Wildlife
Dry tolerant plants and animals are able to cope with conditions where water is hard to find. Strategies include preventing its loss, storing for later use and being able to survive on less than normal. These adaptations aren't only important for organisms that live in tropical hot deserts. They're also necessary for those that inhabit the cold deserts of the polar regions, and non-desert areas that suffer from periodic or seasonal droughts. Cacti are among the most drought resistant plants on the planet and are able to store water in their stems and roots. Some can even survive years of drought after a single rainfall.
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Thirst quencher
Namaqua sandgrouse use their breast feathers to collect water for their chicks.
Namaqua sandgrouse use their breast feathers to collect water for their chicks.
Desert bloom
When the rains come, the southern African desert blazes with colour for a few short weeks.
When the rains come, the southern African desert blazes with colour for a few short weeks.
Big ears
Desert animals use blood capillaries in their ears to shed unwanted heat.
Desert animals use blood capillaries in their ears to shed unwanted heat.
Furnace flora
Where no animals live, desert holly and creosote bushes hack the heat.
Where no animals live, desert holly and creosote bushes hack the heat.
Desert survivor
The Welwitschia plant may be a missing link between conifers and flowering plants.
The Welwitschia plant may be a missing link between conifers and flowering plants.
Long-eared hedgehog
Crest-tailed mulgara
Ethiopian wolf
Meerkat
Argali sheep
Bactrian camel
Camels
Dromedary camel
Guanaco
Markhor
Nubian ibex
Springbok
Black-footed rock-wallaby
Red kangarooDesiccation tolerance refers to the ability of an organism to withstand or endure extreme dryness, or drought-like conditions. Plants and animals living in arid or periodically arid environments such as temporary streams or ponds may face the challenge of desiccation, therefore physiological or behavioral adaptations to withstand these periods are necessary to ensure survival. In particular, insects occupy a wide range of ecologically diverse niches and, so, exhibit a variety of strategies to avoid desiccation.
In general, desiccation resistance in insects is measured by the change in mass during dry conditions. The overall mass difference between measurements before and after aridity exposure is attributed to body water loss, as respiratory water loss is generally considered negligible.
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Desert rose 
Dragon's blood tree 
Great Basin bristlecone pine 
Saguaros 
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Galápagos land iguana
Inland taipan
Labord's chameleon
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Galápagos giant tortoise
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Camel spiders