The Desert Animals
Contrary to what was once believed, desert animals do exist, albeit in very limited diversity. Particularly when compared to the copious variety of creatures that populate other areas such as jungles and forests.
This is because desert vegetation has limited water resources, which causes it to grow at a slower pace, usually without foliage, thus offering few opportunities for the scarce fauna to, among other things, feed or protect itself from the sun and wind, the latter acting as a significant source of erosion.
What is a Desert?
A desert is a land area with a dry climate and little rainfall. It can range from hot (hot deserts) to cold (frozen deserts), where the most common feature is a severe lack of humidity. Vegetation is sparse, and sudden temperature fluctuations make it a very hostile environment. The term desert comes from the Latin "desertus," meaning "abandoned."
The presence of rains is very occasional or non-existent, which therefore causes the soil to be barren, dry, hard. Despite this, there is a great diversity of plants and animals that end up adapting to this hostile climate by coexisting and consummating their evolutionary cycle as well as other kinds of environment, but yes, much more difficult and sacrificed.
Desert animals make up part of the amazing fauna of our world and suffer the effects of climate change and pollution almost like any other living being in any other environment, since for millions of years they have ended up adapting to the present living conditions. This, despite the fact that in these places, fortunately for them, the human presence is quite little.
Characteristics of Desert Animals
Desert animals, after evolving for millions of years, have developed varied physical, biochemical, and behavioral capabilities that enable them to survive and multiply in an environment as challenging as the desert. Their population, as noted above, is not very diverse or abundant compared to other terrestrial ecosystems and is composed primarily of insects, arachnids, reptiles, birds, and certain mammals, usually small in size.
Many of these creatures are nocturnal, taking advantage of the absence of the sun and the significant drop in temperature. Therefore, they hide throughout the day, either in dense vegetation (cacti and shrubs) or beneath the sand itself, seeking the coolness of the depths.
They also often have insulating layers to protect themselves from the sun and dehydration, or water stores in various organs of their bodies to overcome long periods without drinking. Due to the limited presence of organic matter, there is a notable predominance of carnivores and scavengers; and in the case of herbivores, of migratory, wandering herds.
Examples of Desert Animals
We usually associate the term desert with dryness and excessive heat, but there are also frozen or polar deserts, whose fauna is much scarcer, and tends to populate regions near the sea. Here is a list of hot desert animals:
Camels
Camels are the animals with which one most tends to associate the desert environment. They are very well suited to the severe living conditions of these regions, they can drink about 180 liters of water at a time, and then subsist for up to 10 days without drinking a drop.
They show their typical hump in the middle of the back, which can be simple (dromedary) or double (camel). That hump, contrary to what is estimated, is not a reservoir of water, but of essential fats to conserve body energy. It is an animal designed to withstand long walks, which is why it has been and is still used as a beast of burden by the inhabitants of the Saharan desert and its surroundings.
His life can be extended to almost 50 years. He reaches a height of 1,85 meters to 2,15 meters, including the hump. The body extension of her is almost 3,45 meters and the weight of her ranges from 300 to 690 kilograms. It is a serene and passive creature, however, when it defends itself it expels saliva, which usually causes burning in the eyes.
The camel adapts to desert life thanks to its long, double-rowed eyelashes, which also have a third eyelid, which acts like a windshield wiper, removing sand and other debris from the eye. It can close its nostrils at will to prevent sand from entering the nasal cavity. Its feet are large and flat, with attached pads and two toes that prevent the animal from sinking into the sand.
Scorpions
The food chain in these regions is considerably more puzzling than in other environments, since species are not abundant and predators usually do not get second chances.
For this reason, hunters such as scorpions have developed qualities to amaze their potential prey and inoculate them with their poison with the sting they carry on their tail, or by holding them with the powerful frontal pincers they have. These arachnids are abundant in the desert biome, including some of the most poisonous varieties known.
On a planetary level there are more than 4.000 varieties of scorpions, the vast majority of which inhabit desert regions. The so-called burrowing species hide underground to withstand the heat and to hunt nearby insects. They feed primarily on insects such as spiders, modest rodents or lizards.
Rattlesnake
It is frequently found in American desert environments, although its preferred habitat is coastal and forested areas. This snake is famous for the sound it makes when shaking its tail, which has a rattle at the end, giving it its name. In a favorable environment, a rattlesnake can grow up to 2,5 meters in length and weigh 4 kilograms. Its powerful hemotoxic venom is the most dangerous of all North American snakes.
dingo dog
This category of canid from northern Australia is a real threat to children and domestic animals, since, despite living in the desert, it usually approaches urban areas in search of food. It is a subspecies of wolf, with yellowish, reddish or sandy fur and features similar to modern dogs.
Much of their existence is spent alone, but from time to time they form packs in order to socialize and reproduce. It is one of the most territorial desert creatures, and although it does not bark, it does make constant howls.
