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Some animals live in the desert. They live in homes made in the dirt. Desert animals need little water, and they like living in dry places. Many desert animals hide during the day when the sun is very hot, and come out when the sun goes down because then it is quite cold. A desert is a dry, hot place. It is a place where it might not rain for a year. Many animals could not live in a desert, but some do.

Desert Rat

Desert rats can live in the desert, because they know where to hide from the sun’s heat. They hide in homes they have dug under the ground un the dry dirt. They sleep in the day instead of coming out into the sun. Then they come out as the sun goes down and it is not so hot.

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Desert Rabbit

A desert rabbit can live in a home another animal has dug in the dirt, instead of building its own home. It’s easy to move into a home that another animal has already dug. When desert rabbits are not at home, they can hide from the sun under a cactus. They come out again when the sun is low and is not too hot.

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Roadrunners

Some desert animals don’t care about the heat. Roadrunner’s don’t. Instead of hiding from the sun, roadrunners run during the dry, hot day. When a roadrunner stops running, it goes to its home under a low cactus. Roadrunners run more than they fly. They run fast to catch mice and snakes for food. Roadrunners also run fast to get away from animals that like roadrunners for food.

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Animals like the mule deer have no homes. Mule deer move all the time to find food. They don’t need much water, but they do like to have some near them all the time. Mule deer know that they must not go to the same water hole again and again, because there are some animals who like mule deer for food. But, if an animal does chase them , mule deers do not run. Instead, they get away faster by jumping on all four feet at the same time.

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Pack Rat

A pack rat makes a desert home that is low and might be as wide as three feet. First, a pack rat finds a dry place under a cactus to make a hole. Next, the rat moves sticks, dirt, and dry plants to make it’s new home. It will make trips again and again, bringing back more dirt and dry plants. Then, when the nest is ready, the pack rat places cactus plants at the door to keep animals out. Last, the pack rat makes it’s home pretty. It likes shiny glass, old mirrors, and even rings and spoons. The pack rat puts all those things around its home. Pack rats drop one thing at their feet to pick up another. At times, pack rats give things away instead of just taking things. The pack rat well keep dry food as well as pretty thing in its home. The pack rat’s things will be safe from any animals in its home dug under a cactus. The pack rat, like many desert animals, has a home that helps it live in this hot, dry, place.

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