Arid Animals and Shore life

 

Arid Animals

Are there animals in the desert?

 Deserts are very dry and hot too. Less animals are found here. Insects, spiders, scorpions, lizards and snakes have adapted themselves to these harsh conditions.

What helps the camel survive in the desert?

The camel's feet have two joined toes to stop the feet sinking into the soft sand, or snow, in the cause of the Bactrian camel of central Asia. It can shut its nostrils during stand storms. Heavy eyebrows and two rows of long lashes protect its eyes. A camel has a huge stomach for taking in lots of grass and water when it is available.

What is the use of a camel's hump?

The camels hump is made of fat. It acts like a huge food store. The fat can be broken down within the body and changed to energy and water, whenever food and water is scare.

Ship of the desert

The camel with its long neck and big hump make it the desert's most distinctive animal. The hump on its back for storing water. A camel's skin has no sweat glands to cut down on the moisture loss.

Predatory cat

The desert has its own predatory cat - the sand cat. It is fairly small. It can survive in the hot desert only by hunting at night.

How does a kangaroo rate save water?

The kangaroo rat gets its name from its big hind legs. It can last even in California's Death Valley because it gets its water from the fats the fats in its food and saves water by eating its own droppings.

The burrowers

Many small animals deal with the desert heat by resting in burrows or taking refuge under the stones during the day. They only come out to feed in the night. The fennec fox has an added feature-big ears to help it keep cool by radiating heat.

Are birds found in the desert?

Only a few birds live in the deserts. Among them is the sand grouse. It resets under the bushes during the day, and then flies hundreds of kilometer at night to watery places. It soaks up water in its breast feathers to protect the young ones from the sun.

What do vultures eat?

Vultures are scavengers. They feed on animals that have died or have been killed by other animals. Their strong claws and beaks are for tearing carcasses apart. Each species feeds on a different parts of the carcass. The small Egyptian vulters have finished eating before diving in.

Bearded vultures

Bearded vultures gather to feed around the carcasses of death animals. They get their name from the clump of black bristles under their beaks; the carcass is an antelope.

Shore life

What kind of creatures can you find on the seashore?

Water is continuously moving up and down the seashore as waves roll up and down. Therefore, creatures living on the seashore have to be well-adapted to survive these periods. The seashore, then, has its own special creatures like the crabs, anemones and a range of shellfish such as the barnacles and limpets.

Rock pools

Rock pools are found at seashores. They are full of all kinds of sea creatures.

What are rock pools?

Rock pools are pools of seawater on the seashore rocks as the tide goes out. They can get so warm and salty in the sunshine that they have their own special range of creatures, including shrimps, hermit crabs, fish like blennies and gobies, anemones and sea slugs.

Puffin and guillemot

A number of birds live by the sea. They feed on the seashore or dive for fish in the sea. Most have webbed feet for swimming, waterproof plumage and sharp bill for gripping fish. The puffin's big colorful beak can hold up to 71 fish at once. Puffins live in burrows on cliff tops. The guillemots nest in big, closely-packed colonies on narrow cliff ledges.

Which creatures are found on the beaches?

Beaches or sandy shores offer a wide range of creatures. They can be found in burrows to escape the drying wind and sun, and also from starving predators. The creatures. They can be found in burrows to escape the drying wind and sun, and also from starving predators. The creatures, including shrimps, hermit crabs, fish like blennies and gobies, anemones and sea slugs.

Which creatures are found on the beaches?

Beaches or sandy shores offer a wide range of creatures. They can be found in burrows to escape the drying wind and sun, and also from starving predators. The creatures include razor clams, lugworms, sea cucumbers, small crabs and burrowing sea anemones. Some filter food from the seawater while others eat tiny particles from the sand. Sand hoppers might also be seen along the high tide line. They look like tiny yellow wood lice feeding on rotting seaweed.

What creature looks like a red blob of jelly?

The beadle anemones looks just like a blob or red jelly. They have several rings of tentacles around the mouth. They use these tentacles to trap small creatures to feed on. They are look a bit a bit like flowers. They are carnivorous animals.

What are mollusks?

Mollusks are a large group of creatures including the slugs and snails, clams and oysters, octopuses and squids. Generally, they live in water or damp places. They are typically soft, mushy creatures. The octopuses and squids are protected by their stinging tentacles while the shellfish tentacles while the shellfish and snails by their shells.