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SAI International School
Subject- Biology, Class-VII
Topic- Weather, Climate and Animal Adaptations
Subtopic- Climate and Adaptations (Desert)
Module- 33
Mind Map
Lesson notes

Desert

 Deserts, such as, the Thar Desert, India, are characterised by extremely hot

days and extremely cold nights.

 The two main adaptations that desert animals must make are - how to deal

with lack of water, and how to deal with extremes in temperature. Many
desert animals avoid the heat of the desert by simply staying out of it as much

as possible.

 Since water is so scarce, most desert animals get their water from the food they
eat: succulent plants, seeds, or the blood and body tissues of their prey.

 Desert animals prevent water leaving their bodies in a number of different ways.
Some, like kangaroo, rats and lizards, live in burrows which do not get too hot

or too cold and have more humid (damp) air inside. These animals stay in their
burrows during the hot days and emerge at night to feed.

 Other animals have bodies designed to save water. Scorpions and wolf spiders

have a thick outer covering which reduces moisture loss. The kidneys of
desert animals concentrate urine, so that they excrete less water.

Camel