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The Sahara: Facts, Climate andAnimals of the Desertby Kim Ann Zimmermann | September 12, 2012 04:50pm ET

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This is the image many people have of the Sahara: a vast sea of sand dunes. Theterrain is actually quite varied.

The Sahara is the world’s largest hot desert and one of the harshestenvironments on the planet. It is third largest desert overall afterAntarctica and the Arctic, which are cold deserts.

At 3.6 million square miles (9.4 million square kilometers), the Sahara,which is Arabic for "The Great Desert," engulfs most of North Africa.The desert covers large sections of Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali,Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan and Tunisia.

The Sahara is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the western edge, theAtlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Red Seaon the east, and the Sudan and the valley of the Niger River on thesouth. The Sahara is divided into western Sahara, the central Hoggar(Ahaggar) Mountains, the Tibesti Mountains, the Air Mountains, an areaof desert mountains and high plateaus, Ténéré desert and the Libyandesert, which is the most arid region.

In the north, the Sahara reaches to the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt andportions of Libya. In Cyrenaica and the Maghreb, the Saharaexperiences a more Mediterranean climate with a winter rainy season.

Major cities located in the Sahara include Cairo, Egypt; Tripoli, Libya;

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The Hoggar Mountains in Algeria are in the central Sahara.

Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania; Tamanrasset, Ouargla, Bechar,Hassi Messaoud, Ghardaia, and El Oued in Algeria; Timbuktu in Mali;Agadez in Niger; and Faya-Largeau in Chad.

Climate and geography of the Sahara

The Sahara’s northeasterly winds can reach hurricane level and oftengive rise to sand storms and dust devils. Half of the Sahara receivesless than an inch of rain per year, and the rest receives up to 4 inches(10 centimeters) per year. The infrequent rain is usually torrential.

The highest peak in the Sahara is the volcano Emi Koussi (11,204 feet or3,415 meters) in the Tibesti Mountains in northern Chad. The desert’sother mountains and mountain ranges include the Aïr Mountains,Hoggar (Ahaggar) Mountains, Saharan Atlas, Tibesti Mountains, Adrardes Iforas and the Red Sea hills.

Many people imagine the Sahara as dotted with sand dunes, and thedesert does have its share of ergs, which are large areas of shiftingsand dunes, with some of some of them reaching 590 feet (180 meters).However, most of the Sahara is characterized as rocky hamada, a typeof desert landscape that has very little sand and is made up of primarilybarren, hard, rocky plateaus.

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The Addax

nasomaculatus, alsoknown as the screwhornantelope, is the Sahara'slargest indigenousmammal

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The venomousdeathstalkerscorpion can be 4 inchesin length.

With the exception of the Nile River, the Sahara’s rivers and streamsare irregular or seasonal. The Nile crosses the desert from its origins incentral Africa to empty into the Mediterranean.

The central part of the Sahara has extremely limited vegetation. Thenorthern and southern reaches of the desert, along with the highlands,have areas of sparse grassland and desert shrub, with trees and tallershrubs.

Animals of the Sahara

Thousands of years ago, the Sahara hadenough water so that people and animals wereable to survive on the edge of the desert. Thereis evidence that the area was able to sustainriver animals such as crocodiles. Fossils ofdinosaurs, including Afrovenator, Jobaria andOuranosaurus, have also been discovered inthe desert.

Prehistoric rock paintings also depict cattle,giraffes, elephants and lions that roamed aonce-lush Sahara.

Today, there is little water or vegetation tosustain life in most part of the Sahara. Someexceptions include the Nile Valley, a few oases,and the northern highlands, where Mediterranean plants such as theolive tree are found to grow. The change occurred in about 1600 B.C.,after shifts in the Earth's axis increased temperatures and decreasedprecipitation.

Camels, most often associated with the Sahara, were introduced to thedesert around 200 A.D. Their advantages over the horses they replacedinclude soft feet that are aligned so that they can move quickly andeasily through sand and their ability to go for up to 17 days withoutfood or water.

Rodents, snakes and scorpions thrive in thedesert environment. The desert is home to thedeathstalker scorpion, which can be nearly 4inches (10 cm) in length. Its dangerous venomcontains large amounts of agitoxin andscyllatoxin.

Among the 40-plus species of rodents in theSahara is the jerboa, related to the mouse, ratand squirrel. To keep cool, the jerboa burrowsunderneath the desert's sands to more humidsoils.

The Addax nasomaculatus, also known as thescrewhorn antelope, is the Sahara's largestindigenous mammal. It travels in small herds throughout the WesternSahara, Mauritania and Chad. Instead of drinking water, it sucksmoisture from the desert grasses and bushes. Its oversized hoovesmake the addax adept at moving through the Sahara's loose sand.

Jackals and several types of hyenas are among the carnivores thatroam the Sahara. Weighing less than 3 pounds (1.4 kg), the Mall Fennec

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Fox is another carnivore that makes its home in tunnels in the sanddunes during the day and comes out at night to prey on the rodents.

— Kim Ann Zimmermann

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Kim Ann ZimmermannKim Ann Zimmermann is a contributor to Live Science. She holds a bachelor’sdegree in communications from Glassboro State College.

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Author Bandiejay S Coded2004 was when I had my share with the Sahara desert experience. Across the Sahara on foot toeurope via libya . Rebells inside that desert were heartless though it's an experience makingway for me ....Reply · Like · February 8 at 9:30pm

Adam Alnuaimi · Top Commenter · University of Nevada, RenoSahara Desert literally translates to Desert Desert. Sahara in Arabic means desertReply · Like · February 7 at 1:05pm

Bao Tyler Vu · Las Vegas, NevadaA biker by the name of Reza Pakravan Set a world record when he crossed the Sahara Desertby bicycle. Traveling 1,084 miles. It took Pakravan just under a 2 week journey while he crossedAlgeria, to Niger, chad and finally to Sudan. In the process Pakravan diet consisted of 6,000calories a day and 7 liters of water. Shocking Information About Desert Ecosystem for Kidshttp://myaquaticecosystems.com/desert-ecosystem-for-kids/Reply · Like · · December 31, 2014 at 1:58am2

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Gerry MooreStudying the desert with my daughter, Elizabeth. Who knew the fennec fox actually means foxfox!Reply · Like · · May 21, 2013 at 3:37pm1

Faus AlvarezmalisimoReply · Like · · March 14, 2013 at 5:55am1

Colton Nelson · Works at Technical Automotives Inc.Your mom is fReply · Like · March 6, 2013 at 1:51pm

Teng Yang · Top Commenter · Wisconsin MilwaukeeI wonder what else we'd find there if we did more research in that area. There must be otherfascinating stuff buried under all that sand...Reply · Like · · September 13, 2012 at 6:58pm6

Bernard Manigault · Self-employed at Bear Lake Mining Co LLCuranium rare earth iron tar sands phosphates....water!,salted water oil gaz....Reply · Like · · September 14, 2012 at 4:51pm1

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