Desert Animals Adaptations To Conserve Water

Their extra-long ears help to transfer out excess heat from their body into the air.

Desert animals adaptations to conserve water. Animals such as the black-tailed jackrabbit Lepus californicus are also adapted to life in the desert. The kangaroo rat is known for its ability to conserve water in the dehydrating conditions of its dessert environment. For example cacti have enlarged stems to store water as well as spines to protect these water reserves from thirsty animals.

Water is used up in the coolingprocess and can quickly dehydrate even the most water retentive animal so most desert animals have adapted their behavior to avoid getting too hot. Since water is so scarce most desert animals get their water from the food they eat. The most animals small size use these strategies to adapt to the desert.

Nocturnal desert animals keep cool by being active at night whereas some other desert animals get away from the suns heat by digging underground burrows. Few animals have adapted to survive the hottest desert regions besides scorpions and small reptiles. Xerocoles are animals which adapt themselves to desert conditions.

Plants in deserts have adaptations to conserve water. Other common adaptations seen in desert animals include big ears light-colored coats humps to store fat and adaptations that help conserve water. Thus adaptations of desert animals are actually the adjustments to protect themselves against high temperatures to live without water and to conserve water as far as possible.

Plants in deserts have adaptations to conserve water. To do this they squeeze out every drop available to them and recycle it in their bodies. The main challenges xerocoles must overcome are lack of water and excessive heat.

A xerocole from Greek xēros ˈ z ɪ r oʊ s dry and Latin colere to inhabit is a general term referring to any animal that is adapted to live in a desert. Nocturnal animals avoid activity during the. Plant and animal bodies are made up of a number of complex biological processes which take place within a.