ANIMALS
- Large Mammals
- desert kit fox
- wild horses
- fennec fox
- Reptiles
- snakes
- lizards
- geckos
- beaded gila monster
- kangaroo rat
- Birds
- golden eagle
- Californian quail
- gila woodpecker
- Invertebrates
- ants
- scorpions
- tarantulas
- black widow spiders
- trap-door spiders
Desert covers more than one-third of the world's land. They are some of the hottest places in the world, places where it is difficult for any life form to survive. Deserts can also be very cold; the temperatures in the Gobi desert are often below -5 degrees Fahrenheit during winter. Dryness is also a tremendous concern; the little rain that falls evaporates quickly. Yet, the arid conditions still manages to be a home to a surprising number of organisms.
These organisms cope with the sun's heat by burrowing underneath the sand. Sand is considerably cooler than the desert surface. Mammals like the naked mole rat rarely leave their burrows. Others, like the North African fennec fox, rest during the day and hunt at night. North American kangaroo rats, North African jerboa, and American ground squirrels also avoid the scorching sun by coming out only at dawn and dusk.
To cope with the lack of water, organisms have developed a variety of techniques. The addax (a Saharan antelope), never needs to drink because it gets all of its water from its food. The kangaroo rat saves water by eating its own droppings. A spiny Australian lizard soaks up water from the damp sand through its special scales. Camels conserve water in reserves by adjusting their body temperature.
