From the highest mountains to the thickest jungle, coldest ice floes, or hottest desert — the world is full of hostile landscapes, but animals seem determined to make a go of it. With specialised bodies, unusual diets and unique behaviours, they have conquered every corner of the globe.
The desert is perhaps the toughest environment where animals must find ways to beat the heat. Creepy crawlies like scorpions have waxy exoskeletons to prevent water loss. For mammals, it can be very difficult to find water, but some take advantage of the bug’s strategies; meerkats, for example, enjoy nothing more than chowing down on a scorpion, enjoying its juicy body to get most of the water they need.
Few animals face greater challenges than the muskox on their frozen wasteland. With the hottest fur and ability to graze on the smallest of food plants, they are true survivors. But wherever they live, animals have adapted to make the most of the surroundings. The truth is they are all masters of the wild.
