Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-22
ANIMALS IN THE DESERT.
No Place Too InhospitabIe for Some
Sort of Life.
From the London Spectator).

"
There are cold deserts and hot deserts
but it is in the latter that the presence
and continuance of animal life are more
| remarkable. There are almost no places,
however hot the sun or waterleSS the
land where some life does not exist
often of an unexpected Kind The Afghan
rible, sandy desert, which had to be
crossed to reach the boundary, swarmed
with large snakes; and the waterless
plains of Arizona abound in reptiles ana
| insects. Probably the least-known desert
| in the world is the Great Sahara, because
| the GASES in the center are occupied by
intensely hostile and warlike tribes,
whose hatred of the French is a kind OF
delirium. But on its northern fringe two
animals are found which seem specially
adapted for life in this forbidden land
the addaX antelope and Loder's gazelle
There is a group of khaki-colOred animals
at South kensington. most of which are
the natural Inhabitants of sandy wastes.
and are colored to match the soil. They
form kind of happy family, which have
put on the uniform of the desert, but have
nothing in common but their preference
tor that kind of life. Among them are
cerasteS (Cleopatras asp, two or three
sand lizards, jumping mice, desert larks
sand grouse and sand vipers. y special
lied family of snakes related to the boas
have been given the name of sand
snakes. They are found in North Africa
and in Southeastern Europe and Southern
Asia, and all have the na5it OF frequent
ing SANDY deserts.
There are also creatures even more spe-
cialIy adapted than by protective colora-
| ton for this life. Among them are the
sand rat, the sand mole and a moie-like
| marsupial found in the Australian des-
ert. The sand rats show that life in the
desert has dealt hardly with Them They
are found in Somaliland and are very
sadly degenerated from the rats estate
generally. They are naked, or nearly so;
| have lost their ears and have nearly lost
| their eyes. They burrow like moles ana
throw up little volcanoes of hot sand
| from their tunnels. The most highly
| specialized desert birds are the various
kinds of sand grouse. They exactly re
semble the color of sand and are more
difficult to see than are ptarmigan on a
Scotch mountain But they have special
| wing equipment quite unlike that OF the
ordinary grouse, without which they
| could never live where they do Their
| wings are as strong as those of pigeon
| and can carry them great distances al
| a high rate of speed. This enables them
to fly every morning and evening to til,
| drinking pools, however distant.
! Darwin saw a curious instance of the
| pcrsistcncy of life III nearly impossible
| conditions on the mountain rock desert
of Chile, between the coast and the COR
| dillera There were only traces OF one
| living animal, but this was found II
| abundance. 1t was a species of snail the
| shells Of which lay in extraordinary
numbers in the dryeat spots. one hum
bic little plant sends out few leaves IL
spring and on these the snail feeds" Oar
| win also noticed that on the PataGunan
| plain on the borders OF the SALINAS,
| where not a drop of fresh water ca1l ever
| be found, except dew. mice swarm. ~
| considered that next to the lizards. mice
| are best able to support existence on iht
| smaAcst and drycSt portions Of the earth.
| AS long as there is the least vegetation
| they are found even on tiny oceas lS.ets,
| Where life exists there must be som p
| thing for it to feed upon, and the qhcs-
| ton occurs: What is this ultimate source
| which supports the other forms? Ihtre
| are deserts in which there is almost no
, vegetable life at al, but where insects
and consequently inSect-feedlnS creature
| abound What is the fly doing an the deS-
trty What does he find to eat? Ftcs ans
| winged creatures ana creeping t'iihS7 IN
| Vulnerable are sometimes fothd IN acs-
Grts and swarmS of lizards, when ear
| them 1t is said that on the borders OF
certain North African deScI Is a pheEoai-
enon closely corresponding with the .do-
| sale mamma is seen as soon as the SANDS
| are Wetted by rain. Next morning ths
surface is seen covered with little white
| globules like tiny puff-balls, the size OF
| a bird cherry or like spilled SlobeS o.
some large grain, when IS Sathereu 'no
| eaten by the Arabs: but it is said 10 Dc
so unsubstantial that, ike other luHS !,
! prowths. il melts or rots in the course q
a day or So Something analogous occur
| under exactly opposite conditions N Eiis
land. In very dry years, green, Jei S-lih'
| masses will appear on the dryest ant
hottest gravel walks, or swell up froa
between the interstiees of pdYlng-stone'
both of them most unlikely sources IRON
which to expect a spontaneous grown %
life.