When you think of ecosystems of great natural wealth, the first thing that comes to mind are large jungles and lush forests full of vegetation and abundant fauna. Undoubtedly, these places represent one of the natural spaces where life has evolved developing greater biodiversity. However, if we think of environments that seem less appropriate for life as deserts could, despite being places that may seem so inhospitable, we must bear in mind one thing: sometimes, appearances can be deceiving.
In fact, despite the first impression they may offer, deserts are environments that have their own richness of both flora and fauna and, depending on the region of the planet in which we are, we can discover some of the most important animal species. surprising and striking that exist. If you want to know a little more about desert animals, continue reading AgroCorrn and learn about various names of desert animals and their characteristics .
- Are there animals in the desert?
- Mammals that live in the desert
- Desert birds
- Reptiles that live in the desert
- Desert insects and arachnids
Index
Are there animals in the desert?
Despite what it may seem at first, deserts are places with an ecosystem that presents a variety of fauna much more abundant than could be imagined a priori. Naturally, these are animals that evolution has adapted to this type of environment and that, although they represent a small percentage of the total natural wealth of our planet, at the same time constitute a fauna perfectly adapted to the harsh desert climate , which that endows them with an incomparable value.
Another aspect that must be taken into account is that not all deserts are the same and, depending on the case and the continent in which they are located, the native fauna will be of one type or another. In this way, you will be able to find animals of many types, from some large mammals and birds, through reptiles, to smaller animals such as insects and arachnids.
Mammals that live in the desert
Both camels and dromedaries are undoubtedly the largest and most recognizable mammals that inhabit deserts. In both cases, they are animals adapted to these climates and that have humps that serve to store fat and have an extra energy deposit.
On the other hand, in the deserts of Australia, you can find different species of kangaroos that, in addition to being one of the symbols of this country, is also one of the large mammals that is best adapted to desert spaces.
Beyond these large mammals, we can also find other smaller ones, such as canids :
- Coyotes
- Desert foxes
- Jackals
- Fennec foxes
- The dingoes
Likewise, there are also a large number of small rodents such as:
- Desert mice
- The desert rabbit
- Kangaroo Rats
- Gerbils
- The meerkats or meerkats
Of course, there are many more species of mammals that live in the desert, such as the oryx, the dorcas gazelle or bats .
Desert birds
In the case of birds, we find some species that are well adapted to desert environments. In these cases, the feathers serve as a thermal insulator, both during the day to protect themselves from the heat, and at night to protect them from the cold. One of the best known examples is the roadrunner , a small brownish-colored bird that blends well with the hues of the desert.
But the roadrunner is not the only bird that can be found in some of the hottest deserts on the planet. Other good examples would be some very small birds, such as some species of hummingbird , and others that would be among the largest birds on the planet, such as the red-necked ostrich , which inhabits some regions of the Sahara desert.
Reptiles that live in the desert
We continue talking about desert animals focusing now on reptiles . Reptiles are animals that have been known to adapt especially well to the desert regions of the entire planet. You can find a wide variety of snakes and snakes, some of which are among the most poisonous in the world, such as the American rattlesnake , or the Egyptian cobra or asp.
However, snakes and snakes are not the only reptiles that inhabit deserts , since these places are also home to some species of lizards, lizards and even turtles. A good example is the case of the Mojave desert tortoise , which is also a species whose conservation status is threatened. Another example, in this case from the deserts of Australia, is the pogona or bearded dragon .
Desert insects and arachnids
However, despite the fact that the desert is home to mammals, birds and reptiles, without a doubt, the types of fauna that are most abundant in these places are those constituted by the families of insects and arachnids . In fact, these are animals that we can find in abundance even in deserts that have the most extreme conditions, which makes them the main representatives of desert fauna despite their small size.
Regarding insects , we can talk about ants, fleas, flying insects or beetles of many species among others. While, in the case of arachnids , there is a great variety of spiders of various types and sizes. An example is the camel spider , which is especially poisonous and is found throughout North Africa. Likewise, beyond spiders, scorpions and scorpions also deserve special mention , which are another class of arachnids that, for the most part, are also counted as one of the most poisonous animals in the desert.
After learning about desert animals, we encourage you to explore this topic further with this other post about the Desert Ecosystem: characteristics, flora and fauna .
If you want to read more articles similar to Desert animals: characteristics and names , we recommend that you enter our Wild Animals category .
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