Some animals get enough water from their food, but others must travel to water holes. The desert jack rabbit eats plants, such as the cactus. Its ears pick up any sound of danger. They also help keep the rabbit cool because heat can escape through the tiny blood vessels that are found there. Camels are the most well known desert animals.
Camels have bushy eyebrows and two rows of eyelashes to keep the sand out of their eyes.
Their nostrils can also be closed. The humps on camels' backs do not hold water as commonly believed. Instead they store fat reserves that can be broken down into food when crossing the desert. The hump will shrink if a camel is starving. Back to the Desert Page.