Dedicated to Ms. Church-Williams

Preview audio:

storyj.mp/afg8ws7bt65z

Hello, I am Steve the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake and I am going to tell you all about living in the desert.

Along with other snakes, I live in the Mojave Desert in the United States. I eat mice, rats, rabbits, gophers, lizards and other small animals. I can grow up to 3-5 feet long! Isn't that cool? Being a reptile really rocks!! But there are many cool things about desert life.

The US has deserts, but so do other countries. The largest desert is the Sahara Desert in Africa. It is the world's hottest desert. The Gobi desert is in Asia in northwestern China and southern Mongolia. There is even a desert in Antarctica called The McMurdo Dry Valleys.

Snakes live in deserts as well as many other animals such as the Desert Fox. Weighing only 2 pounds they eat plants as well as rodents, eggs, reptiles and insects. It can go for long periods without water, like most desert animals. It is a mammal.

Birds can also be found in the desert, like this Cactus Wren. This bird eats mainly insects like ants grasshoppers and seeds. Its beak is slightly curved and its breast is spotted. It makes its nest in cactus plants.

Lizards like the Desert Iguana enjoy the desert. The are herbivores and eat flowers, buds, and leaves. They are found in the Mojave, Sonoran and Colorado deserts. They require little water. It can grow to be about 10 to 16 inches and is a reptile.

One of the more intimidating creatures in the desert is the Bark Scorpion. Just 3 inches long they strike fear in many. Their tail has a deadly stinger. Although, their diet is mainly insects and spiders.

What does it mean to be a Desert?

Deserts cover about 1/5 of the Earth. Rainfall is less than 25cm per year. Although daytime temperatures can be hot, temperatures can fall by as much as 54 degrees at night. Some deserts can be hot in the summer and cool in the winter. Humidity is very low. There are four types: Hot and Dry, semiarid, coastal, and cold.