25 Animals That Live in the Desert

The Latin word, from which the English word “desert” is derived, describes an area without people.

Deserts, frequently imagined to be made up entirely of sand, are arid regions with annual average precipitation of no more than 10 inches (25 centimeters).

Animals that live in the desert have evolved to withstand blazing summer temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius) and sub-freezing winter temperatures.

Several animals that live in the desert that have adapted to the harsh desert environment are listed below.

Desert-dwelling animals can go for extended periods of time without drinking much water.

Are Desert Animals what you’re looking for? The top animals that live in the desert will be listed in our post.

1. Giraffe

Giraffes are starting our list of animals that live in the desert. Typically, these gentle giants graze south of the Sahara Desert. Giraffes normally graze for food for the majority of the day. 

They mostly subsist on Acacia leaves and need at least 10 liters of water daily to be alive.

As a result, giraffes typically graze in loose formations, with the entire herd dispersing throughout the savannah desert.

2. Dingo

Dingos are also desert animals. Unlike coyotes and other animals, they may hunt in packs or alone.

The stealthy species resembles dogs even more than coyotes, and they usually hunt more opportunistically. Even in Asia, dingoes have been observed foraging from people!

3. Wild Horse

Wild horses have existed in America for millions of years. From Native Americans to cowboy lore, they are a part of the rich history of the Americas.

Wild horses still graze freely in the West today, maintaining the region’s legend.

4. Bats

Various varieties of bats emerge throughout the day, while others prefer twilight, morning, or overnight.

These animals that live in the desert prefer to emerge at different times of the day.

Numerous varieties of bats could be categorized as hibernating creatures, making it difficult to find them in the wild depending on the time of year and day you are seeking them.

The desert is almost ideal for bats because they prefer areas far from people. Additionally, they mostly consume desert-friendly flora and insects.

5. Black Bear

Although these magnificent animals in the desert prefer forests, they can occasionally be found in canyons in the summer and autumn.

If they didn’t, they wouldn’t likely be discovered in the desert since they usually barely hibernate during the winter.

Strangely, not all black bears are black despite their name being a direct contradiction. Their appearance and color might vary greatly.

These animals in the desert don’t have particular food preferences and a diverse diet.

A black bear can survive on the desert’s offerings of insects, grasses, roots, insects, and anything in between; however, they don’t tend to turn their noses up at little desert prey.

6. Merriam’s Kangaroo Rat

Kangaroos are rodents with long tails and broad, four-toed rear feet. They have massive heads, big eyes, and tiny ears. 

They have a white bottom and a sandy, earthy color. The rodent known as the kangaroo is perfectly adapted to live in the desert.

They can survive without ever drinking water since their diet of seeds provides the necessary amount of moisture.

They have excellent hearing and can recognize the gentle solid of an owl as it approaches. 

Thanks to their massive back legs, kangaroos can leap up to 9 feet in one bound to avoid being pursued. These rodents have a variety of desert specializations.

These may include creosote pads, open meadows, washes, sandy soils, and open desert scour.

The drier regions of the western and southwestern United States are where kangaroo rodents are found.

The kangaroo rodent is not threatened. It is in fantastic condition in the wild right now. 

Rodents called kangaroos eat the seeds of various desert grasses and mesquite beans.

Some of these animals that live in the desert will occasionally consume bugs and greenery.

7. Jackrabbit

In the arid desert regions of the western United States, jackrabbits rely on their large fuzzy paws and gigantic ears to help them survive.

The fur on their feet protects them from the heat of the sand. When it’s hot outside, their enormous ears increase blood flow to release heat; when it’s chilly outside, they decrease blood flow to keep warm. 

Jackrabbits are herbivores that eat grasses that are too harsh for most animals, such as sagebrush, mesquite, and yucca.

These animals in the desert gnaw on tough leaves and twigs with their two pairs of upper incisors.

If you don’t constantly nibble on something to keep the incisors at a tolerable size, the teeth will continue to develop. 

