Desert+Facts

Criss A. Karen K.   Welcome to the Desert Facts Page! Moneran Kingdom no nucleus,single celled. Cocci, spirilla, and bacilli are all part of the bacteria phylum. These different classes can be divided into Genus' and species. Cyanobacteria is the other phlyum in the moneran kingdom. //Streptomyces rimosus// and //Streptomyces noursei// are examples of a monerans that live in the desert. They most likely live in the crevices in rocks and cliff-faces. They are well adapted to living in dry, extreme environments.

Nucleus and organelles, most single-celled. //Eimeria// //falciformes, Eimeria nieschulzi,// and //Eimeria indianensis// are all examples of protists in the desert environment. These organisms most likely live in the same crevices as the monerans, and possibly more than that.
 * Protist Kingdom **

Fungi Kingdom
Nucleus, no chlorophyll, consumers (absorb nutrients of rocks), multi-celled

One example of a desert fungus is //Podaxis pistillaris,// or the Desert Shaggy Mane. It is probably the most common fungi in the desert. It lives in dry, shriveled shrubs. Another example of a desert fungus is //Astraeus hygrometricus,// or the Hard-skinned Puffball. It lives among dry twigs and sticks, like the previous example. Desert fungi tend to be well-adapted to things like dry weather, little precipitation.

Plant Kingdom multi-celled, have chlorophyll, cell walls

Psilotophyta //Selaginella eremophila// is a pteridophyte, otherwise known as wisk fern. The common name for this fern is the desert spikemoss. That's a deceiving name for a fern. It lives between rocks. Kingdom: Plant Phylum: Lycopodiophyta Class: Lycopodiopsida Order: Selaginellales Family: Selaginellaceae Genus: Selaginella species: ermophila

Pinophyta Pinophyta is a division of plants more commonly known as conifers. These are evergreen trees such as cypress trees. An example of pinophyta is the Arizona Cypress. The scientific name is //Cupressus arizonica//. The Arizona Cypress' cones are soft and fleshy, and their bark is smooth and white. The have hard, scale-like needles. They grow in the dry soil of the desert. Kingdom: Plant Phylum: Pinophyta Class: Pinopsida Order: Pinales Family: Cupressaceae Genus: Cupressus species: arizonica

= Polypodiophyta = //Woodsia phillipsii//  is a fern.The common name is Phillips' cliff fern. It lives in the dry ground by rocks. Kingdom: Plant Phylum: Polypodiophyta Class: Filicopsida Order: Polypodioales Family: Dryopteridaceae Genus: Woodsia species: phillipsii

__ Heoaticophyta __ liverwarts grow were it is wet but they don't cover as much of the wet area. The common name is Califonia Aserela

Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Heoaticophyta Class: Hepaticopsida Order: Marchaniales Familiy: Aytoniaceae Genus: Asterella Species: californica Magnoliophyta Yermo xanthocephalus is a rare plant. Its found on the desert floor, only in Wyoming. Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Asterales Family : Asteraceae Genus: Yermo Species: x anthocephalus



Sphenophyta Another division of the plant kingdom is sphenophyta, or the horsetails. //Equisetum hyemale// is a horsetail that lives in the Chihuahua Desert. Kingdom: Plant Phylum: Sphenophyta Class: Equisetopsida Order: Equisetales Family: Equisetaceae Genus: Equisetum species: hyemale

Gnetophyta An example of the division Gnetophyta is //Ephedra americana//. It lives in the dry soil of many deserts. Kingdom: Plant Phylum: Gnetophyta Class: Gnetopsida Order: Gnetales Family: Ephedraceae Genus: Ephedra species: americana

Animal Kingdom

Arthropods The Desert Blond Tarantula lives in the Soutwest deserts of the United States. It would be classified as carnivore, and more specifically a secondary carnivore, since it eats other carnivores like lizards. It's scientific name is //Aphonopelma chalcodes//. Kingdom: Animal Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Araneae Family: Theraphosidae Genus: //Aphonopelma// species: //chalcodes//

Mammals The Mexican Gray Wolf, or //Canis lupus baileyi,// is a mammal that lives in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. It is a carnivore. Kingdom: Mammals Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Genus: //Canis// species: //lupus// sub-species: //baileyi//

