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Arabian oryx
In western Saudi Arabia, free-ranging oryx showed a wider daily swing in body temperature in dry periods. Letting the body warm during the day can delay the need to lose water through evaporation. The researchers found that lack of water explained the wider swing better than hotter air did.
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Namaqua sandgrouse
In the dry country of southern Africa, including the Namib, a male Namaqua sandgrouse can bring water back to chicks that cannot fly to a water hole. He soaks his belly feathers, whose fine structures hold water in flight. The chicks drink directly from those wet feathers.
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Dromedary
Dromedaries are domesticated camels used across deserts such as the Sahara. In experiments with dehydrated camels, their noses saved water in two ways. Outgoing air cooled, and the relatively dry nasal surfaces absorbed some moisture from it before the next breath.
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Merriam's kangaroo rat
During a year-long Mojave study, Merriam’s kangaroo rats still did not drink when rain briefly left water available. In summer they ate mostly creosote bush seeds. The researchers suggested that seeds cached in humid burrows had absorbed water from the air, making them less dry by the time the rats ate them.
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Fennec fox
In the Sahara, the fennec fox waits out the hottest part of the day underground and hunts at night. Moisture in its food helps it go for long periods without drinking. Its outsized ears are useful for hearing prey and can also release body heat.
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Desert iguana
A desert iguana in the Mojave can stay active in conditions that send many other lizards into shade. Field observations found that on cool mornings it can warm up in the entrance of its burrow before fully emerging. Above ground it changes its exposure to sun and shade to control body temperature.
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Greater roadrunner
In the Sonoran Desert, roadrunners get much of their water from the prey they catch. Cold nights pose a different problem. A bird can turn its back to the morning sun and lift its feathers, exposing a dark patch of skin that absorbs heat while it stays still.
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Western diamondback rattlesnake
Rain in the Sonoran Desert can give a western diamondback a drink. The snake flattens and coils its body, then drinks the drops that gather on it. Experiments on its back scales showed that drops cling to them instead of running straight off.
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Greater bilby
Greater bilbies in Australia’s Tanami Desert forage at night and spend the day underground. The long, deep burrows they dig buffer outside temperature swings. Digging gives them a place to retreat before the surface reaches its hottest point.
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Spinifex hopping mouse
This small native rodent is active at night in Australian deserts such as the Simpson. In a laboratory study, mice without drinking water eventually ate more dry food than mice that could drink. Producing water as they metabolized food helped them maintain body water.
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Desert pupfish
In the hot springs and shallow pools of the Colorado Desert, water can become warmer and saltier as it evaporates. Desert pupfish can tolerate water around 108°F and conditions with very little dissolved oxygen. That lets them live in pools where many other fish would struggle.
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Desert tortoise
Mojave desert tortoises can hold a reserve of water in the urinary bladder and draw on it between opportunities to drink. In hot and dry periods, spending more time underground also cuts water loss. The burrow and the stored water help them get through different parts of the same dry spell.
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Sonoran Desert Bighorn Sheep
In Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, researchers removed some artificial water sources to learn how local bighorn sheep would respond. In summer, females used areas with more cover from the heat after the removal. Choosing cooler spots can be part of getting through a period with fewer places to drink.
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