Nocturnal Animals
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is home to a variety of nocturnal animals, which are adapted to the harsh desert environment. These animals have evolved to be active at night to avoid the scorching heat of the day and to conserve water. Nocturnal animals in the UAE have adapted to survive in a range of habitats, from sand dunes to mountains. They use different strategies to cope with the challenging desert environment, such as burrowing underground or hunting under the cover of darkness. Despite the challenges of the desert, these nocturnal animals play an important role in the ecosystem and help maintain a balance in the UAE’s delicate desert environment.
Desert fox
Opportunistic hunter from eggs, insects to reptiles. It is the smallest in the Fox family. Its paws have more fur on them compared to other Foxes to aid in digging and movement on the sand. Ears are large when compared to the size of the body for expelling heat.
Desert mouse
Found in the UAE and across Arabia. They create burrows and stay under the ground most of the day. Have long tails for extra balance and to conceil its tracks. Its large eyes and inner ear helps to keep track of predators.
Camel spiders
They flee from the sun so spend the day under rocks or in the sand. They are not venomous, but they use digestive fluids to liquefy their prey’s flesh, making it easy to suck the remains into their stomach. They eat bugs, lizards, small birds and rodents. They are fast runners and adapted to desert living.
Scorpions
25 Types in the UAE desert. Black Fat-tailed Scorpion (Androctonus crassicauda) or The deathstalker which is yellow in colour (Leiurus Quiquetriatus) are amongst the most famous. Fun Facts - They are able to go months without consuming food. They capture their prey and crush them using their pincers. Their stingers are used to inject venom into their prey which paralyses them, causing immobility and allowing.
Reptiles
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is home to a variety of nocturnal animals, which are adapted to the harsh desert environment. These animals have evolved to be active at night to avoid the scorching heat of the day and to conserve water.
Nocturnal animals in the UAE have adapted to survive in a range of habitats, from sand dunes to mountains. They use different strategies to cope with the challenging desert environment, such as burrowing underground or hunting under the cover of darkness. Despite the challenges of the desert, these nocturnal animals play an important role in the ecosystem and help maintain a balance in the UAE’s delicate desert environment.
Skink / Sand fish
Opportunistic hunter from eggs, insects to reptiles. It is the smallest in the Fox family. Its paws have more fur on them compared to other Foxes to aid in digging and movement on the sand. Ears are large when compared to the size of the body for expelling heat.
Spiny-tailed lizard
Spiny-tailed Lizards are large diurnal (active during the day) lizards that live in areas with sandy but compacted soils where they can dig burrows. They are herbivorous feeding on a variety of plant species and usually live in colonial burrows.
Monitor lizard
Warel (Arabic name) do not have any teeth, only a sharp bone plate. A female lays eggs under grown burrow and leave them to hatch by ground heat. During a single day desert monitors travel over large distances, usually 5 to 6 km then return to their burrow before sunset.
Sand boa
Adapted to desert life and burrows under the sand to thermoregulate itself. They are typically nocturnal snakes, coming up to the surface layer of sand to hunt and thermoregulate. They are not fast or venomous however ambush their prey and coil around it until it suffocates.
Insects
Insects play a significant role in the ecosystem of Ezba. They contribute in various ways, both directly and indirectly. Firstly, insects such as bees are crucial pollinators, aiding in the reproduction of plants and ensuring a diverse and abundant food supply for the Bedouin. Their activities facilitate the growth of fruits, vegetables, and forage for livestock, sustaining the camp’s agricultural practices.