Dry Climates and Desert Wildlife

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering the characteristics of dry climates, plant and animal adaptations for survival in deserts, and wildlife of the North Pole.

Tropics

The area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn where the Amazon Rainforest of South America is located.

Dry climate

A climate where an area receives less than $35\,\text{cm}$ of rain per year, caused by a lack of rain.

Atacama Desert

The driest place on earth, located in Chile, which averages between $0.1$ and $0.3\,\text{cm}$ of rain each year.

Gold currents

Currents that carry dry air most of the year, leading to low precipitation in certain lands.

Dry climate plant adaptations

Characteristics including long roots, thorns, and the ability to store water or require very little water, seen in scrub bushes, grasses, alloy, and cactus.

Camels

Animals that store water in their bloodstream and can drink $40\,\text{gallons}$ of water in $10\,\text{minutes}$, enabling them to survive for days without water.

Scythewinder

A type of snake that is adapted to survive in a dry climate.

Arabian Oryx

Desert antelopes from the Arabian Peninsula that have white coats to stay cool and white feet to prevent sinking into the sand.

Herbivores

Animals, such as the Arabian Oryx, that only eat plants.

Arabian Sand Cat

A desert animal that hunts rodents and snakes at night and sustains itself on the water from its prey rather than drinking water directly.

Walrus

A large marine animal that lives in the Arctic Ocean and feeds its young with milk.

North Pole Wildlife

A group of animals including the Polar bear, walrus, Arctic Fox, Snowy Owl, and the Arctic Heron.