Question
Write a short note on Adaptations of desert animals.
✓
Answer
- Animals which are well-adapted to live in deserts are called xerocoles. These animals show adaptations for water conservation or heat tolerance.
- These animals show low basal metabolic rate. They obtain moisture from succulent plants and rarely drink water. E.g Gazella and Oryx.
- Desert animals like camel produce concentrated urine and dry dung.
- Many other hot desert animals are nocturnal, seeking out shade during the day or dwelling underground in burrows.
- Smaller animals from desert, emerge from their burrows at night.
- Mammals living in cold deserts have developed greater insulation through warmer body fur and insulating layers of fat beneath the skin.
- Few adaptations to desert life are unable to cool themselves by sweating so they shelter during the heat of the day. Many desert reptiles are ambush predators and often bury themselves in the sand, waiting for prey to come within range.
- Other animals have bodies designed to save water. Scorpions and wolf spiders have a thick outer covering which reduces moisture loss. The kidneys of desert animals concentrate urine, so that they excrete less water.
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