Fun Facts (Random Chapter Topics)

Objects Found In Desert Country 10...

Taking A Snooze
A Desert Kangaroo rat sleeps in its burrow on the Mojave Desert of California. Kangaroo rats are solitary except in the breeding season. They seal their burrows during the day so that the moisture in the air they breathe out is trapped in the burroe. This keeps the burrow humid, so less moisture is lost from the body by evaporation from the nose and mouth.

Spiny Mice have stiff spine-like hairs mixed with their fur. The stiff hairs make them a little less edible, and they can erect these hairs to look larger. But their ability to shed their tails may be a greater defense: a predator grabbing a spiny mouse by its tail will be left with the tail in ifs mouth while the mouse gets away.

Spiny mice are active in the early mornings and late evenings as well as at night. They live in rocky areas.

Many of the larger desert mammals, such as desert hedgehogs and foxes spend the heat of the day in burrows, coming out at night to search for food. Even the dorcas animals'  burrows during exceptionally hot weather. Members of the cat family living in deserts often hunt at night, sheltering in rocky lairs or in any available shade during the day. Whatever the weather, meerkats are active during the day but dive into their burrows when predators approach.