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​Monerans
Monerans are single celled organisms that often live in chains or clusters of cells. They have no nucleus or organelles. Here are a few examples of Monerans...

Streptomyces rimosus


It can usually be found in decaying vegetation or the soil. Its shape is cocci(sphere).

Deinococcus peraridilitoris

To the left is the Deinococcus peraridilitoris to the right is where it it is found

The Deimococcus peraridilitoris was recently found in 2003 in the Atacama desert in Chile. The Deimococcus peraridilitoris can withstand cold, drought and radiation.The shape of this bacteria is cocci.

Protists​
Kingdom Protista is composed of complicated single-celled organisms, and simple multi-celled organisms. These cells have organelles and nuclei. The two different types of Protists are called Protozoans and Algae. Examples of protists are as follows...

Entamoeba muris
Protozoan

Can usually be found in the large intestine of rodents

Algae: nucleus and organells,most single celled

Ochromonas ostreaeformis

The Ochromonas ostreaeformis can be found in a lake in Antartica. This algea has no common name.

Fungi

Fungi are multi-celled organisms that have no chlorophyll. They also absorb nutrients from other organisms. Examples of Fungi are as follows...


Psora crenata
Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Ascomycota-Cup-shaped fungi that are usually colorful.
Class: Ascomycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Psoraceae
Genus: Psora
species: crenata

Common Name: Fishscale Lichen

Can be found in soil and in hidden crevices

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Astraeus hygrometricus
Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Basidiomycota-club-closely packed filaments
Class: Gasteromycetes
Order: Sclerodermatales
Family: Astraeae ceae
Genus: Astraeus
species: hygrometricus

Common Name: Hard-Skinned Puffball

Can be found in the Upland Sonoran Desert

Podaxis pistillaris
KIingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Basidiomycota-club-closely packed filaments.
Class: Gasteromycetets
Order: Sclerpdermateles
Family: Astraeaceae
Genus: Podaxis
species: pistillaris

Common Name: Desert Shaggy Mane



Mortierella antartica

KIingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Zygomycota-thread like-spore at end of filament
Class: zygomycetes
Order: Mortierellales
Family: Mortierellaceae
Genus: Montierella
species: antartica

Plants

Plants are mostly multi-celled organisms that are able to make their own food through photosynthesis.Plant cells have cell walls as opposed to membranes. They have roots that keep them anchored to the ground. They lack organs for mobility, so their movements are limited. Examples of plants are as follows...

Luke's Plants
Agave deserti

Common name: Desert Agave

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Liliopsida- flowering plants that are distinguished by having one cotyledon (embryonic leaves). They also are parallel veined.
Order: Amaryllidales
Family: Agavaceae
Genus: Agave
species: deserti

Grimmia americana

Common Name: American Dry Moss

Can be usually be found on dry, exposed desert rock.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Bryophyta
Class: Bryopsida-mosses
Order: Grimmiales
Family: Grimmiacae
Genus: Grimmia
species: americana

Pellaea andro medifolia

Common Name: Coffee Cliffbrake

Can be found in the Southwestern United States on cliff-sides.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Filicopsida-Any flowerless and seadless vascular plants.
Order: Filicales
Family: Adiantaceae
Genus: Pellaea
species: andromedifolia

Welwitschia mirabilis

Common Name: Welwitschia

Can only be found in the Namib Desert, Namibia, and Angola.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Gnetopsida
Order: Gnetales
Family: Welwitschiaceae
Genus: Welwitschia
species: mirabilis

Equisetum hyemale

Common Name: Scouring Rush

Can be found in Southwestern United States

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Equisetopsida
Order: Equisetales
Family: Equisetaceae
Genus: Equisetum
species: hyemale

Parkinsonia aculeata

Common Name: Mexican Palo Verde

Found in the Sonoran Desert.

Kingdom:Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Caesalpiniaceae
Genus: Parkinsonia
species: aculeata

Elena's Plants
Platanus wrightii
common name:Arizona Sycamore

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida-a class of flowering plants that they normaly have two cotyledons and net-veined leaves.
Order: Hamamelidales
Genus: Plantanus
species: wrightii

The arizona sycamore is found on the banks of a riparian forest along permanent creeks.In the Sonoran desert,Arizona.

Cheilanthes covillei
common name: Coville's Lip Fern
Kingdom: Plant
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Filicopsida-Any flowerless and seadless vascular plants.
Order: Filicales
Family: Adiantaceae
Genus: Cheilanthes
species: covillei

The coville's lip fern is found in the Sonoran desert in Arizona.

