In the midday of summer most wildlife remain quiet and in the shade. For animals to live in the desert they must have ways of contending with the high temperatures that summer brings. They meet these challenges in two ways. The first way is through behavior. The easiest method for dealing with the high temperature of the desert is through avoidance.
Many animals live in burrows well below the level in which the sun's rays penetrate.
They are active from dusk until dawn when the surface temperatures are favorable. Depending on the type of animal, they may dig the burrow themselves or occupy that of another. Some animals escape the high surface temperature by climbing into shrubs where the air is cooler. A second adaptation to hot, arid environments is physiological. Animals that live in the desert also have the physiological adaptations which they employ to deal with the heat.