O The LaSal Mountains in thestateofUtah are surroundedby desert.

Water from snow

1s very important

to the plants and

animals that live in

the desert. Without

it, they could not

survive during the

long, hot, dry spells

when no rain falls.Adapting to this

changing weather 1s

how they survive.

CHAPTER 1

How Desert Plants Get Water

Plants need water. How do desert plants survive with so little of it?

Cactus plants thrive in the desert.These plants have thick skins that have a waxy coat. This helps stop water loss. Their undergroundroots take in a lot of water at

Other desert plants have very long roots to help them absorb water. One such plant is the mesquite (muh SKEET). Its roots are over 100 feet long.

Some desert plants survive by losing their leaves in the su m m er. These plants go into

O Here is what a mesquite plant looks like.

once. Their big stems can hold

the water for a long time.

A saguaro cactus can take in a ton :,of water in a single day.

SeedsPlants make seeds, and the desert sands are full of them. Some seeds have tough coats. When the rains come, the water bounces the seeds over hard rocky ground. The seed coats break and they sprout and grow.

a state of rest. They wake up again during the winter rains. One of these 1s the ocotillo (oh-kuh-TEE-yoh). In su m m er, it looks dead. But when it rains, its tiny leaves sprout. Pretty orange flowers bloo at the tops of its long stalks. Its branches are covered wit h sticky sap.

This helps to stop water loss.

The ocotillo plant is :, sometimes called candlewood.

"'.......-..,

I'

-!APTER 2 Pack rats store

low Desert Animals seeds and nuts in their

iet Water burrows. The seeds

Animals need the rain too. Desert

and nuts absorb water

from the air. Th is helps

)gs and toads lay their eggs in pools pack rats get enough

rainwater. The tadpoles quickly grow

to ad ult s. Soon the hot sun bakes theto drink. They chew on a

cactus plant only if they

O A pack rat tries to satisfy its

1rth dry. The water drains away. The are suffering from thirst. thirst.

lult toads and frogs survive by going Those cactus spines are

1derground. They stay there for a year sharp.

more. They rest andMany birds live in the

:iit for the rains. desert. There are owls,

desert frog has :, h aw k s, and road runn ers.

long hibernationlizar d s, and sm all ani m als

they eat.

A kangaroo rat lives off water in its

vn b o d y. It also saves water. It builds 1 The Gambel quail digs :,

underground home or burrow. Whenup seeds from the ground. It gets water

e rat breathes, it gives off some water from seeds.

rapid

their water from the

rio

(

Desert birds getriod followed

oplets. This water stays inside the

1rrow.

<: Snakessleep during the heatoftheday, andat night they grab a meal. They also gettheirwater from theirdinner.

Foxes and mountain :, lions hunt at night too. They drink from pools of water anywhere theycan find them.

<: This owl makes its home in the ground. It also hunts at night. Its food has enough water in it for theowl to survive.