The jackrabbit’s appendix aids in the digestion of resistant plants by dissolving food sources before they enter the stomach.

Jackrabbits consume plants for hydration and conserve water by sleeping in shaded regions during the warmest parts of the day.

8. Greater Roadrunner

The roadrunner can fly on the ground up to 200 miles per hour (321.87 kilometers per hour), but it cannot fly in the air.

The Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts are where Greater Roadrunners can be found most frequently while zigzagging across North America. 

This little bird’s length, including its tail, is only two feet (60 centimeters). Thanks to the speckled color of its feathers, it can blend in with its surroundings.

The roadrunner flutters the unfeathered area beneath its chin to disperse heat to regulate body temperature. 

Greater Roadrunners eat insects, reptiles, and small animals and get the water they require from their food.

Greater Roadrunners are unaffected by eating venomous prey like rattlesnakes and scorpions. 

To avoid the horns piercing important organs, they can also eat horned lizards by swallowing them head first.

These animals that live in the desert hide among shrubs or rock formations at night when the temperature drops.

In hibernation, the roadrunner turns off essential biological processes to focus its energy on staying warm at night.

9. Camel

The camel is next on our list of desert animals that people are most familiar with.

The Dromedary Camel and the Bactrian Camel are the only two species of camel that exist today. The Sahara Desert is home to dromedary camels, which are regarded as semi-domestic. 

Bactrian Camels can be found in the Gobi Desert in southern Mongolia and northern China. One hump distinguishes dromedary camels. Bactrian camel humps are two. 

Camels can go for extended periods without eating or drinking because of the nutritional energy stored in their humps, which are made of rich fat.

The hump collapses and deflates after use but re-inflates as the contents are replenished. 

Camels also have various adaptations that help them survive in sandy deserts, in addition to their humps.

To shield their eyes and nose from sand, these animals in the desert have two rows of eyelashes and seal their noses.

Thanks to their large, flat feet with leathery pads and two toes on each foot, they can walk on sand without sinking. 

A camel may drink 40 gallons (152 liters) of water once it locates a water source in minutes.

For other mammals, consuming this much water in such a short period would be fatal.

10. African Bullfrog

A frog that can survive in deserts and even mountains with a height of 4,000 feet is uncommon.

The African bullfrog, the second-largest frog on the continent, has its strategies for surviving the heat, such as burrowing underground until the climate cools off.

The bullfrog can burrow into the ground and lay dormant in estivation during hot, dry weather. It sheds the skin and forms a cocoon to retain the body’s hydration and take up bladder water.

For extended periods of time—even longer than a year—it can remain in a state resembling hibernation, losing as much as 38% of its body weight.

When it starts to rain, the African bullfrog returns to the surface to feed and reproduce. It can consume anything small enough to fit in its mouth, including other frogs, rodents, and birds.

11. Costa Hummingbird

The Costa’s hummingbird migrates to chaparral or scrub environments to avoid the heat of the harshest summer days. 

As the temperature drops at night, the hummingbird enters a state of torpor, reducing its heart rate from its typical range of 500 to 900 beats per minute to just 50. This helps it conserve energy.

These desert animals don’t mind sipping when there is a water supply nearby because they obtain all their water from the nectar and insects they eat.

12. Sand Cat

This adorable sand cat is little, cute, and endowed with superpowers for living in the desert. It almost resembles a cartoon character.

This is the sole felid that inhabits a sandy desert habitat, and it can be found in northern Africa, central Asia, and southwest Asia.

The sand cat’s large, low-set ears shield it from wind-blown sand and help it locate subterranean prey.

It can withstand the extremes of hot and cold sand thanks to its densely furred paws. 

The sand cat can withstand temperatures between 23 and 126 degrees Fahrenheit.

These animals live in the desert in fox or rodent burrows left behind as a refuge from the intense heat, extending their strong but pointy claws as necessary.

In the winter, cats are active during the day while mostly dormant in the summer.

