Items13The creator’s order
  1. 1Arabian oryxArabian oryxIn 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.0
  2. 2Namaqua sandgrouseNamaqua sandgrouseIn 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.0
  3. 3DromedaryDromedaryDromedaries 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.0
  4. 4Merriam's kangaroo ratMerriam's kangaroo ratDuring 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…0
  5. 5Fennec foxFennec foxIn 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.0
  6. 6Desert iguanaDesert iguanaA 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.0
  7. 7Greater roadrunnerGreater roadrunnerIn 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.0
  8. 8Western diamondback rattlesnakeWestern diamondback rattlesnakeRain 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.0
  9. 9Greater bilbyGreater bilbyGreater 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.0
  10. 10Spinifex hopping mouseSpinifex hopping mouseThis 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.0