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Planet Earth IISeries 1, DesertsIn pictures...

The incredible ways in which animals cope with living in the planet's deserts.

  • Sand grouse quickly take to the wing to get out of the way of these fighting oryx.
  • Harris hawks can be found throughout much of the Americas
  • Palmato geckos have webbed-feet so that they can more easily move across the surface of the sand.
  • Lightning in the desert
  • Namibia’s arid gravel plains are so incredibly hot that rain often evaporates before it hits the ground.
  • Some of the oldest and largest sand dunes in the world.
  • When two evenly matched mustang stallions come together the results can be short but explosively violent fights.
  • Otonycteris, the desert long-eared bat.
  • Rob Drewett filming in the middle of a swarm of a billion flying locusts.
  • Piloting a large, remotely operated drone through the narrow walls of a slot canyon.
  • A lioness stalks her prey
  • Because prey is so thin on the ground, desert lions must hunt whatever animals they come across.
  • The golden mole uses its entire head as an amplifier that it thrusts into the sand to sense movement.
  • Special grooves in the darkiling beetle's casing helps to channel water from all over its body towards its mouth.

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