ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS In desert

• Among the desert animals, the few amphibian species are capable of long-term dormancy during dry periods.
• When the rains come, they mature rapidly, mate, and lay eggs.
• Many birds and rodents reproduce only during or following periods of winter rain that stimulate the growth of vegetation.
• Some desert rodents, such as the North American kangaroo rat and the African gerbil, feed on dry seeds; their metabolic processes are extremely efficient at conserving and recycling water, and their urine is highly concentrated.
• A number of desert mammals, such as the camel, are able to withstand considerable dehydration. Most desert mammals and reptiles are nocturnal, remaining in cool underground burrows or in the shade by day.
• Some desert reptiles, such as the horned toad, can control their metabolic heat production by varying their rate of heartbeat and the rate of body metabolism.
• Some mammals, among them the desert oryx, vary their body temperatures, storing heat by day and releasing it at night.