Dromedary and Bactrian camels, meerkat sentries, fennec foxes, and the Arabian oryx that zoos brought back from extinction in the wild.
Perhaps fewer than 100 left in the wild in the Sahara.
Extinct in the wild by 1972, then saved by zoo breeding ("Operation Oryx") and returned to Oman, Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Two humps; the camel of the Silk Road and the cold Gobi.
One hump. Domesticated in Arabia about 3,000 years ago; it carried the caravan trade across the Sahara and Arabia.
Fewer than about 1,000 left in China and Mongolia.
The smallest fox; its huge ears release heat and hear prey under sand.
A kind of mongoose that is immune to some scorpion venom.
Swipe, then tap to play. Captions are switched on where the maker provides them. Each film plays from its maker's channel.
Tap a picture to enlarge it. Every picture is public domain or openly licensed, credited below, and kept on our own server.
Lessons: The Mammal Hall: Weigh the cost of warmthPreviewThe Domesticated Animal: Map it, time itPreviewEcosystems: Two Ways to Hold a HabitatPreview
Drawer: Zoo: Desert
Quiz: Desert quiz · 5 questions
Next door: Lamby: camels and their cousins