Can Animals Survive the Heat of the Desert?

There are hundreds of different animals that live in deserts. However, most of them can only be found at dawn or dusk because that is when they move around. For the rest of the day, animals bury themselves in the sand or hide beneath rocks to keep cool. Animals that come out at night are called nocturnal. Animals in the desert eat plants and each other to survive. Many feed on the roots, stems, leaves, and seeds of plants. These animals are then eaten by bigger animals. Some animals get enough water from their food, but others must travel to water holes.

The desert jack rabbit eats plants, such as the cactus. It is very careful to avoid the prickly spines! Its ears pick up any sound of danger. They also help keep the rabbit cool because heat can escape through the tiny blood vessels that are found there.
Camels are the most well known desert animals. They are sometimes called "the ship of the desert" because they can cross the desert better than any other animal. Camels have bushy eyebrows and two rows of eyelashes to keep the sand out of their eyes. Their nostrils can also be closed. The humps on camels' backs do not hold water as commonly believed. Instead they store fat reserves that can be broken down into food when crossing the desert. The hump will shrink if a camel is starving.


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