- less than five inches per year

Ecosystems
50,400 square miles in range (size of Alabama)
consists of deserts and xeric shrublands; although it can
be argued that it is not a biological distinct desert it does
represent distinct communities which occur throughout
the desert.
main reason for habitat destruction/lose would be due to
the increase of land-fill space, suburbanization, and
urbanization.