Desert

The meerkat is a species of social mongoose that is found in complex underground burrows in the savannahs and semi-deserts of Southern Africa. It lives in family packs and is considered to be ‘eusocial’, meaning it is highly socially organised and pack members have strongly defined roles within their group. Meerkats have a flat, pointed head and a sandy-coloured face with black eyes and ears. They have a mottled pattern of grey and yellow fur on their back and a pointed, black tipped tail. Meerkats move on all fours but assume a distinctive stance on their hind legs when alert.

The fennec fox is a small species of canid that lives in the Sahara desert. The fur of the back, head and tail is sandy coloured, and the fur of the legs, belly and face are white. The fennec fox’s most distinctive feature is its extremely large pointed ears. The fennec fox is very small, measuring 18 to 22cm tall at the shoulder with a head-body length of 34 to 40cm. Their tail is up to 25cm long and their ears measure 9 to 10cm in length. They weigh between 0.8 and 1.9kg. Males are slightly larger than females.

The Western diamondback rattlesnake (or Crotalus atrox) is a species of venomous snake native to the deserts, grassland and scrubland of the USA and Mexico; so named for the pattern of grey and brown scales on its back. It reaches an average length of 1.2m – although a specimen of 2.1m in length has been reported – and males are larger than females. It is a dangerous species that will strike if it perceives threat.

The Mexican red knee tarantula (or Brachypelma hamorii) is a species of spider that lives in the scrublands, deserts and forests of Mexico. It has a black body and legs, orange-red coloration on the joints and, like all tarantula species, a body that’s covered in sensitive hairs. They measure around 10cm long with a leg span of 15cm and are nocturnal, living in burrows during the day and spending their nights hunting for prey. They feed on insects, small amphibians and small mammals.

The Gila monster (or Heloderma suspectum) is a large species of venomous lizard native to the arid regions of the Southern United States and Northern Mexico. It has orange and black scales arranged in a banded and reticulated pattern, measures 51 to 60cm long, and weighs between 350 and 700g. The Gila monster has a very keen sense of smell that it uses for hunting, and can often be seen scenting the air by flicking its tongue in and out of its mouth.

A large species of arachnid native to the deserts of the Southern USA and Mexico, the giant desert hairy scorpion (or Hadrurus arizonensis) is a predator specialising in ambush. Typically yellow, tan or pale green and with darker areas of colour on its back, the scorpion spends its time buried beneath the sand or under rocks, attacking insects and small vertebrates with its stinger. This immobilses its prey before the scorpion can then grab it with its jaws.

The gemsbok (or Oryx gazella) is a species of antelope that lives in the Kalahari and Namib deserts of Southern Africa. They are characterised by several visual features: long, slim and spiral horns; a black face with white markings over the eyes and muzzle; a grey-brown coat with black markings on the upper legs and back; as well as white ‘socks’. On average, Gemsbok stand between 1.1 and 1.3m tall at the shoulder, measure 1.9 to 2.4m long and have an average horn length of 85cm. The males are also slightly larger and significantly heavier than the females.

Domestic Bactrian camels (or Camelus bactrianus) are large ungulates native to Central Asia. They have two humps and thick sandy-coloured wool coats, although they can also be dark brown or white. On average they are 2m tall at the shoulder with an extra 30cm of height added by their humps, and males are significantly larger than females.