Drifting Through The Desert 2 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Camel

The camel has a variety of physical features that have enabled it to become a very useful animal when traveling in the desert, but the hump is not one of them - at least not in the way that people think! It is in the hump where the camel stores its fat - not water - and since it has little fat elsewhere on its body, the hump helps to reduce the insulating effect that fat has; in other words, the camel is able to survive in hot temperatures.

In times of scarce resources, however, a camel's body may break down the fat in its hump to meet its dietary needs. My expedition saw bactrian camels in the Gobi Desert, and dromedaries in the Sahara Desert - and even in the Australian Outback! They were introduced to Australia in the 1840s!

Answer: Rattlesnake

Rattlesnakes are native to the Western Hemisphere, and live in a variety of habitats, but they prefer to live in an area that imaintains a temperature of 80-90°F. Traveling through the Sonoran Desert in northern Mexico, someone in my caravan saw a Western diamondback, which is also found in Arizona and California.

In fact, Arizona is home to thirteen species of rattlesnakes. (Yikes!) The common trait they share is the rattle on the end of their tail, that warns their victims, perhaps too late, that they are nearby.

Answer: Desert Tortoise

While in the Mojave Desert in the southwestern United States, we were surprised to see the desert tortoise. Did you known that this creature can withstand ground temperatures exceeding 140°F? When it gets too hot for them, they simply burrow into the sand.

In fact, scientists estimate that they spend 90% of their lives in burrows. We were lucky to catch a glimpse of one! While life in the desert can be dangerous for tortoise hatchlings, adults have a typical life span there of 50-80 years.

Answer: Gila Monster

Another creature we saw while going through the Sonoran Desert was the Gila monster. While the Gila monster does produce venom, unlike snakes, it cannot inject the poison into its victims. Instead, the poison is brought to its teeth through the motion of chewing, and it can be deposited on wounds during biting.

It is very toxic; however, the Gila monster does not typically produce a large enough amount to make its bite fatal to humans. We found that Gila monsters move pretty slowly, and, if we were vigilant, were easy to avoid.

Answer: Desert Kangaroo Rat

While drifting through the Mojave Desert in the southwestern United States, we saw the desert kangeroo rat; even though it is the largest of the kangaroo rats, it was only about twelve inches in length - including its tail - and weighed less than four ounces! Desert kangaroo rats like to burrow in the sand, and normally sleep in a secure den that keeps the hot temperatures out.

While they will drink water whenever it is available, they are able to use their own metabolic water for two or three weeks before requiring more.

Answer: Vulture

Oh, my! That is exactly what my caravan did NOT want to see - vultures in the Sinai Desert flying over a dead animal! One of the vulture species that lives in much of Africa, all the way to the Arabian Peninsula, are called lappet-faced or Nubian vultures; they are considered to be the most ferocious and powerful of the vultures that live in Africa, and have been known to even feed off of elephant carcasses.

Answer: Fennec Fox

Throughout the Sahara Desert, members of the caravan party saw the fennec fox; the creature digs a den in sand dunes that can be quite large - up to 1300 square feet - and has as many as fifteen entrances while connecting to the dens of other family groups! The smallest member of the canid family, the fennec fox uses its large ears to help disperse the heat.

Answer: Humbolt Penguin

Traveling through the Atacama Desert on the west coast of Chile is hard work! Our efforts were rewarded, however, when we were able to view the amazing Humbolt penguins in their natural habitat. They like to nest in bat guano (Really!), by laying their eggs in a nest made on the ground, or in caves; their diet consists mainly of anchovies and sardines. Where, you might ask, are they pink? They typically have pink patches on their face, wings, and feet.

These are not pink feathers, however, but bare patches of skin, which help them cool in the hot climate.

Answer: Scarab

We were traveling through the Sahara Desert in North Africa when someone in the group pointed out a scarab beetle. Did you know that there are over 30,000 different species of beetles, often called scarabs, that live world-wide in a variety of different climate regions? Also known as dung beetles because they lays their eggs in a ball of dung, scarabs in ancient Egypt were sacred animals; it was believed they were the force that moved the sun across the sky, causing it to rise and set each day.

Answer: Scorpion

You may be surprised at this, but scorpions live in a wide variety of regions, including forests and even urban areas. Six thousand different species are spread over six of the seven continents. As we were making our way through the Arabian Desert, we saw several Palestine yellow scorpions; we stayed as far away from them as possible. Also known as deathstalkers, they are one of the most dangerous species of scorpions; while the sting would be painful to a healthy adult, the sick, elderly, or child should be very cautious when in areas containing these poisonous creatures.