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Stop 12
Animal Evidence
Living underground gives the packrat
the advantage of cooler temperatures and higher humidity in a hot, arid
climate. |
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Spotting animals in the desert is dependent on the weather and time of day.
In the summer, the middle of the day is not the optimal time for animals
to be out. While air temperatures may be pushing 100°F, the
ground temperature could be over 140°F! But even if you don't
actually get to view any animals, you can tell what lives there by finding
evidence of animals such as bite marks on
plants and burrows.
Under prickly
pear cactus and mesquite, you can find piles of sticks, cactus pads, and
other materials. These piles are called middens
and are created by packrats (also known as woodrats). Middens are
occupied by successive generations of solitary packrats and are often
also home to beetles, crickets, and a variety of small mites and collembolans
(springtails).
Some packrat middens are more than 50,000 years old and have been important for making paleoecological reconstructions of an area. The leaves, seeds, bones, and other debris collected for the midden are often found well-preserved by crystallized packrat urine. Examining these fossilized middens tells scientists about the plant community and climate of the area thousands of years ago. |
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