Adaptation of living organisms in the desert environment

Karim Ahmed Al-Husseini

The property of adapting living organisms in the desert environment is one of the most prominent ways in which living organisms are born and helps them adapt to the natural environment in order to maintain life in their own habitat, and through the Lahzat News website, we show you the manifestations of animal adaptation to the desert environment while learning about the characteristics of desert environments.

1- Staying away from heat

Animals and birds have many characteristics that they use in the event of exposure to different things, including exposure to different temperatures, and it is possible to learn through an example of a hummingbird that begins to reproduce in late winter, and when temperatures rise, it begins to leave.

While the activity of reptiles and other animals increases when temperatures rise, which explains the difference in the characteristics of animals.

2- Heat loss

Animals that live in the desert environment use many characteristics that help them get rid of excess heat in the body, and the ability to provide air around their bodies, as camels that live in the desert have a mass of fur on the abdomen, which enables them to get rid of excess heat.

Owls and rocks have flight characteristics through which they get rid of excess heat, in addition to leaving their mouths open to get rid of water vapor.

3- Water retention

Some animals have water retention characteristics in the body that enable them to deal with high temperatures, such as camels, which have the ability to retain water inside the hump, which enables them to remain without water for a long time. There are also some types of birds that secrete a white liquid or saliva that helps them maintain the amount of water in their bodies.

4- Water extraction

There are some desert plants that derive water from plants, such as the cactus plant, and there are some types of insects that obtain water through the stems of different plants to be able to continue living.

Characteristics of desert environments

Within the framework of identifying the aspects of animal adaptation to the desert environment, we can identify the climatic characteristics that desert environments have, which are evident through the following:

• Desert areas are considered completely dry areas with high temperatures during the day, low temperatures at night, and high humidity.

• It contains seasonal desert rains.

• It has strong and high winds in various regions.

• It has very large amounts of solar radiation.

• The desert environment lacks food and agriculture in large part due to the scarcity of water in it.

• Desert environments are considered very dry sandy environments.

• The lands of the desert environment lack organic carbon and nitrogen

At the end of the article, we have learned about the aspects of animal adaptation to the desert environment that enable them to live in the environment by enjoying the different characteristics and capabilities that help them get rid of the harsh climate in the desert environment and its lack of all aspects of life.