Lyla Lindsey
Australia's sandy deserts are far from barren wastelands. From the red sands of the deserts to the rocky outcrops of the gibber plains, native animals have evolved specialised traits to cope with extreme heat, scarce water, and limited food sources. The Great Sandy Desert, the second largest desert in Australia, is home to a diverse range of wildlife that has adapted to the harsh, arid conditions. Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates have all evolved unique characteristics to survive in this challenging environment. From the iconic kangaroo to the elusive thorny devil, the animals of the Great Sandy Desert showcase remarkable resilience and resourcefulness in their battle for survival.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Size | Many Australian desert animals are small-bodied to help them conserve energy and avoid excessive heat retention |
| Diet | Some are carnivorous, some insectivorous, and some herbivores. They have adapted to rely on moisture-rich food sources and can survive with little or no drinking water |
| Behaviour | Some are nocturnal, some are active at dawn and dusk. Some are solitary, some live in packs. Some are territorial |
| Breeding strategies | N/A |
| Appearance | Some are sandy-coloured, some are covered in spikes |
| Habitat | Some burrow underground, some live in shallow scrapes or cracks in clay plains |
| Location | The Great Sandy Desert, Tanami, Little Sandy, Gibson, Great Victoria, Simpson, Sturt, Strzelecki, Tirari, and Pedirka Deserts |
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What You'll Learn
The Bilby, a vulnerable species
The bilby, also known as Mankarr in the Western Desert, is an iconic species of the sandy deserts of the Australian Outback. The species is also known as the greater bilby, particularly since the extinction of the lesser bilby (Macrotis leucura) in the 1950s. The bilby has long pinkish ears and silky blue-grey fur, and is a nocturnal omnivore. Its diet includes insects and their larvae, seeds, spiders, termites, bulbs, fruit, fungi, and very small animals.
The bilby is an important ecosystem engineer, constantly turning over soil and improving soil health by mixing through organic matter. The bilby is an excellent digger, constructing complex burrows that can be up to three metres long and two metres deep. These burrows provide vital shelter from predators and high summer temperatures, not just for bilbies, but also for other animals like insects, reptiles, birds, and small mammals.
The bilby population is rapidly declining, and the species is now restricted to around 15% of its former range, which once covered 70% of Australia. The biggest threat to the bilby is believed to be predation by introduced predators, such as red foxes, feral cats, and other invasive species. Other threats include changing fire regimes, pastoralism, and habitat loss and change.
The bilby is listed as vulnerable under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and there is a national recovery plan in place to save the species, including breeding in captivity, monitoring populations, and re-establishing bilbies where they once lived. The Birriliburu Rangers, for example, are working hard to protect the bilby through monitoring burrow systems, managing the land, and conducting surveys.
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The Red Kangaroo and its ability to hop
The red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest terrestrial mammal native to Australia, and the largest extant marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, except for the more fertile areas, such as southern Western Australia, the eastern and southeastern coasts, and the rainforests along the northern coast. The red kangaroo is Australia's most famous animal, even gracing the country's coat of arms.
Red kangaroos are sexually dimorphic, with males having short, red-brown fur, fading to pale buff below and on the limbs, while females are smaller and are blue-grey with a brown tinge and pale grey below, although arid zone females are coloured more like males. They have two forelimbs with small claws, two muscular hind limbs, which are used for jumping, and a strong tail that is often used to create a tripod when standing upright.
Red kangaroos have a chambered stomach similar to cows, and they feast on a wide variety of plants, though their diet changes depending on the species. To aid digestion, they regurgitate their food before chewing and swallowing it again, using their highly specialized teeth to break down low trees, grasses, and leafy shrubs effectively. Their chambered stomachs are different enough from ruminants that they emit only 27% of the methane cows do, despite similar diets.
Red kangaroos have the typical reproductive system of a kangaroo. Females have the unusual ability to delay the birth of their baby until their previous joey has left the pouch, a process known as embryonic diapause. After copulation, the neonate emerges after only 33 days, usually with only one young born at a time. It is blind, hairless, and only a few centimetres long. Its hind legs are mere stumps, and it uses its more developed forelimbs to climb its way through the thick fur on its mother's abdomen into the pouch, which takes about three to five minutes. Once in the pouch, it fastens onto one of the two teats and starts to feed. Almost immediately, the mother's sexual cycle starts again, and if she mates and a second egg is fertilized, its development is temporarily halted. After approximately 190 days, the baby, called a joey, is sufficiently large and developed to make its full emergence out of the pouch, after sticking its head out for a few weeks until it eventually feels safe enough to fully emerge. From then on, it spends increasing time in the outside world and eventually, after around 235 days, it leaves the pouch for the last time. While the young joey will permanently leave the pouch at around 235 days old, it will continue to suckle until it reaches about 12 months of age.
Red kangaroos are able to hop great heights and lengths due to their powerful hind legs and tail. They can jump an impressive 30 feet long, 10 feet high, and up to 3 meters (3.3 feet) vertically in a single bound. They can travel more than 30 miles per hour, with a top speed of 40 miles per hour, and they usually hop at 15.5 miles per hour. Their hopping is very energy-efficient, allowing them to travel long distances without getting tired. They increase their speed by increasing the length of their hops, not the frequency. When they want to go slow, they take small hops, and when they want to go fast, they take large hops. Their hopping also allows them to pivot on one foot and rapidly change direction, even making a 180-degree turn in a single hop.
Red kangaroos maintain their internal temperature at a point of homeostasis of about 36 °C (97 °F) using various physical, physiological, and behavioural adaptations. These include having an insulating layer of fur, being less active and staying in the shade when temperatures are high, panting, sweating, and licking its forelimbs. They can also enter a state of torpor to survive in harsh conditions and conserve energy. Additionally, they have a high tolerance for consuming plants high in salt content and can survive for long periods without water by reabsorbing water from their urine in the kidneys, minimizing water loss.
