Features and Examples (with images)

We explain everything about the animals that live in the desert, some examples and the main characteristics of these animals.

Desert animals are part of the amazing fauna of our planet.

What are the desert animals?

Deserts are fairly common ecoregions on our planet, which can occur in hot climates (hot deserts) and cold climates (icy deserts), characterized by their brutal shortage of moisture, where rains are very occasional or null, and the soil is therefore dry, dry, hard.This does not prevent, however, that fauna and flora exist in them, that is, desert plants and animals adapted to such harsh conditions of existence .

Contrary to what was once thought, desert animals are not scarce, although they are very diverse , especially when compared to the enormous variety of creatures that inhabit other regions such as jungles and forests.This is because desert vegetation has few water resources to abound, so it grows at a slower pace, usually without foliage, thus providing animals with few opportunities to , among other things, protect yourself from sunlight and saw then, the latter being an important source of erosion.

Desert animals are part of the amazing fauna of our planet and suffer from the effects of climate change and pollution as much as any other being I live from any other habitat, since over millions of years they have adapted to current living conditions.This is despite the fact that in the deserts, luckily for them, human life is truly scarce.

Let's see what some of them are:

The camels

The hump of the camel has essential fats to maintain body energy.

The camels are iconic animals of the desert habitat.They are very well adapted to the harsh living conditions of these spaces, can take suddenly about 180 liters of water , and then spend up to 10 days without tasting a drop .

They have a characteristic hump in the middle of the loin, which can be single (dromedary) or double (Bactrian camel).Such a hump, contrary to what is thought, is not a reserve of water, but of essential fats for maintain body energy.It is an animal designed to withstand long walks , which is why it was used as a beast of burden by the inhabitants of the Saharan desert and its adjacencies.

The scorpions

Scorpions surprise their prey by injecting venom with the stinger in their tails.

The food chain in the deserts is much more desperate than in other habitats, given that species are not abundant and predators do not usually have second This is why hunters such as scorpions have evolved to surprise their prey and inject their venom with the sting they have in their tails, or holding them with the sturdy frontal pliers they possess.the desert biome, among which are some of the most poisonous species known.

The rattlesnake

Rattlesnake venom is the most dangerous of all North American snakes.

Common in American desert climates, although its preferred habitat is coastal and forest, this snake is well known to the sound it produces with its tail , at the end of which it has a rattle, from which its name comes.

In an auspicious environment, a rattle can grow up to 2.5 meters long and 4 kg in weight .Its potent hemotoxic venom is the most dangerous of all North American snakes.

The Dingo dog

The Dingo dog is a subspecies of wolf.

This type of northern Australian canine is a real threat to children and domestic species, since despite being a desert dweller, usually approach urban areas in search of food .

This is a subspecies of wolf, with yellowish fur and characteristics similar to modern dogs .Most of their lives are lived alone, but from time to time herds are formed whose purpose is to socialize and reproduce.

The Sahara Ostrich

The Sahara ostrich is a critically endangered animal.

Also known as a red-necked ostrich, it is a common inhabitant of the steppes and deserts of North Africa. It is the most robust of all subspecies of ostrich , the one that best supports the absence of water and the one that can run faster.

Its name comes from the coloration rosacea of ​​its neck and its legs, but the rest of its fur is black with white trim on the tip of the wings.It is, however, an animal critically threatened with extinction , of which only a few copies remain.

The coyote

Coyotes live for about 6 years.

Famous for its appearance in cartoons, the coyote is a predatory song of the deserts of North America , as well as Central America.

Coyotes are particularly solitary animals, live around 6 years and have a gray coat that covers a particularly slender body, which at first sight seems malnourished.However, its diet is omnivore, being able to eat fruits, carrona, small species , trash and small insects.

Characteristics of desert animals

Many animals hide under the sand looking for the freshness of the depths.

Desert animals have developed over millions of years of evolution physical, biochemical or behavioral abilities that allow them to survive and reproduce in a habitat as challenging as the desert.It is, as it was said, little varied and not abundant compared to other terrestrial ecosystems, and consists mainly of insects, arachnids, reptiles, birds and some mammals, generally of little size.

Many of these animals have nocturnal habits, when the sun goes down and temperatures drop considerably, so they hide during the day, in the most abundant vegetation (cacti and shrubs) or under the sand itself, looking for the freshness of the depths.It is also usual that they have insulating layers to protect themselves from the sun and desiccation, or water reserves in various body organs to spend long periods without drinking.

Given the low abundance of organic matter, the predominance of carnivorous and carroneros animals is noticeable ; and in the case of herbivores, nomadic, wandering packs.

See also: Wild animals

Examples of warm desert animals

Below is a list of warm desert animals:

• Bactrian camel ( Camelus bactrianus )


• Dromedary ( Camelus dromedarius )


• Red-necked ostrich ( Struthio camelus camelus )


• Roadrunner bird ( Geococcyx californianus )


• African Dorcas Gazelle ( Dorcas Gazella )


• Coyote ( Canis latrans )


• Australian Dingo ( Canis lupus dingo )


• American black vulture ( Coragyps atratus )


• Adax ( Addax nasomaculatus )


• Fat-tailed scorpion ( Androctonus australis )


• Yellow Palestinian scorpion ( Leiurus quinquestriatus )


• Emperor Scorpion ( Pandinus imperator )


• Armadillo lizard ( Ouroborus cataphractus )


• Thorny Devil ( Moloch horridus )


• Mojave Desert Turtle ( Gopherus agassizii )


• Mojave Rattlesnake ( Crotalus scutulatus )


• Egyptian cobra ( Naja haje )


• Camel Arana ( Gluvia dorsalis )


• Common Vulture ( Aegypius monachus )


• Desert Woodpecker ( Melanerpes uropygialis )


• Desert thicket ( Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus )


• Sonora Owl ( Tyto alba )


• Owl Faraon ( Bubo ascalaphus )


• Western Desert Tarantula ( Aphonopelma chalcodes )


• Namibia Beetle ( Stenocara gracilipes )


• Tarantulas hunting wasp ( Pepsis formosa )


• Murcielago norteno ( Eptesicus nilsonii )


• Red kangaroo ( Macropus rufus )


• Desert iguana ( Dipsosaurus dorsal )


• Puma or American lion ( Condoming Puma )


• Desert rat ( Psammomys obesus )


• Antelope Hare ( Lepus alleni )


• Eared fox ( Otocyon megalotis )


• Fenec ( Vulpes zerda )


• Cape fox ( Vulpes chama )


• Salinera Laucha ( Salinomys delicatus )

In the case of icy deserts or polar deserts, wildlife is much scarcer, and tends to live in regions near the sea.

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