Kyzylkum Desert

The Kyzylkum Desert (Qizilqum, Қизилқум, قىزىلقۇم; Qyzylqūm, قىزىلقۇم) is the 15th largest desert in the world. Its name means Red Sand in Turkic languages. It is located in Central Asia, in the land between the confluent rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya, a region historically known as Transoxania. Today it is divided between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It covers about . The territory consists mainly of an extensive plain at an altitude up to above sea level, with a number of depressions and highlands (Sultanuizdag, Bukantau). Most of the area is covered with dunes (barchans); in the northwest large areas are covered with takirs (clay coatings); there are also some oases. There are agricultural settlements along the rivers and in the oases. Temperatures can be very high during the summer months, from mid-May to mid-September. Kerki, one extreme inland city located on the banks of the Amu Darya River, recorded in July 1983. It is mainly located in Uzbekistan. Desert fauna include the Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii) and a large lizard known as the Transcaspian or desert monitor (Varanus griseus), which can reach lengths of . The saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) also occasionally migrates through the northern part of the desert. Kyzylkum Nature Reserve in Bukhara Region was established in 1971. The area of the reserve amounts to and it is located on flood-land (tugai) drained by the Amudarya close to the settlement Dargan Ata. Fauna include: Bactrian deer (Cervus elaphus bactrianus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetus). Djeyran Reserve is located south of Bukhara. The total area of this reserve is . It is a breeding centre for rare species such as goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa), Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), Turkmenian kulan (Equus hemionus kulan) and MacQueen's bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii). The reserve was founded in 1977 on the enclosed area in . The Kyzylkum Desert has exposed rock formations that have yielded a number of fossils.