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Dingoes and their ability to communicate by howling
Dingoes are an ancient lineage of dogs found in Australia. They possess a lean and hardy body that is well-adapted for speed, agility, and stamina. Dingoes have three main coat colourations: light ginger or tan, black and tan, or creamy white. They are highly intelligent and independent, with strong communication skills.
Dingoes have a wide range of vocalizations, including growling, howling, chuffing, whining, chortling, and yelping. They rarely bark, and when they do, it is a rare occurrence. Howling is a more common form of communication for dingoes, and they have three basic forms: moans, bark-howls, and snuffs, with at least ten variations. The purpose of each variation is not fully understood, but they seem to be influenced by factors such as the season, time of day, breeding, migration, lactation, social stability, and dispersal behaviour. Dingoes also communicate through scent-marking, similar to domestic dogs.
Dingoes are nocturnal in warmer regions, but this behaviour varies in cooler areas. Their main activity periods are around dusk and dawn, and they have two types of movement: searching, which is associated with hunting, and exploratory, likely for contact and communication with other dogs. Dingoes are social, with a flexibility comparable to coyotes and grey wolves. While young males tend to be solitary, breeding adults often form settled packs.
Dingoes play a significant role in the Dreamtime stories of indigenous Australians, symbolizing the ancestors of both dingoes and humans. Their ability to howl adds to their intriguing nature, and their vocalizations can be quite beautiful, as described by people living close to them. Dingoes are intelligent and responsive to training, particularly when food-driven, making them unique and captivating creatures.
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The Koala and its water conservation
The koala, a beloved Australian marsupial, is easily recognised by its fluffy ears, large nose, and sleepy expression. While koalas are native to the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia, they have also been spotted in coastal regions of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. They are arboreal herbivores, typically found high up in gum trees, and their diet consists mainly of eucalyptus leaves, which are low in nutrients and energy.
Koalas are highly dependent on water, and their primary source of hydration is the eucalyptus leaves they consume, which can contain up to 50% water. This unique diet provides them with access to a relatively untapped food resource, as the leaves contain toxic compounds similar to cyanide, which most animals cannot digest. However, koalas possess a specialised digestive system that allows them to break down these toxic oils.
In addition to obtaining moisture from their diet, koalas may also seek alternative water sources during hot or dry periods. Koalas have been observed standing on their hind legs for extended periods, drinking water from stations on the ground or in trees. This behaviour is a result of rising temperatures and disrupted rainfall patterns, forcing them to venture out of their trees and risk potential attacks from predators to quench their thirst.
The impact of climate change on koala populations cannot be overstated. Increased temperatures, prolonged droughts, and more frequent bushfires have led to a decrease in the availability and quality of their primary food source, eucalyptus leaves. This, in turn, has resulted in malnutrition and dehydration among koalas, highlighting their vulnerability to the changing climate and the urgent need for effective conservation measures.
In conclusion, koalas have adapted to their environment by relying on water-rich food sources and altering their behaviour during periods of water scarcity. However, the ongoing challenges posed by climate change and habitat destruction emphasise the critical importance of implementing protective measures to ensure the long-term survival of these iconic Australian marsupials.
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The Great Desert Skink, a lizard species
The Great Desert Skink (Liopholis kintorei or Egernia kintorei), commonly known as Kintore's egernia, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. It is native to the western half of Australia, specifically the southwestern quarter of the Northern Territory, most of Western Australia, and the northwestern corner of South Australia. This range places it almost exclusively on Aboriginal land.
The Great Desert Skink is a burrowing lizard, with a preference for constructing large burrow complexes in desert sand. These burrows can be up to 12-13 meters long and have up to 20 entrances. They are built and maintained through the cooperative efforts of the skinks, with specific rooms designated as defecatoriums. This species is extremely social, and each burrow complex is shared by a family group of up to four generations.
The Great Desert Skink is a medium-sized lizard, with an average snout-to-vent length of 19-20 cm and a weight of around 350 grams. It is considered a threatened species, listed as vulnerable under federal and state legislation in Australia, and as endangered in South Australia. The introduction of non-native species, such as foxes and feral cats, has led to a decline in their population.
The Martu people of the Western Desert know this lizard as Mulyamiji, and it holds cultural significance for them. The Martu people have also worked with conservationists to protect this vulnerable species. The specific name, kintorei, honours Algernon Keith-Falconer, the 9th Earl of Kintore, who served as a colonial governor of South Australia.
The Great Desert Skink is just one example of the diverse array of animals that have adapted to the challenging conditions of Australia's sandy deserts.
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Frequently asked questions
Many animals have evolved in the sandy deserts of Australia, including:
- Dingoes
- Bilbies
- Koalas
- Red Kangaroos
- Thorny Devil Dragons
- Wood Scorpions
- Kultarrs
- Kowaris
- Dusky Hopping Mice
- Spinifex Hopping Mice
Animals that have evolved in the sandy deserts of Australia have developed unique characteristics that allow them to survive in the harsh environment. Some of these characteristics include:
- Small body size to conserve energy and regulate body temperature
- Adaptations to extract water from food or the environment, reducing the need to drink water
- Nocturnal behaviour to avoid the extreme heat during the day
- Burrowing to create shelter and protect themselves from predators
- Carnivorous or insectivorous diets, which provide hydration and nutrients
The sandy deserts of Australia and their native wildlife face significant threats, including:
- Introduced species such as feral cats, foxes, and camels, which prey on native animals and damage habitats
- Habitat destruction due to urban development and agricultural activities
- Climate change and altered fire regimes
- Human activities such as uncontrolled access by four-wheel-drive vehicles