Reptiles The Gila Monster, or //Heloderm suspectum//, is an infamous desert-dwelling lizard, which happens to be one of the only two species of lizards that are poisonous. The Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts are some of the deserts in the United States that the Gila Monster lives in. The Gila Monster is a secondary carnivore. It eats such things as other reptiles, birds' eggs, and rodents. Kingdom: Animal Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Helodermatidae Genus: //Heloderm// species: //suspectum//

Birds The Turkey Vulture, or //Cathartes aura,// are a large bird species that do not hunt their food. They eat the decaying flesh of dead animals. Even though their prey is already dead, Turkey Vultures are consider carnivores, because the definition of carnivore is "Eats animals". The Turkey Vulture lives in the deserts fot he U.S.A. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Falconiformes Family: Cathartidae Genus: //Cathartes// species: //aura//

<span style="font-size: 120%; color: #00ffdb; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; background-color: #06096f;">Amphibians The Red Spotted Toad lives in the Sonoran desert around temporary streams and small waterholes. Its scientific name is //Bufo punctatus//. The Red Spotted Toad is a carnivore who mostly eats invertebrates. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Amphibia Order: Anura Family: Bufonidae Genus: //Bufo// species: //punctatus//

<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #eb00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; background-color: #0b0909;">Bony Fish The Amargosa Pupfish, or //Cyprinodon nevadensis,// is a bony fish that lives in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. They are herbivores that eat brown and green algae. It lives in the warm pools of water, marshes, and streams found scarcely throughout the desert. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Cyprinodontiformes Family: Cyprinodontidae Genus: //Cyprinodon// species: //nevadensis//

<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #fffd00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; background-color: #341e1e;">Arthropods The Western Tiger Swallow, whose scientific name is //Papilio rutulus//, is a butterfly lives from British Columbia to Mexico due to its migration pattern. They are herbivores that eat trees and such when they are larvae, and flower nectar when they are adults. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera Family: Papilionidae Genus: //Papilio// species: //rutulus//

<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #f5ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; background-color: #409b2c;">Mammals //Ammospermophilus leucurus,// the White-tailed Antelope Ground Squirrel, is an omnivore that lives in the Soutwestern U.S. and Northern Mexico. Its diet consists of lizards, rodents, and plants. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Scuridae Genus: //Ammospermophilus// species: //leucurus//

<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #e400ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; background-color: #07ff00;">Reptiles //Gopherus agassizii// is the scientific name of a certain Desert Tortoise. This tortoise is an herbivore that eats such things as herbs, wildflowers and shrubs. It lives in certain parts of the Mojave Desert. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Testudines Family: Testudinidae Genus: //Gopherus// species: //agassizii//

<span style="font-size: 130%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; background-color: #fffe00;">Birds Gambel's Quail is a desert dwelling bird that feeds mostly on insects when it is a chick, but is specified as an herbivore because adults have vegetarian diets. It lives in the Colorado and Mojave deserts among others. It's scientific name is //Callipepla gambelii.// Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Galliformes Family: Odontophoridae Genus: //Callipepla// species: //gambelii//

<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #8f14c2; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; background-color: #fb6f6f;">Mammals The Gemsbok, a large African antelope, is an herbivore that lives mostly in the Kalahari Desert. It eats the well-adapted plants that live in the desert. Its scientific name is //Oryx gazella//. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Genus: //Oryx// species: //gazella//

<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #46ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; background-color: #1b1818;">Fish //Cyprinodon diabolis//, or the Devil's Hole pupfish, is another pupfish that lives in the warm marshed, stream, and pools of water in the desert. They are herbivores that eat the same types of algae as their relatives. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Cyprinodontiformes Family: Cyprinodontae Genus: //Cyprinodon// species: //diabolis//

<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #0600ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; background-color: #f41010;">Birds The raven, scientific name //Corvus corax//, is a desert bird that feeds on mice and carrion, as well as seeds and nuts, although it doesn't eat much of those. People classify it as an carnivore, even though it rarely eats plants. The raven lives mainly around the west coast of the United States, in places like California. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Genus: //Corvus// species: //corax//

<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #d000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; background-color: #fffb00;">Mollusks The Decollate Snail is a omnivorous snail tha twas introduced to the desert. It is not a native desert dweller, but it has adapted well to living in the desert. It eats plants, but mostly other snails. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Order: Pulmonata Family: Subulinidae Genus: //Rumina// species: //decollata// Click here for Biomes Home. Click here for Desert Home. Click here for Desert Fiction. Click here for Desert Food Web. Click here for Desert Conservation. Click here for Desert Bibliography