Previous Year Question

Xericoles are animals adapted to living in dry or desert environments. Desert ecosystems are characterised by water scarcity, high temperatures, intense solar radiation and large differences between day and night temperatures.

Xericoles may possess several physiological and behavioural adaptations for water conservation. Many desert animals are nocturnal, avoiding intense daytime heat and becoming active at night.

Some animals remain inside burrows during the day, where temperatures may be lower and humidity comparatively higher than at the surface. This helps reduce body-water loss.

Desert rodents and several other Xericoles may produce highly concentrated urine and relatively dry faeces to minimise water loss. Some species obtain a substantial part of their water requirement from food and metabolic water.

Camels, Kangaroo Rats, desert reptiles and numerous insects are well-known examples of xeric adaptations. Academic ecology material describes animals adapted to dry/desert environments as Xerocoles/Xericoles.

Arboreal animals → animals adapted to living in trees.
Terrestrial animals → animals living generally on land; this is a much broader category.
Fossorial animals → animals adapted for digging and living underground.

Thus, every Fossorial animal is not necessarily a Xericole, and every Terrestrial animal is not necessarily desert-adapted.