Animals of the Desert
Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 10:02 am
The desert areas of the Emirates provide evidence of a surprising wealth of animal life, although it’s likely you’ll see only a small proportion of the animals. While there’s an interesting diversity of species, the numbers within each species are generally small. Also, many are nocturnal, hiding during the day in caves, in the sand and beneath stones, and are therefore seldom seen.
Foxes may be seen in the mountains and even near urban settlements. Among the smaller mammals that inhabit the sandy desert, gerbils, and in particular three-toed gerbils, are noteworthy. They are nocturnal and their tracks can be observed in the sand in the early morning, possibly along with the tracks of the predatory sand cat, now rare. Still relatively common in nearly all environments are hares and the Ethiopian and Brandt’s hedgehog.
Animals in the desert have adapted to a harsh environment of high temperatures and very little water—and avoid extreme conditions—by making various anatomical adjustments. They use water incredibly sparingly and get their moisture requirements by licking at early-morning dew, from the blood of their prey or by eating desert-plant foods with a high water content.
Some species, including mammals such as the jerboa, are able to obtain sufficient moisture through their food. Other species are able to survive dry periods in stages of latent life. Some butterflies, for example, may wait for several years as pupae for the next rain, while small freshwater crabs, whose eggs remain in hard cysts for years, appear fully-grown in small puddles of water a few days after rain has fallen.
Foxes may be seen in the mountains and even near urban settlements. Among the smaller mammals that inhabit the sandy desert, gerbils, and in particular three-toed gerbils, are noteworthy. They are nocturnal and their tracks can be observed in the sand in the early morning, possibly along with the tracks of the predatory sand cat, now rare. Still relatively common in nearly all environments are hares and the Ethiopian and Brandt’s hedgehog.
Animals in the desert have adapted to a harsh environment of high temperatures and very little water—and avoid extreme conditions—by making various anatomical adjustments. They use water incredibly sparingly and get their moisture requirements by licking at early-morning dew, from the blood of their prey or by eating desert-plant foods with a high water content.
Some species, including mammals such as the jerboa, are able to obtain sufficient moisture through their food. Other species are able to survive dry periods in stages of latent life. Some butterflies, for example, may wait for several years as pupae for the next rain, while small freshwater crabs, whose eggs remain in hard cysts for years, appear fully-grown in small puddles of water a few days after rain has fallen.
