Uncomplicated image of desert animals

Gila Monsters
Gila Monsters are the largest lizards in the world and have venom that kill their prey. These nocturnal animals are usually eighteen to twenty-four inches long. Gila Monsters eat only meat – small mammals, birds, lizards and frogs. These poisonous lizards have round scales and have black and orange spots. Gila Monsters store fat in their tails, and then hibernate in the winter.

Desert Iguanas
Iguanas, a type of lizard, hibernate beginning early fall and are the last lizard to become active in the spring. They can grow up to sixteen inches long. The mother iguana will lay anywhere from 20 to 70 eggs, bury them in the sand, and leave them. When the eggs hatch, they catch their own food – insects – and live in nearby trees or brush. Some predators are birds of prey, foxes, snakes and people.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes
Diamondback rattlesnakes, named for their diamond-shaped pattern on their skin, are the largest snakes in the western US and may grow as large as six or seven feet long. They have a rattle at the end of their tails made up of flaps that make a buzzing noise when shaken. This rattling sound is a warning to enemies to stay away. The rattle is formed each time the snake molts, or sheds its skin.

Western diamondbacks live in southeastern California to central Arkansas and south to northern Mexico. They prefer dry, rocky areas. Although they hibernate in winter, they may occasionally wake up during when it’s warmer to warm up in the sun. They will usually return to the same den each year, and they usually hibernate in groups.

The diamondbacks forked tongue collects scents from the air and helps it to find its prey. Since they digest food very slowly, they need to eat only once every two to three weeks. They eat birds, rabbits, and rodents (mice), gophers, lizards, and other small animals.

Diamondbacks, like other snakes, have fangs which they use to inject venom into their prey. When the snake bites, the venom is pushed into the prey’s body with their fangs. The snake then lets it prey go, and after the venom has killed the animal, the snake finds it and swallows it headfirst.

Mother diamondbacks do not lay eggs. Rather, the babies grow inside her body for four to five months. She will have anywhere from six to twenty babies at a time. Babies are born without a rattle, but with venom.

Predators of diamondbacks are hawks, bald eagles, roadrunners, wild turkeys, coyotes, deer and foxes. But its worst enemy is the king snake. The king snake is immune to, or not affected by, the snake’s venom.

Desert Tortoises
The Desert Tortoise is an herbivore that can live 50 to 80 years. They spend most of their life underground in burrows to protect itself from the desert heat. They can survive as long as a year without water. When in danger of a predator, they can retreat into their hard upper shell. Their front legs have “armored” scales to be used for burrowing.

Females lay a clutch, or group, of 1 to 2 eggs, buries them with sand and leaves them. The temperature will determine whether the hatchlings, or babies, are male or female.

You can grab a copy of the entire Desert Animals Lapbook in an easy-to-print file at the end of this post.

Desert Animals Lapbook Printables

In addition to the lessons, the file includes these mini-books for your student to create a Desert Animals Lapbook:

Coyotes: Designed to Hunt Matchbook
Diamondback Rattlesnake Flap Book
Desert Animals Cards & Pocket
Nocturnal vs. Diurnal Flap Book
Rabbit vs. Jackrabbit Venn Diagram Flap Book
Tarantula Circle Book and Pocket
Kangaroo Rat Matchbook
Red-tailed Hawk Shutterfold Book
Desert Questions Simple Fold Books
Iguana Envelope Fold Book
Rattlesnakes Layer Book
Roadrunners T-book
Scorpions Tab Book
Gila Monster Flap Book

Creepy Crawly Desert Creatures

Bugs, insects, and small flying creepy critters living in the desert are often venomous to protect them from predators. These tiny creatures sometimes build elaborate homes to keep them sheltered from the heat.

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Dung Beetle

These unique critters roll around large piles of poo to help them survive.

They are found in deserts of Australia and Africa.
They only eat dung, or poop, of bigger animals.
Dung is full of water, so they never have to look for watering holes.

Saharan Silver Ant

The Sahara Desert is the largest desert in the world and home to these futuristic-looking desert dwellers.

They have longer legs than other ants to help keep them safe on hot sand.
They’re active for only 10 minutes per day.
The ants are covered in tiny silver hairs that help reflect sunlight and shed off heat.

Scorpion

There are more than 2,000 species of scorpions in the world, and they are some of the heartiest desert inhabitants.

Deathstalker scorpion is the most poisonous scorpion in the world.
A scorpion can slow its own metabolism so it can live on as little as one insect per year.
Tiny hairs on their legs help them sense vibrations, or movements, to catch prey.

Tarantula

There are many desert-dwelling spiders, but the Tarantula is one of the most recognizable.

It digs burrows lined with silk webbing.
They sense vibrations in the ground to know when prey or predators are nearby.
Tarantulas inject venom into prey to liquify it because they have no teeth to chew it.

Desert Reptiles and Snakes

Snakes, toads, and lizards often adapt well to hot climates because they are cold-blooded and take on the temperature of their surroundings.

Sidewinder Snake

This unique snake is found in U.S. and Mexico deserts and has cool adaptations that help it move fast on hot sand.

It slithers diagonally to help gain traction on sand.
The snakes become nocturnal during hotter parts of the year.
They eat smaller rodents and reptiles.

Venomous Sand Viper

These sand-colored snakes of the Sahara Desert blend in with their surroundings.

Sand vipers bury themselves in sand during hot parts of the day.
They have a thin membrane that protects their small eyes from sand.
It produces a toxin that immediately kills prey.

Desert Crocodile

While you might think mostly of crocodiles and alligators as living in or near water, these guys like the heat.

The desert crocodile is a West African crocodile living in the Sahara Desert.
It sleeps, or aestivates, during droughts to survive.
It can gather at small pockets of water when it rains.

Thorny Devil

This cool Australian desert lizard is well-armored to help it survive.

It has sharp growths, or thorns, over its entire body to keep predators away.
Thorns help them get water when dew collects on them.
They bury themselves in sand and wait until prey walks by.

Desert Monitor

This carnivorous reptile, found in the Sahara Desert, spends its time alone.

It hibernates from September to April.
The position of their nostrils keeps sand out.
It eats mostly rodents and eggs.

Desert Birds

Large and small birds call deserts their home and find simple ways to beat the heat.

Roadrunner

Found in Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and southern Great Basin deserts, these fast little birds have specialized body functions built for desert life.

Special nasal gland gets rid of extra salt in the body.
Roadrunners reabsorb water from their feces before pooping.
They drop their energy level by 50 percent during hottest parts of day.

Red-Necked Ostrich

This flightless bird calls the desert home and has no trouble living there.

It’s the largest living ostrich in the world
The ostrich can adjust its own body temperature to reduce water loss.
They don’t need to drink water.

Elf Owl

This smallest owl in the world lives in desert regions near U.S. and Mexico border.

It nests in old woodpecker holes in giant cacti.
It plays dead when captured.
The owls migrate further south because northern desert winters can be too cold for insects.

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Uncomplicated image of desert animals