Saharan Ostrich
Also known as the red-necked ostrich, it regularly inhabits the plains and deserts of North Africa. It is the stockiest of all the ostrich subspecies, the one that best withstands the lack of water and the one that runs the fastest. Its name derives from the pink coloration of its neck and legs, but the rest of its fur is black with white stripes on the ends of its wings. It is, however, an animal under threat of extinction, of which only a few copies remain.
It is a bird of enormous size that cannot fly and has long and strong legs. The ostrich ingests its food without prior chewing, taking it with its beak to subsequently push it towards the esophagus because it lacks a crop to deposit its food, like other varieties of birds.
Coyote
The coyote is a carnivorous canid of the desert areas of North America as well as Central America. They are very solitary animals that live about 6 years and have gray fur that covers a peculiarly slender body, which at first glance appears malnourished. However, its diet is omnivorous, since it eats fruits, carrion, modest species, garbage and tiny insects.
It lives in areas where vegetation and water are scarce. It adapts to various spaces hunting in monogamous pairs, adapting its diet to the available sources, taking advantage of fruits, herbs, insects as well as small animals such as rabbits or others. They produce litters of four to six pups. Coyotes produce a kind of howl that can be heard in the distance.
desert reptiles
Among the creatures that populate these environments, reptiles are among the group of animals that have best adapted to these desert regions. Snakes are in that category. In fact, desert snakes are estimated as the most toxic in the world and among them are classified the rattlesnake, the Egyptian cobra and others.
Other reptiles that populate the desert are: bearded dragon, certain varieties of lizards, lizards and some types of tortoises, a modest example being the Mojave desert tortoise.
Desert Arachnids and Insects
There is a great diversity of insects that make their living in the desert. They can be cited among the most common: beetles, ants, fleas or other kinds of flying insects. We can also point to the great variety of arachnids of different types and sizes that are known, such as the camel spider, which is known to be a very poisonous variety.
Suricato
The meerkat is a variety of animal belonging to the mongoose family that lives in the south of the African continent, particularly in the most desert regions. It usually burrows into the sand, forming huge underground tunnels.
zopilot
The American black vulture is a desert creature that lives primarily in the southern United States. Its diet consists of eggs and newly hatched animals. It has very keen eyesight, which helps it catch its prey. It can weigh up to 2 kilograms (XNUMX pounds) and its plumage is mostly black. It spends its time in low-lying areas on rocks and boulders.
Addax
The addax is an animal that can weigh up to 120 kilograms and grow up to 1 meter tall. It has ringed horns that grow vertically, which are identical in both males and females. It inhabits desert and rocky soils.
The most surprising thing about this animal is that it can survive without water, taking only the little moisture from the scarce desert vegetation. It is common for it to remain inactive during the hottest hours, moving only at dusk and dawn.
Dromedario
This desert animal is part of the same family as camels, but they are distinguished from them by exhibiting much shorter fur and barely a hump, which, like camels, use it to store fat, which they use to feed themselves or even to produce water.
western desert tarantula
The desert tarantula is also known as the blonde tarantula. The build of the female can reach 5,6 centimeters in length, while the males do not reach 4,4 centimeters. Their diet consists of insects and modest vertebrates. The blonde tarantula name comes from a characteristic of the front part of its body, which is covered with pale bristles that contrast with its dark legs and abdomen.
In addition to the poison used by tarantulas to immobilize their prey, some of the bristles on their belly have also been arranged for their defense. If a tarantula feels under threat, it will rub its abdomen against its aggressor, which will stick the bristles that are very difficult to extract due to their design.
Australian Waterskin Toad
The leather toad is a very common toad in Australia, but what makes it stand out from other batrachians is its particular ability to survive in the dry desert environment, as it has the ability to store water in its bladders for long periods of time.
western bat
The western bat is one of the smallest specimens that inhabit America. They lead their existence in deserts; managing to hide during the day to emerge at sunset. These creatures remain inactive throughout the day, only going out hunting at dusk. This variety can hibernate if the weather drops significantly or if there is a lack of food.
Other Desert Animals
- Roadrunner Bird (Geococcyx californianus)
- African Dorcas Gazelle (Gazella dorcas)
- Armadillo Lizard (Ouroborus cataphractus)
- Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus)
- Camel Spider (Gluvia dorsalis)
- Desert Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis)
- Desert Rattle (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)
- Sonoran Owl (Tyto alba)
- Pharaoh Owl (Bubo ascalaphus)
- Namibian beetle (Stenocara gracilipes)
- Wasp Hunting Tarantulas (Pepsis formosa)
- Northern Bat (Eptesicus nilsonii)
- Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)
- Desert iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsal)
- Puma or American Lion (Puma condor)
- Desert Rat (Psammomys obesus)
- Antelope Hare (Lepus alleni)
- Long-eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis)
- Fennec fox (Vulpes zerda)
- Cape Fox (Vulpes chama)
- Salt Laucha (Salinomys delicatus)
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