# 1996 VHS • Eyewitness Desert 60 FPS

A children's documentary from the DK Eyewitness Video series exploring desert environments, their formation, plant life, animal adaptations, human history, and the challenges of filming in extreme heat. The program opens with the paradox that deserts, despite their apparent lifelessness, support a wide variety of specialized organisms. Topics covered include why deserts exist and how they expand, the Sahara's ancient history of large mammals, extreme temperature ranges including the Gobi's minus 40 degree winters, plant adaptations such as cactus spines and the Rose of Jericho, animal water efficiency including antelope kidney function and camel physiology, the Silk Road trade routes connecting Asia and Arabia with Europe, the 1849 American pioneer crossing of Death Valley, sand dune formation and movement, and desert peoples including Bedouin nomads. A behind-the-scenes Making of Eyewitness segment covers the cactus explosion sequence filmed with high-speed cameras. The program is produced in the style of the DK Eyewitness book series, with footage drawn from multiple desert regions worldwide.

- Kind: Film
- Year: 1996
- By: The Vista Group®
- Archive: [Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/TheVistaGroup-EyewitnessDesert1996)
- Licence or status: none stated by the archive
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/ia/TheVistaGroup-EyewitnessDesert1996?play=1)