ANIMALS Although at first glance the desert seems to have little in the way of wildlife, it actually contains large, diverse popu- lations. The desert environment may seem an unlikely place for animals to thrive or even exist. However, desert ani- mals have adapted to their environment, and each fills an important niche in the desert ecosystem. ANIMALS ANIMALS and other small animals they eat. estivate to avoid this scarcity of food. Beating The Heat Kangaroo rats and pocket mice get The activities in this section have esert animals have developed a much of the moisture they need from been designed to teach children about D variety of strategies for thriving their diet of dry seeds. Seeds stored in the animals of the Mojave Desert. All in a land of extremes. One of the most their humid burrows absorb moisture animals except one have developed common is to be active only at night, from the air. Animals utilize this moisture techniques for dealing with the often when the desert is coolest. Animals when the seeds are eaten. Kangaroo harsh desert environment. Humans, mostly active after dark are called rats also chemically manufacture water instead of adapting to the environment, nocturnal. Foraging for food and water (called metabolic water) from dry seeds often try to adapt the environment to at night also allows animals to use the as they are being digested. meet their needs. These activities will dark for protection from predators. Since Desert bighorn sheep get some of the give students ideas of what they can many desert animals are nocturnal, the moisture they need from what they eat, do to help protect the fragile desert desert may seem empty to those of us but they also have to drink water. In the ecosystem and an understanding of why who travel through during the day — all desert, water is usually found in springs it is important to do so. we see of many desert dwellers are the or rivers and occasionally in ponds and tracks they leave behind. rock pools after a rain. Because these Some desert animals are active only animals rely on this water, their territory in the early morning and at twilight. is limited. They can’t wander too far from Activity 1 Lizards, snakes, rodents, and insects reliable water sources. seek shelter in cool, humid burrows Camouflaged or shade themselves under rocks and bushes. Owls survive by being nocturnal, Sleeping Through It Critters eagles by soaring high above the earth nother method used by some OBJECTIVES: List two ways animals use where temperatures are much cooler. Adesert animals to avoid drought and camouflage to their benefit. Describe the Phainopeplas (a bird) use a different heat is to sleep through it, just as some difficulty predators have when searching method of dealing with the summer heat; cold-climate animals hibernate through for food (camouflaged animals). Name two they migrate to cooler climates when it the winter. This dry, hot weather sleep is common Mojave Desert animals that use starts to warm up. called estivation. camouflage as an adaptation for survival. Because of their large ears, jackrabbits One well-known desert estivator is MATERIALS: Flagging tape, modeling and mule deer have the ability to radiate the spadefoot toad. Spadefoot toads clay, pictures of camouflaged animals heat. Blood vessels in their ears are can survive in underground burrows (especially those native to the Mojave located just under the skin, and air for months or even years, covered with Desert). flowing around them cools the blood. a jelly-like substance that keeps them This cooled blood circulates through the moist. They come out of estivation when SUBJECTS: Art, language arts, science. rest of the body, picking up more heat heavy raindrops cause vibrations in the SKILLS: Application, comparison, to carry to the ears for “disposal.” Ants, earth that wake them. They will then dig description, invention, observation, beetles, and lizards reduce the amount to the surface, find a mate, and lay eggs writing. of heat they absorb by straightening out in the pools created by the rains. The their legs as they walk across the hot toads then burrow back into the ground METHOD: Students will compare pictures desert terrain. and estivate until it rains again. The of insects, animals, and birds. They tadpoles that hatch from the eggs must will observe the benefits of shape and grow quickly, before the pools dry up. protective coloring. They will then create Drinking What Only a few survive to adulthood. a camouflaged critter. You Eat Some animals estivate not only Animals are adapted to their because of heat and dryness, but environment in order to survive. For o animal can survive for long because of a shortage of food. Plants and instance, a horned lizard is usually the N without water. Wood rats get their other sources of food tend to die back same color as the ground it lives on, a water by eating juicy cacti and other in the hottest and driest part of the year. desert side-blotched lizard is colored to plants that contain moisture. Snakes get Some desert rodents, spiders, and snails look like the plants it lives on, and many the moisture they need from the mice UNIT VII–2 UNIT VII–3 ANIMALS ANIMALS snakes use their coloring as camouflage when they rest in the shade of bushes. Often, animals adapt to changes in GLOSSARY their habitats by using camouflage to adapt — to fit in, to be suited for mimicry — a form of protective avoid predators. Camouflage gives the getting the things needed for survival. coloration, or acting, in which an organism the ability to blend with its adaptation — special tools for animal closely resembles another kind surroundings. survival, physical or behavioral of animal or object in its environment. 1. Introduce or review the concept of characteristics that make an organism The animal being mimicked usually has adaptation. Show students pictures of more suited to its environment. toxin which causes predators to avoid desert animals that use camouflage as it. By imitating the toxic animal, the biological community — all of the other animal may avoid getting eaten. an adaptation for survival. Have students living things, both plants and animals, brainstorm types of camouflage and the living in a particular environment, niche — an organism’s special function benefits of this adaptation. working together to fulfill their within its environment. 2. Mark off two different areas outside individual needs. predation — the natural act of animals with flagging tape. Make the two areas a camouflage — an adaptation which that kill other animals for food. short distance apart. Separate the class enables an organism to blend with its predator — any animal which hunts into two groups and assign each group environment. live animals for its food. an area. ecosystem — the interaction of the suitable arrangement — when those 3. Pass out a small ball of clay to biological community (all living things) things necessary for survival (food, each student. Instruct the students to and the physical environment (water, water, shelter, space) are accessible, go to their area and create camouflaged air, minerals). adequate in quantity, and in keeping critters with their balls of clay by using with the biological lifestyle of a species. fallen sticks, leaves, or bits of gravel. environment — all those factors, Instruct the students to create critters both living and non-living, which make territoriality — a behavior pattern in that blend with their environment. Give up the surroundings of an organism. animals consisting of the occupation them about fifteen minutes to work. habitat — the place where a plant and defense of a living space. or animal lives, an organism’s home. 4. Have group one place their critters Provides food, water, shelter, and in area one. Make sure to tell them they space in a suitable arrangement. cannot hide the critters. They must be camouflaged in their surroundings. Give them about five minutes to place their 6. Call time after ten minutes and 8. Remove sticks or rocks from the critters. At the same time, have group have both groups display their food in clay and return those items to their two place their critters in area two. Be a designated area. Hold a viewing party, natural setting. sure to emphasize that neither group can asking students to see if their clay critter watch where the other group is placing EXTENDING THE EXPERIENCE: was found. its critters. Students can write about the experience 7. Travel in a group to the and what they learned about camouflage. 5. Ask both groups to step away from undiscovered critters. Discuss with their area. Inform the students that they students why some critters were found have magically turned into birds and and others were not. What special must now find food. Ask them to hold trait or habitat helped camouflage the one cupped hand on their stomach (to critters? What animals in the Mojave hold their food). Two fingers on their Desert use camouflage as an adaptation other hand become their beak. Group for survival? Can you think of any other one will now have to find food (the types of adaptations? camouflaged critters) in area two, group two in area one. Count to three for the food search to begin. UNIT VII–2 UNIT VII–3 ANIMALS ANIMALS Activity 2 Activity 3 EXTENDING THE EXPERIENCE: Have students create posters or bumper The Comforts Of Desert Homes stickers that support preservation of desert animals’ homes. Have students Home Bingo choose a natural area in or near the OBJECTIVES: Examine and list the OBJECTIVES: Identify three different schoolyard to adopt and improve as minimum requirements for human life.