Desert Animal Adaptations In Extreme Weathers

Published: 2021-04-17
Views: 475
Author: Contributor
Published in: Forestry

To begin with, the desert is characterized by low rainfall and hot conditions.

Furthermore, these areas receive very little precipitation, and the conditions are very harsh due to the lack of vegetation.

Desert animals, in particular, face many challenges in order to live.

The temperature here reaches 60 degrees Celsius during the day and drops dramatically at night.

Owing to the process of desertification, desert areas are expanding all over the world.

Let's take a closer look at the adaptability of certain desert animals.

Extreme Temperature

The desert's temperatures vary greatly, from cold enough to snow and freeze water in the winter to hot enough to fry an egg on a rock in the summer.

The desert is classified as an "extreme" biome because of its wide range of temperatures.

The animals who live in the desert face a challenge due to the extreme temperatures.

So, what adaptations do desert animals have to cope with these extreme temperatures?

Adaptation of desert animals

Animals in some deserts depend on seasonal rain to store enough water to get them through the dry seasons.

The Gila monster and the desert tortoise, both spend most of the hot, dry summer underground, and they store water in their bladders, similar to how you might carry a water bottle.

Both animals live in the deserts of the American Southwest during the dry summer months.

Thorny Desert Lizard

These creatures are just around 6 inches long.

They can be found in Australia's deserts. They even eat the ants that live in the desert.

Furthermore, their body spikes to aid in the absorption of water in arid environments.

They have grooves in them that trap dew water overnight. Capillary action often draws water from their skin to their mouth.

Sidewinder Snake

They can be found in the deserts of southwestern and northern Mexico.

Furthermore, they got their name from their peculiar sideways movement.

This allows them to travel easily in the sand, which is loose and moving.

Additionally, they become nocturnal during periods of high temperature and remain active during the cooler months of the year.

Mexican Coyotes

Coyotes are often seen in Arizona, California, and Mexico uses their big ears to keep themselves cool.

They have adapted well to desert conditions in terms of diet. Furthermore, coyotes eat insects, rats, snakes, cactus fruits, and flowers, among other things.

They can also live alone or as part of a collective.

They will probably live in the desert because of their adaptability.

Dung Beetles

Dung beetles are mainly present in Australia and Africa's deserts.

They even eat the dung of other species. Dung provides the moisture that is needed to live in a dry environment.

Also, they form dung balls and roll them to their burrows.

Their exoskeleton, in particular, reflects sunshine, keeping them from overheating.

Bactrian Camels

Camels are without a doubt the most well-known desert species.

Bactrian camels can be seen in the Central Asian steppes.

Bactrian camels have two humps, which are unusual for camels.

Camels store fat, which provides them with energy on long journeys.

Many people still assume that the camel's hump contains water.

This, however, is not the case. They can even run on sand because they are such a large creature.

This is due to the shape of their feet. In addition, their big feet do not dig into the sand.

They do not sweat, which aids in water conservation. As a result, they will go for seven months without drinking water. Their bushy brows keep sand out of their eyes.

Fennec Foxes

They are Africans who live in the Sahara desert.

They have adapted to the 104°F temperatures of the Sahara desert.

They have dense fur on their soles, similar to camels, which aids in running.

Fennec foxes are nocturnal, like other desert species. Beetles and lizards are among the smaller species they eat.

The process of evaporation

But what happens when animals and plants are deprived of water?

They must contend with the desert's heat when attempting to conserve as much water as possible.

Evaporation is used by many species, including humans, to cool down, which is what happens when we sweat.

Many species, such as rats, are unable to sweat as much as humans do.

They pant to cool off instead of sweating. When you get hot and start sweating, the water in your sweat heats up to the point that it evaporates.

It takes a lot of heat with it as it leaves your skin, which is what cools you down.

Migration

And if an animal cannot afford to waste water on evaporative cooling, there are several other ways to escape the desert's excessive heat.

One choice is to escape the heat entirely by moving to a cooler location.

Many birds and insects migrate through North America.

When animals are unable to migrate, they must find other ways to cope with desert extremes.