Hardy desert shrubs - having short stem, number of branches and thick leaves. The animals of deserts are primarily arthropods, reptiles, birds and mammals. Large animals are uncommon. Small rodents are the most common mammals, along with small foxes. Among the herbivores, insects are dominant. A number of insectivorous lizards are very common. However, most animals restrict their activity to early morning or after sunset.
Desert soils are rich in nutrients but water is a serious limiting factor. If water is supplied or made available to desert biomes, they can attain very good production because sunlight is abundant.