KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA UJJAINENGLISH PROJECT WORK

DESERT ANIMALSADAPTATIONS, HABITAT…

Prepared by Divyansh Khare

Desert- a place where nothing is everythingFar from being barren wastelands, deserts are biologically richhabitats with a vast array of animals and plants that haveadapted to the harsh conditions there. Some deserts are amongthe planet's last remaining areas of total wilderness. Yet morethan one billion people, one-sixth of the Earth's population,actually live in desert regions.Deserts cover more than one fifth of the Earth's land, and theyare found on every continent. A place that receives less than 10inches (25 centimeters) of rain per year is considered a desert.Deserts are part of a wider classification of regions called "drylands." These areas exist under a moisture deficit, which meansthey can frequently lose more moisture through evaporationthan they receive from annual precipitation. And despite thecommon conceptions of deserts as dry and hot, there are colddeserts as well.

The largest hot desert in the world, northern Africa's Sahara,reaches temperatures of up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degreesCelsius) during the day. But some deserts are always cold, like theGobi desert in Asia and the desert on the continent of Antarctica.Others are mountainous. Only about 10 percent of deserts arecovered by sand dunes. The driest deserts get less than half aninch (one centimeter) of precipitation each year, and that is fromcondensed fog not rain.Desert animals have adapted ways to help them keep cool and useless water. Camels, for example, can go for days without food andwater. Many desert animals are nocturnal, coming out only whenthe brutal sun has descended to hunt. Some animals, like thedesert tortoise in the southwestern United States, spend much oftheir time underground. Most desert birds are nomadic,crisscrossing the skies in search of food. Because of their veryspecial adaptations, desert animals are extremely vulnerable tointroduced predators and changes to their habitat.

Desert plants may have to go without fresh water for years at atime. Some plants have adapted to the arid climate by growinglong roots that tap water from deep underground. Other plants,such as cacti, have special means of storing and conserving water.Many desert plants can live to be hundreds of years old.Some of the world's semi-arid regions are turning into desert atan alarming rate. This process, known as "desertification," is notcaused by drought, but usually arises from the demands of humanpopulations that settle on the semi-arid lands to grow crops andgraze animals. The pounding of the soil by the hooves of livestockmay degrade the soil and encourage erosion by wind and water.Global warming also threatens to change the ecology of desert.Higher temperatures may produce an increasing number ofwildfires that alter desert landscapes by eliminating slow-growingtrees and shrubs and replacing them with fast-growing grasses.

ANIMALS OF THE DESERT –FANRTASTICALLY INTERESTING

Desert animals have evolved to handle the desert's heat and lackof water. They have adapted their bodies and behaviors to thedesert climate. Most can survive on small amounts of water andmany get all of their water from their food. Some drink maybeonce a week and travel considerable distances to find isolatedwaterholes and springs. Large animals seek shade during thehottest part of the day. Some animals dig a hollow depressioninto the ground and lie in the cooler soil while others arenocturnal. Many reptiles and other animals protect themselvesfrom the extreme temperature by spending their time inburrows. Below you will find a sampling of the animals thatinhabit the desert, along with a few interesting facts about each.

DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP

Desert Bighorn Sheep (Mojave, Chihuahuan, Sonoran) -indigenous to the hot desert habitats of the Southwestregion of the United States. They are considered goodindicators of land health because the species is sensitiveto many human-induced environmental problems.

They use their hooves and horns to remove spines fromcacti, then eat the juicy insides. Desert Bighorns utilizetwo mechanisms for cooling -- perspiring, and alsopanting, which is a fairly uncommon adaptation fordesert animals.

SCORPION

Scorpion (all deserts) - it is the last five segments of thescorpions abdomen that forms what most people refer toas the "tail" at the end of which is the venomous stinger.The "long-tailed" South African Scorpion reaches a lengthof over 8 inches, and is probably the longest scorpion inthe world.

Scorpions have a complex mating ritual in which the maleuses his pedipalps to grasp the female's pedipalps in orderto lead her on a "courtship dance". There are almost 2,000scorpion species, but only 30 or 40 have strong enoughpoison to kill a person. The many types of venom areeffectively tailored to their users' lifestyles, however, andare highly selected for effectiveness against that species'chosen prey.

OSTRICH

Ostrich (Sahara, Kalahari) - skeletons and fossils of ostricheshave been found which date back over 120 million years!Ostriches are the second fastest animal in the world and can runat 40 miles per hour. They can maintain this speed for at least 30minutes. Ostriches do not bury their head in the sand. Ostrichesstretch out their neck and lay their head on the ground to keepfrom being seen, hence the myth that ostriches hide in the sand.The ostrich is the world's largest bird.

An ostrich lives for about 40 years. The Ostrichis farmed around the world, particularly for its feathers,which are decorative and are also used as feather dusters.Its skin is used for leather products and its meat ismarketed commercially.[3]

COLLARED LIZARD

Collared Lizard (Mojave, Sonoran) - very predatory and whenfrightened and running fast, will rear up and run on its hind legs(bipedal), a rarity in lizards. If a predator grabs the Baja BlackCollared lizard by the tail, the skin comes off! This lizard gets itsname from the two dark bands or collars encircling the throat areaNotice the pronounced jaw muscles. This lizard is carnivorous, eating- insects, small rodents, and other lizards.

