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Most small xerocoles live in burrows to avoid the desert heat. [29] The burrows act as microenvironments: when they are deeper than 50–60 cm (20–24 in) below the surface, they maintain humidity and temperatures between 30 and 32 °C (86 and 90 °F), regardless of external weather. [13] [30] Some animals seal their burrows to keep them moist.
The round-tailed ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus tereticaudus), known as "Ardillón cola redonda" in Spanish, live in the desert of the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. They are called "ground squirrels" because they burrow in loose soil, often under mesquite trees and creosote bushes.
For animals that burrow by compressing soil, the work required increases exponentially with body diameter. In amphisbaenians , an ancient group of burrowing lizard-like squamates, specializations include the pennation of the longissimus dorsi , the main muscle associated with burrowing, to increase muscle cross-sectional area .
A naked mole-rat living at the Lincoln Children's Zoo was the first animal to be photographed for the National Geographic project, The Photo Ark, which has the goal of photographing all species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries around the globe in order to inspire action to save wildlife.
Desert tortoises spend most of their lives in burrows, rock shelters, and pallets to regulate body temperature and reduce water loss. Burrows are tunnels dug into soil by desert tortoises or other animals, rock shelters are spaces protected by rocks and/or boulders, and pallets are depressions in the soil.
The desert spadefoot toad (Notaden nichollsi) is a species of frog in the family Limnodynastidae. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland , subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland , intermittent freshwater marshes , hot deserts , and temperate desert.
It sometimes wanders above the surface where traces of several animals have been found. While most evidence indicates that it does this seldom and moves just a few meters before burrowing back underground, on some occasions multiple tracks were found suggesting that one or more animals have moved above ground for several hours.
This animal has a body length (including the head) of between 4 and 26 cm (1.6 to 10 in.), with an additional 7 – 30 cm (2.75 to 12 in.) of tail, which is always longer than the full body. Jerboa dental records reveal a slow increase in crown heights and that corresponds to a more open and dryer ecosystem.