Survival CHARACTERISTICS of Australian Flora and Fauna
Australian Flora Located in Deserts
Most Australian Flora uses the plant glands to store water as well as their bark. All Australian desert flora has small leaves, so they don’t need much water to sustain all their leaves. They also store lots of water to last long periods of time. These plants are called succulents. Other plants also have miniature hairs on their body to reflect the sun’s heat. Almost all of the animals living in the Australian deserts have specific techniques to survive in the harsh conditions of the desert. Many share similar ideas by storing water and being nocturnal. Some of these animals are: the bilby hides during the day and forages at night to avoid heat and dehydration. Bilbies dig burrows that are one to two metres below ground and moister and up to ten degrees cooler than the surface.
They are so efficient in conserving water that they don't need to drink. They get enough moisture from their food: seeds, bulbs, fungi, spiders and insects, which they find by scratching and digging. Then there is the thorny lizard. Thorny lizards are heliotherm, meaning they need sunlight to warm themselves up, and their body temperature and agility depends on the outside temperature. They are most active during spring and autumn, but move very little during the hottest (Jan/Feb) or coldest months (June/July). During their active months they spend the nights and the midday heat under some protective cover such as a shrub or rock.
Most Australian Flora uses the plant glands to store water as well as their bark. All Australian desert flora has small leaves, so they don’t need much water to sustain all their leaves. They also store lots of water to last long periods of time. These plants are called succulents. Other plants also have miniature hairs on their body to reflect the sun’s heat. Almost all of the animals living in the Australian deserts have specific techniques to survive in the harsh conditions of the desert. Many share similar ideas by storing water and being nocturnal. Some of these animals are: the bilby hides during the day and forages at night to avoid heat and dehydration. Bilbies dig burrows that are one to two metres below ground and moister and up to ten degrees cooler than the surface.
They are so efficient in conserving water that they don't need to drink. They get enough moisture from their food: seeds, bulbs, fungi, spiders and insects, which they find by scratching and digging. Then there is the thorny lizard. Thorny lizards are heliotherm, meaning they need sunlight to warm themselves up, and their body temperature and agility depends on the outside temperature. They are most active during spring and autumn, but move very little during the hottest (Jan/Feb) or coldest months (June/July). During their active months they spend the nights and the midday heat under some protective cover such as a shrub or rock.