Extremely Rare Desert Creatures
Jackrabbits are hares, not rabbits. Large, pointy ears distinguish them. Their name was abbreviated because they had donkey-like ears.
The grey fox lives in U.S. deserts, including all four in the Southwest. Only they can climb trees. Gray foxes use trees for shelter, food storage, and bird roosting.
Hyenas are nocturnal, semi-desert creatures. They hide during the day and hunt at night using their senses of sight, smell, and sound.
Meerkats stand erect. They reside in tunnels with up to 50 other Meerkats. Sentries survey the terrain and inform the group of threats using different alarm cries.
Gila monsters are venomous, tree- and cactus-climbing lizards. They can smell high-up prey. Besides hunting, they live underground. They're from the southwestern U.S.
Camels' humps help them adapt to desert life with little water. Each hump stores 80 pounds of fat. When food is scarce, camels convert fat into energy and water.
Bighorn sheep are desert-adapted. They lose 20% of their weight after weeks without water. Dehydrated, they drink from grass, cacti, or rock puddles.
Greater Roadrunners may adjust body temperature to survive in the desert. In the morning, they warm up by extending their wings in the sun.
Desert iguanas are common in southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. Changing colour regulates body temperature. Mornings are darker to absorb sun's radiation