Meet Our Hottest Desert Dwellers!
By Noah Eisengrein (article & photos)
It’s no secret that this summer has been HOT. We may sometimes feel like we’re living in a desert as we sweat through blazing sunshine and highs near 100 degrees, but we can always turn to a variety of tools to help us beat the heat. Luxuries like easily accessible food, water, ice, and air conditioning are all things that animals could only dream of while living in deserts. The desert is a very tough place to live, so the animals that reside there need to have some very specific and special adaptations to help them survive. Luckily for us at Echoes of Nature, we have a number of desert-dwelling ambassadors that can help us learn more about what some of those adaptations are. Today we’ll learn about three of them: the bearded dragon, the leopard gecko, and the Kenyan sand boa.
The bearded dragon is a natural resident of Australia, though they have come to be a very common pet in the United States. We may have an idea in our heads of what a bearded dragon is, but did you know that there are actually a number of different “beardie” species? A member of the genus Pogona, these species may sometimes present differently in terms of size, color, and other details of their physical appearance, but there are many characteristics that are shared by all beardies.
Bearded dragons can grow to be nearly two feet long and live for 7-10 years in captivity (the record is 18!). These lizards can be found across all corners of Australia, with different species being found in different regions. They live a semi-arboreal lifestyle, meaning they can sometimes be found on the ground and other times in the trees. They love to flatten their bodies and bask in the sunlight and are expert heat regulators. Basking in areas sometimes over 100 degrees will help them store heat, and “gaping” - in which they sit with their mouths open and let moisture evaporate - helps to cool them down. Their coloration often reflects that of their environment, making camouflage an easy and important tool for their protection. Another such tool is the spikes which line the sides of their bodies and faces, making for a less-than-appealing meal.
Bearded dragons are nearly noiseless animals, so they rely heavily on body language to help them communicate something about the way they feel. We would be remiss not to mention their namesake - their beard! The iconic “beard” on these lizards is actually a spiny flap of skin that they will push forward or “puff up” as a form of communication under certain circumstances. They may puff their beard in an attempt to ward off a predator or other perceived threat, or they may do it to attract a mate. If this doesn’t work as a threat, they may resort to plan B: a nasty bite. Other displays of body language include waving their forearms at each other as a way to show that they don’t plan on being aggressive and bobbing their head or body up and down in a motion similar to push-ups in a display of dominance. As far as the animal kingdom goes, perhaps these desert dwellers would be excellent at charades.
While we’re on the subject of lovely lizards, let’s talk about another one - the leopard gecko. Leopard geckos are surrounded by the arid, rocky cliffs of eastern Iran, southeastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, northwestern India and southwestern China. Another popular pet, they may live up to 20 years in captivity, but just 3-5 years in the wild. Much like bearded dragons, an incredibly useful adaptation in leopard geckos is their ability to camouflage. If you look at a leopard gecko’s back, it’s probably not too hard to guess where they get their name from! They are yellow with dark spots, much like a leopard. Their colors match the yellows, tans, and browns of their environment so well that it may be hard for a predator to spot them from a distance. As beautiful as these animals are to look at, there is one characteristic that stands out above all the rest: their tails!
Many healthy adult leopard geckos will come with a tail that is big and fat - maybe even more so than the rest of their bodies! They store extra fat in their tails, much like the hump on a camel’s back, so that their bodies may begin to rely on burning that fat during times when food may be scarce. On top of that, their tails serve a second incredibly important purpose as a defense mechanism. If a leopard gecko wants, it has the ability to detach its tail from its body, perhaps in hopes that it will distract a predator long enough that the lizard itself can get away. It’s much better to lose your tail than to lose your life!
Finally, let’s meet the Kenyan sand boa. These unique-looking snakes are native to parts of northern and eastern Africa in low altitude areas that are covered in a layer of surface sand loose enough for burrowing. Kenyan sand boas may live 15 or more years, and males may grow up to two feet in length while females may grow up to three feet. Even in the wild, this species is known for being fairly docile, and is much more likely to burrow or run away than bite when threatened. Speaking of burrowing, that is their specialty - quickly digging under the loose sand and hiding there for safety, temperature regulation, and even hunting. Kenyan sand boas will remain mostly hidden beneath the sand, with just their nostrils and eyes on top of their head peeking above the surface. When a prey item comes along, like a small rodent, lizard, or bird, the boa will ambush the prey and drag them beneath the sand again before constricting. They will usually do this and other activities during dawn and dusk, when the desert temperatures are not too extreme, making the Kenyan sand boa a crepuscular animal (as opposed to nocturnal or diurnal).
So, there we have it! It’s clear that these ambassadors have all got some pretty incredible adaptations that help them survive in the extremely harsh environment that is the desert. Next time you step outside, think about what adaptations you may be using to help yourself cope with those hot summer days!