Life in the desert is challenging. There is very little water and it can be extremely hot during the day. To survive, desert animals have had to adapt. They use water more efficiently than animals that live in other climates and they have developed ways to keep themselves cool. Did you know that:

• Desert animals conserve water and keep cool by staying out of the sun. Some species, the coyote is one, are active at dawn and dusk. They are called crepuscular. Others, such as owls, are active only at night. These animals are nocturnal. Diurnals - animals active during the day - spend the peak heat hours in the shade. Other still spend most of their life asleep underground. Spadefoot toads hibernate for nine months each year!
• Some desert animals never drink. They get all the water they need from the food they eat. And one desert survivor, the kangaroo rat, makes its own water when it digests dry seeds.
• Like desert plants, desert animals have evolved to reduce the amount of heat they take in and reduce the amount of water they lose. Desert plants and birds are paler in color than their cold climate cousins and, therefore, absorb less heat through their fur, feathers, scales and skin. Some species, such as the jackrabbit, have elongated limbs (in this case ears) which allow them to release heat over a greater area.