The desert and tundra biomes have very different temperatures as well as extremely different plants and animals. The desert can get very hot during the day, but cool off quickly at night. It has sandy soil and supports very little plant life. Animals found in the desert include lizards, javelinas, Gila monsters, coyotes, bobcats, scorpions, and kangaroo rats. The tundra is cold, dry, and often dark. The average temperature is about 10°F. The soil below the surface is permanently frozen, and is called permafrost. A few types of plants grow during the short summer season. Animals found in the tundra include caribou, foxes, wolves, and Arctic hares.
Tundras and deserts have a number of similarities such as their lack of water or how organisms that inhabit them are have special features to survive their extreme weather. Both are nearly unsustainable for human life and have just like the tundra, deserts have freezing temperatures at night.
