Desert Animals · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

How Desert Animals Survive

Science · Animals of the World · ages 7-9
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. A camel's hump is filled with water.

    Circle one:   True   False

  2. Zara wants to see a meerkat in the wild. Where should she go?

    • A cold, icy land
    • The deep ocean
    • A hot, dry desert

  3. Which of these animals lives in the desert?

    • Penguin
    • Octopus
    • Rattlesnake

  4. What is always true about deserts?

    • They are always dry
    • They always have snow
    • They are always hot

  5. Which animal stores fat in a hump on its back?

    • Meerkat
    • Scorpion
    • Camel

  6. Which desert animal digs a burrow and rests underground during the hot day?

    • Rattlesnake
    • Meerkat
    • Camel

  7. A meerkat digs a burrow underground. How does this help it survive the desert?

    • The burrow keeps other meerkats away
    • The burrow collects rainwater to drink
    • The burrow is cooler than the surface during the hot day

  8. Why do many desert animals stay hidden in the day and come out at night?

    • The night is cooler than the day
    • It rains more at night
    • They are scared of sunlight

  9. Ben says a camel's hump is like a bottle full of water. What is wrong with what Ben said?

    • The hump holds fat, not water
    • Nothing is wrong, Ben is right
    • Camels do not have humps

  10. A meerkat rests in its cool burrow all afternoon, then comes out to find food after dark. Which two survival tricks is it using?

    • Storing fat and having big ears
    • Hiding under rocks and storing water
    • Burrowing underground and being active at night
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_0zqOTjjW2k-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

How Desert Animals Survive W1-mt_0zqOTjjW2k-s1

  1. False · The hump holds fat, not water. That fat slowly gives the camel energy and a little water.
  2. A hot, dry desert · Meerkats are desert animals, so Zara should look in a hot, dry desert.
  3. Rattlesnake · Rattlesnakes live in deserts. Penguins live in cold, icy places, and octopuses live in the ocean.
  4. They are always dry · Deserts can be hot or cold, but they always get very little rain.
  5. Camel · The camel stores fat in its hump. The fat slowly gives it energy and a little water when food is hard to find.
  6. Meerkat · Meerkats dig burrows and rest underground, where the sand stays cool even on baking hot days.
  7. The burrow is cooler than the surface during the hot day · Underground burrows stay cooler, so meerkats can escape the hottest part of the day.
  8. The night is cooler than the day · Desert days can be burning hot. Night is cooler, so coming out then helps the animals beat the heat.
  9. The hump holds fat, not water · The hump holds fat. The fat slowly gives the camel energy and a little water, but no water is stored in the hump.
  10. Burrowing underground and being active at night · Resting in a cool burrow by day and coming out at night are two ways desert animals beat the heat.
Worksheet · LightMySky