Yucca brevifolia

common name: joshua tree

Kingdom: Plantae
Pylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Liliopsida- flowering plants that are distinguished by having one cotyledon.(embryonic leaves). They also are parallel veined.
Order: Amaryllidales
Family: Agavaceae
Genus: Yucca
Species: brevifolia

The Joshua Tree is only found in the Mojave desert.

Zamia furfuracea

common name: Cardboard palm

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Cycadopsida-all tropical and subtropical palmlike evergreens that are cycads
Order: Cycadales
Family: Zamiaceae
Genus: Zamia
Species: furfuracea

The Cardboard palm is found in the Sonaran desert,Arizona and also in Mexico

Selaginella lepidophylla

Common name:Resurrection Plant

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Lycopodiopsida-consists of club mosses, quillworts, and spikemoss. It has all of the club mosses.
Order: Selaginellales
Family: Selaginellaceae
Genus: Selaginella
Species: lepidophylla

The Resurrection plant is found in Texas,Arizona,and El Salvador.

Cupressus arizonica

Common name:Arizona Smooth Cypress

kingdom:plantae
Phylum:Pinophyta
Class:Pinopsida-conifers in the division Pinophyta.
Order:Pinales
Family:Cupressaceae
Genus:Cupressus
species:arizonica

Here is a picture of some foliage of the Arizona Smooth Cypress.

Animals


Animals:multi-celled, digest food inside body.
Vertebrate:with backbone and spinal chord.
Invertebrate: no backbone or spinal chord.



Ovis canadensis

Common name: American Bighorn Sheep

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia-Mammals
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Ovis
species: canadensis

Can be found in Western United States.

Latrodectus mactans

Common name: Southern Black Widow

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda-Crabs, Lobsters, Spiders, Insects
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Theridiidae
Genus: Latrodectus
species: mactans

Can be found in Southern United States.

Baylisascaris procyonis

Common name: Raccoon Roundworm

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Nematoda-Roundworms, Nematodes
Class: Secernentea
Order: Ascaridida
Family: Ascarididae
Genus: Baylisascaris
species: procyonis

Can be found in the inside of Raccoons.(I apoligize for the graphic picture, it was the only one I could find)

I know, the picture makes me queasy too.

Geococcyx californianus

Common Name: Ground Cuckoo

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves-Birds
Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
Genus: Geococcyx
species: californianus

Can be found in SouthWestern United States.

Cyprinodon salinus

Common name: Death Valley Pupfish

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Superclass: Osteichthyes-Bony Fish
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Cyprinodontidae
Genus: Cyprinodon
species: salinus

Can be found in Death Valley

Driloleirus americanus

Giant Palouse Earthworm

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida-Segmented Worms
Class: Oligochaeta
Family: Megascolecidae
Genus: Driloleirus
species: americanus

Can be found in soily parts of the desert, as opposed to in the sand

Elena's Animals
Felis rufus

Bobcat

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia- is warm blooded vertebrates that have hair, are born alive
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Felis
Species: rufus

The bobcat lives in most deserts but is mainly found in the Mojave desert

Bufo alvarius

Sonoran desert toad

Kingdom: Animalia
Phlyum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia-animals that live part of their life in the water with gills and the other part on land with lungs
Order: Anura
Family: Bufonidae
Genus: Bufo
Species: alvarius

The Sonoran desert toad is found in the Sonoran desert

Dasypus novemcinctus​

Nine Banded Armadillo

Kingdom: Anamalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mamalia-is warm blooded vertebretes and are born alive.
Order: Cingulata
Family: Dasypodidae
Genus: Dasypus
species: novemcinctus

The Nine Banded armadillo is found north and south America

Elena's Invertebrates

Fossaria obrussa

Golden fossaria

Kingdom: Animalia
Phlyum: Molluska-is soft bodied animals with well developed organ systems
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Basommatophora
Family: Chalcidoidea
Genus: Fossaria
Species: obrussa

The Golden fossaria can be found in Grand Canyon and the Colarado River

Ephydatia muelleri
no common name

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Porifera-Sponges
Class: Demonspongiae
Order: Haposclerida
Family: Spongillidae
Genus: Ephydatia
Species: muelleri




Zeldia spannata
No common name

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Nematoda- worms, having a long, round, and having a smooth body
Class: Chromadorea
Order: Rhabditida
Family:Celphalobidae
Genus: Zeldia
Species: spannata

The Zeldia spannata is found in the Mojave desert

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