Fauna Characteristics

Venomous insects

Scorpions and spiders are often venomous to kill prey with a single sting and therefore minimal effort.

Scorpions - hibernation and slow metabolism

Scorpions are able to slow down their metabolism and hibernate until there is prey nearby. They are then able to come out of hibernation rapidly. Scorpions are able to survive an entire year without eating.

Dorcas gazelle can convert urine into acid pellets to stop losing water

The Dorcas Gazelle of North Africa can get most of their water from their diet. They can also convert their urine into uric acid pellets, this stops them from losing water.

Fenenc fox absorbs moisture from prey’s blood

The Fennex Fox gets most of the moisture it requires from the blood of their prey.

Kangaroo rat

This animal has small front feet to handle food and sharp claws to dug burrows. Digging underground is essential for many desert animals to escape peak daytime temperatures. Long back feet allow the kangaroo rat to leap away from predators while its tail can flick sand at them.

Camel’s eyelashes and nose

They have adapted to sandstorms by developing long eyelashes to prevent sand getting into their eyes. They can also tighten their nostrils to filter sand when they breathe.

Camel’s thick fur

To adapt to the heat camels have thick fur which protects them from sunlight. Their wide padded feet act like shoes allowing them to walk on unstable and hot sand.

Camel’s hump

They are able to store fat in their hump which acts as a reserve when there is a shortage. This can also be converted into water during droughts. Camels can consume over 100L of water at a time and store it. Furthermore, they can stop themselves from sweating to retain moisture and even turn urine into a solid to avoid water loss.

Sidewinding snakes

Snakes move by sidewinding to ensure that only two points of their body are touching the hot sand at a time. The Mojave Desert Sidewinder is found in the south-western USA and the Namib Desert viper both use this movement. It also helps them to keep traction on the windy sands.

Lizard - hard skin

The thorny devil lizard from the Australian Outback has adapted to the lack of water by developing a hard skin that can absorb water instantly.

Burrowing

Many animals have adapted to the temperature by burrowing underground or only emerging at night. The Cape ground squirrel lives in the driest areas of Southern Africa. It is a burrowing rodent that can also use its tail as a parasol.

Fennec fox- nocturnal and large ears to allow heat to dissipate

The Fennec Fox is nocturnal. It sleeps in a den during the day and hunts at night time to avoid heat of the day. It has long large ears with many blood vessels that allow excess heat to leave its body. This is a common temperature adaptation among many animals in deserts.

Pygmy Owl carves hollow in cacti

The cactus pygmy owl is found in the deserts of Arizona. It carves out hollows in cacti to live in during the day and avoid the high temperatures.