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The animals

Because it is often very hot in the desert during the day, many animals are by nature active only at night. For this reason these, in the Desert, are shown in their cool hiding places in caves or underground. Examples of these animals are the kangaroo rats, various snakes, owls, predators like the weasel and the scary goliath bird eating spider and the scorpio. Animals that do defy the sun usually belong to the bird family and the lizard family. In the Desert you can find very interesting examples. Nobody can miss the large scavenger turkey vultures or the colourful seed eating red cardinals and yellow buntings. But when the Californian Quails are sitting still they are barely noticeable. Very special are the gila monsters and the beaded lizards, which are the only poisonous lizards in the world.
Also mammals can be found during the day! However, when it gets really hot, they do prefer to find the shade of a bush or an over-hanging rock. The horned sheep in the Desert will then find a quiet place on their rock plateau to chew the cud. Also the collared peccaries look for a safe corner in the cool sand of the dry riverbeds. Naturally the animals that pose a danger to humans, like the red lynx, the rattle snake and the scorpio, are shown in parts of the landscape they cannot escape from.

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