Hedgehogs are nocturnal and roll into a ball for sleep and self-defense. This tactic depends on quill availability, therefore desert hedgehogs with fewer quills are more likely to escape or attack.
These Tortoises reside in the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico deserts. In the summer, the earth can reach 140 degrees, so they build subterranean burrows to avoid the sun.
During summer droughts, crocodiles dig burrows in riverbanks or lakes and hibernate for many periods, waking up when the rains return. Cold-blooded and unable to create heat, they also hibernate in cooler temperatures.
When water and food are scarce, snails hide in their shells. They're solitary until they decide to mate, at which point they'll find the first suitable mate and then part ways.
Burrowing and storing water and food in fatty tails helps them control body heat in the desert. Largest U.S. reptile is the Gila Monster. They're in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts in the US and Mexico.
Salamanders wrap in slime to avoid dehydration during droughts. They can survive a week to a year in muck. Salamanders are amphibians with permeable skin that require chilly, moist habitats.
When soils dry, earthworms go into estivation, wrapping their bodies into a tight knot and secreting a protective mucus. Earthworms manage soil health and aerate the ground, helping plants thrive.
Ladybugs devour aphids and scale. Ladybugs lay eggs in insect colonies for food. The summer sun destroys the ladybug's food source, therefore they hibernate.