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A xerocole (from Greek xēros / ˈ z ɪ r oʊ s / 'dry' and Latin col(ere) 'to inhabit'), [2] [3] [4] is a general term referring to any animal that is adapted to live in a desert. The main challenges xerocoles must overcome are lack of water and excessive heat. To conserve water they avoid evaporation and concentrate excretions (i.e. urine and ...
The dorcas gazelle stands about 55–65 cm (1.8–2.1 feet) at the shoulder, with a head and body length of 90–110 cm (3–3.5 feet) and a weight of 15–20 kg (33–44 pounds). The numerous subspecies survive on vegetation in grassland, steppe, wadis, mountain desert and in semidesert climates of Africa and Arabia. About 35,000–40,000 ...
The rhim gazelle or rhim (from Arabic غزال الريم) (Gazella leptoceros), also known as the slender-horned gazelle, African sand gazelle or Loder's gazelle, is a pale-coated gazelle with long slender horns and well adapted to desert life. It is considered an endangered species because fewer than 2500 are left in the wild.
Jerboas that live in sandy desert environments develop hairs on the bottom of their feet that allow for better traction and grip so that they don't slip in the sand. [5] Like other bipedal animals, their foramen magnum—the hole at the base of the skull—is forward-shifted, which enhances two-legged locomotion. [6]
Desert elephants at the dried up Huab River in Namibia Female spraying sand to keep cool while standing guard over her calf, Damaraland, Namibia. Desert elephants or desert-adapted elephants are not a distinct species of elephant but are African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana) that have made their homes in the Namib and Sahara deserts in Africa.
If an animal’s physiology, diet, or other characteristics don’t allow it to stay warm and/or find sufficient food during the winter, an additional set of survival strategies help these species ...
It is the smallest gray wolf subspecies and a specialized xerocole (arid-adapted) animal that normally lives in smaller familial packs. Arabian wolves are omnivorous and opportunistic eaters; they consume small to medium-sized prey, from insects, reptiles and birds to rodents and small ungulates , such as young Nubian ibex and several species ...
The skies are teeming, too: a southern desert shrike, a bird that impales its prey upon spiky branches, oil-black desert ravens and even a critically endangered Egyptian vulture. But most common ...