13. Arabian Oryx

Arabian oryx is also on our list of animals that live in the desert. This herbivore’s white coat reflects the daytime sun, and its dark legs trap heat during chilly desert mornings. 

When no other food sources are available, it will even consume roots because it can detect rain over great distances and locate new grasses and plants.

It eats early and late in the day, sleeping throughout the sweltering hot hours.

The Arabian oryx can go days, occasionally weeks, without drinking much water. The plants it consumes provide it with water.

14. Arabian Wolf

The gray wolf subspecies known as the Arabian wolf has evolved to survive in the incredibly harsh desert environment. This 40-pound wolf has a thick winter coat to protect it from the chilly weather.

Although it has a shorter coat in the summer, it still has longer fur down its back to shield it from the sun’s heat.

The wolf also has extra-large ears to better disperse body heat. To avoid the hottest heat, it constructs deep dens and spends the day in the shade. 

The Arabian wolf is a solitary creature that preys on everything from smaller creatures like hares, birds, and reptiles to larger ones like gazelles and ibex.

It stays on gravel plains and the edges of the desert since it cannot survive without water.

15. Desert Hedgehog

The desert hedgehog, which may be found in Africa and the Middle East, is one of the prettiest animals in the desert.

This species of hedgehog, which only grows to be between five and nine inches long, is one of the smallest and has evolved to exist in desert and dry scrub settings.

It escapes the heat by spending the day in its burrow and hunting at night.3

The desert hedgehog consumes anything from snakes, scorpions, and bird eggs to insects and other invertebrates.

It can continue for extended periods without water since its prey keeps it hydrated.

16. Snow Leopard

The snow leopard is among the most well-known denizens of inner Asia, including the Gobi desert.

The snow leopard lives in one of the most difficult environments—its high-altitude habitat—but it manages to do so gracefully.

Its huge nasal cavities help warm the air before it enters the lungs, while its large chest allows it to breathe easily in the thin mountain air.

The leopard’s enormous paws and long tail provide superb balance as it moves across the rocky terrain, and its long, thick coat keeps it warm in frigid conditions.

17. Jerboa

This little rodent resembles a kangaroo and is indigenous to desert regions in North Africa, China, and Mongolia.

Jerboas are among the animals that live in deserts worldwide, from the Gobi Desert in Mongolia to the Sahara, which is the hottest. 

A member of the Jerboa family can be found contentedly tunneling beneath the ground at either extreme.

The jerboa can avoid extremely hot weather because of these burrowing mechanisms.

It has well-built, digging-suited hind legs, short forearms, and skin folds that can block its nostrils from the sand.

Additionally, this tiny critter possesses specific hairs that prevent sand from entering its ears. Because of its long back legs, it can move swiftly while consuming little energy.

All the water jerboas require can be obtained from the plants and insects they consume.

In fact, in lab experiments, jerboas have been observed to survive for up to three years only on dried seeds.

18. Sonoran Pronghorn

The fastest land animal in North America is the pronghorn, which may be found all over the region. Sonoran pronghorns, however, have evolved to survive in a very difficult environment. 

They can consume and digest vegetation other herbivores avoid, such as cactuses and dry grasses.

They have teeth with exceptionally high crowns to handle abrasive foods. They also have a four-part stomach to extract as many nutrients as possible.

They may lift patches of hair to release stored heat and cool off on hot days, but their hollow hairs trap heat to insulate them against chilly night temperatures.

Despite being remarkably adapted to arid conditions, desert animals may not be able to withstand longer and more frequent droughts due to climate change. 

19. Meerkats

Due to their excellent environmental adaptation, meerkats have become recognizable symbols of the Kalahari Desert.

Their diet of insects, snakes, scorpions, roots, and tubers provides them with a significant amount of water.

They have a third eyelid to shield their eyes and may cover their ears to keep sand out.

By lessening the sun’s glare so they can see danger more easily, the dark color around their eyes further protects them.