These reptiles are often tamed and kept as pets. When bornin captivity, they are quite docile and tolerant of interactionwith humans. They are very active and predatory lizards,requiring a large amount of space to run. They prefer hightemperatures, up to 105–110 °F (41–43 °C) at their baskingspot and 80 °F (27 °C) elsewhere in their habitat during theday.

KANGAROO RAT

Kangaroo Rat (Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, Great Basin) -have the ability to convert the dry seeds they eat into water,and they neither sweat nor pant like other animals to keepcool. They spend their days in their burrows where the air ismoist and humid. Kangaroo rats are primarily seedeaters. They will, however, sometimes eat vegetation at sometimes of the year and some insects.

They have been observed storing the seeds of mesquite,creosote, bush, purslane, ocotillo and grama grass in theircheek pouches. Kangaroo rat will store extra seeds in seedcaches. This caching behavior has an impact on the rangelandand croplands where the animals live. Kangaroo rats seem tohave two major periods of activity: one around 9 pm and theother about 3 am when there is the most moisture in the air!

CAMELS

Camels (Gobi, Sahara) - the Bactrian camel has two humps andlives in the Gobi desert; the Dromedary camel has one hump andlives in the Sahara desert. Camels have the ability to close theireyes and nostrils to keep out blowing sand and dust. TheDromedary camel is capable of drinking 30 gallons (100 letters) ofwater in just 10 minutes! Camels store fat in their hump, notwater!

In fact baby camels are born without humps because the layer of fat does not develop until they eat solid food. The average life expectancy of a camel is 40 to 50 years. A fully grown adult camel stands 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) at the shoulder and 2.15 m (7 ft 1 in) at the hump. The hump rises about 75 cm (30 in) out of its body.

ELF OWL

Elf Owl (Chihuahuan) - one of the smallest owls in the world,the Elf owl is only 5 1/2 inches tall!. It lives in hollowed outcactus trunks, where it is protected from most predators.When captured, this tiny owl likes to play opossum and feignsdeath until it is sure that all danger has passed! Elf Owls feedmainly on insects and therefore occupy habitats with a readysupply of these. Agaves and ocotillos are ideal places forforaging as mothsand other insects may sleep in their flowers.

Elf owls are known to eat scorpions, somehowmanaging to cut off the stinger. They are often seenchasing after flying insects, with a flight similar toa tyrant flycatcher's just after dusk.

SIDEVINDER SNAKE

Sidewinder (Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, Namib) - use aside winding motion to move across the hot surface sand andhave only a small part of the body on the hot sand at one time.Like many other snakes the diet of the Sidewinderconsists of small rodents such as the Kangaroo Rat andlizards. The Sidewinder uses venom to kill its prey.

Though a bite is probably not lethal to humans dueto itssmall size, the Sidewinder is poisonous and if bitten aperson should seek professional medical attentionimmediately.

ECHIDNA

Echidna (Spiny Anteater) (Australian) - lays eggs and produces milkfor its young. The Echidna has a pointy snout and an extremelylong sticky tongue used to catch ants and termites. They make asniffing noise as they search for food! Because they have no teeth theEchidna crushes the insects between thorny pads in its mouth.

Echidnas and the platypus are the only egg-layingmammals, known as monotremes. The female lays asingle soft-shelled, leathery egg 22 days after mating,and deposits it directly into her pouch. Hatchingtakes place after ten days; the young echidna, called apuggle, then sucks milk from the poresof the two milkpatches .

ADDAX ANTELOPE

Addax Antelope (Sahara) - currently, no more than severaldozen in Algeria, Niger, and the Sudan remain in the wild.These beautiful antelope have been hunted to nearextinction for their horns. Addax possess broad, flat hooveswith flat soles that help prevent them from sinking into thedesert sand!

Addax will dig depressions in the sand in which torest. These are often located partly underneathboulders that give shade and protection from thewind and sun. Male addax stand from 105 to 115centimetres (41 to 45 in) at the shoulder, withfemales at 95 to 110 centimetres (37 to 43 in).

GREATER ROADRUNNER

Greater Roadrunner (Sonoran, Mojave, Chihuahuan) - has theability to lower its body temperature in response to lowernight temperatures in the desert habitat. they raise the bodytemperature with the help of a black patch on their backwhich they expose to absorb the rays of the sun.

Roadrunners run very fast (up to 15 miles per hour!), and canchase down swift prey, such as lizards, with ease. They preferto walk or run, and, when they fly, it is usually close to theground for short distances. The roadrunner is about 52–62cm (20–24 in) long, has a 43–61 cm (17–24 in) wingspan andweighs 221–538 g (7.8–19.0 oz). It stands around 25–30 cm(9.8–12 in) tall and is the largest.

SAND CAT

Sand Cat (Sahara, Gobi, Arabian, Turkestan) - welladapted to cope with the extremes of its environment - itsthick fur is of medium length and acts as insulationagainst the extreme cold of the desert nights and its feetand pads are covered with long hair which protect themfrom the heat of the desert surface and give it extrasupport needed in moving across the soft, shifting sands.

The sand cat is a relatively small, stocky cat withshort legs, a long tail, and large, pointed ears. Theyrange from 39 to 57 centimetres (15 to 22 in) inlength, plus a 23 to 31 centimetres (9.1 to 12 in) tail,and weigh from 1.4 to 3.4 kilograms (3.1 to 7.5 lb).

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