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Desert Wildlife:
Desert AnimalsDesert animals, like desert plants, have adapted in very special ways to live in this hot, dry environment. When finding water is a problem, many animals develop ways of living to help them use less water. Most desert animals must rely on the water that they can find. Most of the time little water is available, so animals have to be masters at keeping cool and saving water. NocturnalAlmost all desert animals are smart enough to stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day. They stay deep underground in burrows. There the sand is much cooler, and burrowing animals, like the antelope squirrel, the badger, the gopher, the coyote and the kit fox, sleep while you are playing on the dunes. At night, after the sun goes down and the sand cools off, the animals come out to hunt for food. When an animal is active at night and rests during the day, it is called nocturnal.DiurnalThere are a few animals that can be seen during the day. Darkling beetles are crawling about, red-tailed hawks are flying overhead, and you might see a whiptail lizard darting past your feet. These animals, active during the day and inactive at night, are called diurnal. Diurnal animals protect themselves from the heat by spending most of the day in whatever shade they can find.Herbivores, Carnivores and OmnivoresMany animals get their water from the food they eat. Green leaves contain lots of water. The animals that eat only plants, like the cottontail and chuckwalla, are called herbivores. The body of an animal also contains liquid in its blood and tissues. Animals that eat only other animals are called carnivores. The coyote will eat just about anything, plant or animal. That's what makes him a master at desert survival. Animals that eat both plants and other animals are called omnivores.Also see > Desert Wildlife |
Mammals - Predators Mountain Lion Coyote Bobcat Kit Fox Badger Ringtail Cat Mammals - Prey Desert Bighorn Sheep Mule Deer Desert Cottontail Jackrabbit Antelope Squirrel Round-tailed Ground Squirrel Mammals Mustang Wild Burro Reptiles Desert Tortise Reptiles - Snakes Mojave Rattlesnake Mountain Kingsnake Reptiles - Lizards Chuckwalla Horned Lizard Black-collared Lizard Mojave Fringe-Toed Lizard Desert Spiny Lizard Zebra-Tailed Lizard Tree Lizard Desert Iguana Whiptail Lizard Western Brush Lizard Birds - Predators Red-Tailed Hawk Golden Eagle Roadrunner Barn Owl Birds - Scavengers Raven Vulture Birds Gambel's Quail Mourning Dove More Birds Insects Tarantula Tarantula Hawk Wasp
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DesertLink Links to Desert Museums |
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These items are historical in scope and are intended for educational purposes only; they are not meant as an aid for travel planning. Copyright ©Walter Feller. 1995-2024 - All rights reserved. |