The Animals of the Gobi Desert
In The Animals of the Gobi Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Gobi Desert and the animals that live there. The Gobi is one of the harshest deserts of all because temperatures range from 122°F (50°C) during the summer to -40°F (-40°C) during the winter. Learn how Bactrian camels living in the Gobi get their water from snow. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: What makes it so hard to survive in the Gobi Desert?
A: The extreme temperature changes — ranging from 50°C (122°F) in the summer to -40°C (-40°F) in the winter — make it difficult to survive.
Q: How do the camels survive in the desert?
A: The camels survive by eating the snow every day, but limiting themselves to a small amount each day.
Q: Why doesn’t the snow melt in the Gobi Desert?
A: The air is too cold and dry, so instead the Sun turns the snow into vapor before it can melt.
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