Desert Animals
What Is a Desert?
A desert is a type of ecosystem that receives very little precipitation, typically less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rain per year. Because of this dryness, deserts have limited plant and animal life, and the environment is often extreme—either very hot or very cold.
Common Desert Animals
- Camel
- Fennec Fox
- Kangaroo Rat
- Gila Monster
- Horned Lizard
- Meerkat
- Jackrabbit
- Desert Tortoise
- Roadrunner
- Jerboa
- Scorpion
- Caracal
- Desert Iguana
- Burrowing Owl
- Dung Beetle
- Sand Cat
- Addax Antelope
- Desert Locust
Desert Animals
- Addax
- Antelope Jackrabbit
- Arabian Oryx
- Bactrian Camel
- Bilbies
- Camel
- Caracal
- Dromedary
- Fennec Fox
- Gemsbok
- Golden Hamster
- Jerboa
- Kangaroo Rat
- Kit Fox
- Meerkat
- Onager
- Oryx
- Peccaries
- Pronghorn
- Sand Cat
- Jackrabbit
How Do Animals Survive the Heat?
- Desert animals survive heat by staying active at night and resting during the day.
- They hide in burrows or shade to avoid direct sunlight.
- Their bodies are built to conserve water and stay cool, like big ears, light fur, or special ways of storing fat and moisture.
Fun Facts About Desert Animals
- Scorpions glow under UV light due to a chemical in their exoskeleton—scientists still aren’t sure why.
- Roadrunners can run up to 32 km/h (20 mph) and sometimes hunt snakes.
- Addax antelopes can live their entire lives without drinking free-standing water.
- Dung beetles use the stars to navigate in a straight line across open desert plains.
Famous Desert Animals and Facts
- Camel
Fact: Known as the “ship of the desert,” camels can survive up to two weeks without water and store fat in their humps for energy. - Fennec Fox
Fact: The smallest fox in the world with huge ears that help it stay cool and hear insects underground. - Scorpion
Fact: Scorpions glow under UV light and can survive extreme temperatures by hiding under rocks during the day.
How Do Desert Animals Get Water?
Desert animals survive by finding water in unusual places. Some drink morning dew, others absorb moisture from their food. Kangaroo rats, for example, never drink water—they get it from seeds. Camels store fat in their humps, which helps release water when needed, making them desert survival experts.
Did You Know?
- The saharan cheetah is so rare that fewer than 250 adults remain in the wild.
- A dromedary camel can drink 40–60 liters of water in one go.
- The sand cat’s meow is so soft, it is nearly impossible to hear at a distance.
References
1. Desert Animals Wikipedia Article – https://en.wikipedia.org
2. Desert Animals National Geographic Article – https://www.nationalgeographic.com