Desert animals

The UAE is historically known for its attachment to camels which are of social and economic value in the region. The animal is famously known as the ship of the desert because of its walk, which is much like the motion of a ship at sea. Patience is one of its most observable features and camels are generally useful animal. Historically, camels in the UAE were a dependable source of not only transport but also food and milk.

The Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) once roamed the entire Arabian Peninsulia, it became extinct as a wild species in the early 1960's. However, the late H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan had a few captive animals that bred well, and today there are several herds at various locations in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The sand gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa marica) is the second largest of the antelopes that occur in the UAE and weighs up to 22 kgs. Virtually extinct in the wild, there are occasional reports from the Liwa of small groups of these beautiful creatures. The elegantly curved horns of both males and females are considerably longer than those of other gazelles occurring in the area. The animals are very light in color, the head completely white in older animals, with back and flanks being light beige. The belly is white and there is no darker stripe between the white underside and the beige flanks and back of the gazelle.

The pure Arabian wolf's eyes are yellow with black pupils. Today many are found with brown eyes, a certain sign that they are not of pure blood anymore and that their ancestors have interbred with feral dogs. This poses a very serious threat to the survival of this species. They do not live in large packs but hunt in pairs or groups of three to four animals.

Primarily a means to supplement an otherwise meagre diet, falconry was an integral part of desert life. But hunting expeditions also provided the ideal setting for tribal sheikhs to tour their area and connect with the people. The late Sheikh Zayed, founding father of the UAE, often spoke of the satisfaction he derived from being part of a hunting party.

Camel spiders are one of the fastest running arthropods. Although they have four pairs of legs, they run using only three pairs. The first pair of legs or pedipalpi are held up in front of them and used in a similar manner to the antennae of insects. They have very long,

silky setae and are constantly moving in order to locate and pick-up prey. Despite their fearsome appearance and their strong bite, solifugids are unlikely to harm humans.

Thank You Very Much

Ridha Hussain, Year 4/4