A Few Amazing Adaptive Animals Found in Sahara Desert (Part I)

Even though it is one of the harshest environments in the world, the Sahara desert is home to many animals.

Sahara in the continent of Africa is the biggest desert on the earth and its spread into an area of 9,200,000 square kilometers. Despite this, many tribes and animals are living here and they have adapted themselves to the harsh region of the Sahara.

When it comes to plants and animals, they adapted themselves to sustain in the extreme hit, with little flora and water.

1. Golden Jackal

Look wise the Golden Jackal looks a bit similar to normal small-sized jackals found in other areas of the world and it belongs to the extremely adaptive member of Canidae, the family of dogs.

There are basically three types of jackals in the world and among them, the Golden Jackal is the only one that can adapt itself to the harsh situations of deserts and is the largest in size also among the three. It weighs around 15 kilograms and commonly has a length of 2-3 feet. They are mostly found in the dry areas of the western Sahara. The color of their short fur changes with the seasons. During the course of the summer, their fur colors are golden that change to a darker shade during the winter as it helps them to stabilize their body temperature even in difficult environments like deserts. It has outstanding night vision and a sharp sense of hearing and smelling which help them to catch other small animals for food.

2. Horned Viper

The horned Viper is a type of snake that is mostly found in deserts, especially the Sahara desert. It’s quite venomous and is the habitat of deserts in Northern and Eastern Africa.

Horned Vipers are one of the very few animals or reptiles, whatever you prefer calling them, that can sustain and live in the harsh environment of the Sahara. Along with Sahara, it’s found in some other nearby African countries also. They mostly hunt small amphibians like rodents and other small amphibians found in the deserts for food. They have two horns above their eyes which make them easily identified and they can grow up to 2 feet and which is also heavy. They have sand-colored outer skin which helps them to easily camouflage in the desert. On extremely hot days, they bury vipers in the desert sand while keeping their nostrils outside.

3. Dorcas Gazelle

Dorcas gazelle is found throughout the Sahara and it is an antelope. It is small in size and declared an endangered species of antelope.

Dorca Gazelle is a type of Antelope that can live in extreme heat, which is why it can sustain in the Sahara Desert. They are small in size and can sustain for long periods without water. It’s a very rare species of antelope and is an endangered species. They get water from the moisture from the careful selection of plants. They eat the little vegetation found in the Sahara. They live in a herd mainly consisting 100 Dorcas.