20. Kalahari Lion

The Kalahari lion is a subspecies of African lion that has evolved specifically for its desert habitat.

It is larger and leaner, and the males have substantially darker manes. Lions from the Kalahari have greater stamina, which they require.

These desert animals hunt smaller prey like antelope, porcupines, and birds while living in smaller groups and claiming greater territories.

The Kalahari lion has a higher tolerance for thirst; it can go two weeks without drinking, relying solely on its prey to supply it with moisture.

Through the pads of their paws, they pant and sweat to reduce their blood temperature.

21. Couch’s Spadefoot Toad

No other amphibian in North America has adapted to desert conditions and this tiny toad.

The Couch’s spadefoot toad can survive by mostly doing nothing. While it waits for the rainy season, it goes into estivation.

The Couch’s spadefoot toad generally hibernates for eight to ten months each year, but if conditions are particularly dry, it may spend up to two additional months in its burrow.

When rain does come, the toads immediately move towards newly created ponds.

They can lay eggs between the first two days after reappearance, and tadpoles can hatch between 15 to 36 hours. 

The tadpoles may change in as little as nine days. Ten pounds quickly dry up in the desert, so the rush is essential.

These desert animals must consume as many insects as possible to build a hole where they can sleep for the following eight to ten months.

22. Desert Bighorn Sheep

The bighorn sheep, a symbol of the untamed western landscape of the United States, may go for weeks without visiting a regular water source because it can acquire all the water from food and rainwater that collects in small rock puddles.

Additionally, it splits apart the barrel cactus with its horns to consume the fluid flesh.

Bighorn sheep don’t require any water when there are green grasses. They must, however, regularly consume water in the heat. 

These animals in the desert can recover quickly from dehydration and withstand water losses of up to 20% of their body weight.

If they can live for extended periods without a reliable source of water, they can also better evade predators.

Contrary to many other mammals, desert bighorn sheep can tolerate small changes in body temperature, which allows them to survive in such harsh heat and cold.

23. Elf Owl

Although you might not expect to see an owl in the desert, the elf owl is perfectly content in scorching, sandy surroundings.

Even though they are small, only five inches tall, these owls are strong enough to grab and eat a variety of prey, including scorpions.12

Elf owls can escape the day’s heat by sleeping in tree cavities or holes in saguaro cacti that woodpeckers have abandoned.

They are found in riparian areas of the Sonoran desert in the western United States. 

These animals that live in the desert use their amazing night vision to hunt during the day.

They can live in places with no surface water resources as long as they can obtain adequate water from their food.

24. Ring Tailed Cat

The ring-tailed cat, sometimes called a ringtail, is a nocturnal, fox-like creature with a tail resembling that of a raccoon.

The “miner’s cat” shares the closest genetic kinship with the notorious “trash panda” and is frequently observed on rocky outcroppings and mine shafts.

These animals in the desert can climb anything, including cliffs and cacti, using their hind paws, which can rotate 180 degrees for superior grip.

Parkour-style maneuvers like ricocheting between far-off objects and stemming up confined passageways are also part of their climbing repertoire.

The Sonoran Desert in Arizona is where the species can be found in the western United States.

The ringtail will consume almost anything, from fruit to insects to reptiles to small animals, as is prudent when surviving in tough settings. It is active at night to avoid the daytime light.

If its meal contains enough moisture, it may live without water, although it prefers to be close to a body of water.

25. Fennec Fox

North African deserts are home to fennec foxes, ending our list of animals in the desert.

This nocturnal omnivore has gigantic ears that can reach one-fourth the length of its entire body. By allowing heat from the blood to escape, they aid in the animal’s cooling down. 

Additionally, it has a thick coat of fur that insulates it from the cold on chilly nights, and the fur on its paws shields it from the scorching sand while also preventing it from sinking into the soft sand.

The fennec fox consumes almost anything it can find, including plants, eggs, insects, and other animals.

These desert animals can live without access to free-standing water partly because their kidneys have been modified to reduce water loss.