Hobbies And Interests
Evading Heat
During the hottest parts of the day, many desert animals hide under burrows or dens. Animals such as the fennec fox, skunks, bats and most rodents come out at night, while crepuscular desert animals, such as the Gila monster, rattlesnakes, bobcats and coyotes, are mostly active during dusk and dawn when temperatures are lower. Animals such as the round-tailed ground squirrel can estivate during the very hot and dry days, whereas spade-foot toads can spend nine months under sandy soil.
Extracting Heat
As desert animals are constantly exposed to hot temperatures, certain desert animals can regulate their body temperature to stay cool even on the hottest days. There are animals that also can dissipate heat by having long appendages, small bodies or pale fur, scales, feathers or skin. Likewise, vultures and turkeys urinate on their legs, a process called "urohydrosis," to cool their blood, which eventually circulates all over the body.
Absorbing and Preserving Water
Desert animals can undergo simple and complex biological processes to get and store water in their body. Some scavengers obtain their liquid requirements by eating from succulent plants or animals. There are rodents with specialized kidneys that have tubes to extract water from urine. The camel, one of the largest desert animals, can process water through the fatty tissues in its humps, and kangaroo rats produce water in the course of digesting dry seeds.
Camouflage
An animal's coloration plays a distinct role in being able to hide so as to not get eaten, as well as to hide when hunting prey. Many desert animals have a "sandy" appearance. Once of the most notable desert creatures to blend with the sand is the sidewinder rattlesnake, which moves in a distinctive sideways pattern with its body winding in an S-shaped curve.