Wet and Dry
There is a big difference between a rainforest and a desert. Water! Water makes a rainforest wet and green. But a desert gets very little water. That is why it is dry. Read on to compare these two habitats
habitat
WOLFGANG KAEHLER/LIGHTROCKET—GETTY IMAGES
the place where a plant or animal normally lives
(noun)
The emperor penguin's natural habitat is in Antarctica.
.
The Rainforest
This jaguar lives in the Amazon rainforest, in South America.
FROM TOP: JOREASONABLE—GETTY IMAGES; SIEGFRIED—GETTY IMAGESRainforests are full of big trees. Some are 200 feet tall. Their branches and leaves form a canopy
canopy
MARK NEWMAN—GETTY IMAGES
the highest layer of branches in a forest
(noun)
Sloths live in the rainforest canopy.
overhead. Many animals live in the rainforest. Most of them live in the canopy.
Thick clouds gather above a rainforest. They make it humid
humid
ONZEG—GETTY IMAGES
containing a lot of moisture
(adjective)
After a shower, the air in the bahtroom is humid.
. Rain is common.
The Desert
A cactus wren sits on a cactus in a desert in North America.
FROM LEFT: HADYNYAH—GETTY IMAGES; DIANA ROBINSON PHOTOGRAPHY—GETTY IMAGESDeserts do not get much rain. They are hot and dry. But they are home to many living things. Cactuses are plants that grow in the desert. They soak up water when it rains. They store water until the next rainfall. Many desert animals come out only at night. The air is cooler then.
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