Some animals lick dew off plants or eat leaves to get water. Desert beetles stand on their heads so that the water droplets from fog trickle down into their mouths.

All birds need water - even desert birds. The sand grouse of Africa finds water wherever it can and transports it to its young in its nest. How?

The male has special sponge-like feathers on its belly that it soaks in water. Back at the nest, the chicks drink the water from the male's feathers.

Water for the transport of plants

Plants also rely on water for their internal transport system. They have two main tissues that are responsible for the movement of substances around the plant. One is a tissue called em. This is responsible for moving water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the parts of the plant above ground. The water flows up the tiny tubes called xylem vessels, which are rather like a bundle of drinking straws. When you drink using a straw, water is drawn up the straw because you suck at the top. Plants draw up water from the ground in a similar manner. As water evaporates from the surfaces of the leaves, more water is drawn upward from the root and up the stem to replace it. This creates a continual flow of water from the roots to the leaves. The evaporation of water from the leaves is called transpiration.

Leaves have tiny pores, called stomata. Most of these are found on the under surface of the leaf. The stomata are designed to allow gases to enter and leave the plant for photosynthesis (the process of making food from carbon dioxide and water using light energy) and respiration (the process in which glucose and other food materials are broken down to release energy). When the stomata are open, water vapor can also escape. Water loss is less at night because the stomata are closed. Many leaves have a shiny, wax-like, waterproof covering on the upper surface of their leaves, known as a cuticle. This covering helps to reduce water loss because plants with a waxy cuticle can only lose water through the stomata on the lower surfaces of each leaf.

Desert adaptions of plants

Desert plants have to be able to survive for months, and sometimes even years, without a supply of water. Plants that show special adaptations to conserve or store water are called xerophytes. Cacti and succulents are the most common examples. They have small leaves, so less water evaporates from their surfaces. In extreme cases the leaf has been reduced to a spine. The leaves are usually covered with a thick, waxy cuticle to reduce water loss. Many species of cacti are covered in a layer of white hairs. The white color reflects heat away from the plant, while the hairs trap a thin layer of air around the plant, making it more difficult for water to evaporate. Some plants, such as the giant fig, have evolved incredibly deep roots that are able to reach down to the water table many feet below ground. Others have a shallow but wide root system. This is designed so that, when it rains, the roots can absorb water from as large an area as possible. Many cacti are shaped like a barrel so that liquid can be stored within the stems. Often this liquid is quite acid to the taste, but one or two cacti contain sweet, fresh water that is safe to drink.

Cacti and succulents are not the only plants that live in deserts. Annual plants (plants that live for just one year) live there too, sometimes surviving only for a few weeks, just long enough to produce seeds before dying. The landscape in a desert is transformed after rain, for the annual plants have to complete their life cycles very quickly. As soon as the rain falls, the seeds in the ground germinate and within a few weeks they flower and produce seeds. These seeds may have to stay dormant in the ground for several years until it rains again when they, in turn, can germinate.

The Namib Desert in southwest Africa is different from other deserts. Although it rarely rains, the desert is close to the coast and is sometimes covered by fog. On several nights each year, the fog moves over the desert and, as it does so, tiny droplets of water condense in the cool air and fall to the ground. Many animals and plants have developed behavior patterns to make use of this water supply. Darkling beetles, which have very long legs, clamber to the top of sand dunes and align themselves to face the coast. The beetle will raise its abdomen and, as the fog moves past, droplets of water condense on it and roll down into its open mouth. The Namib Desert is also home to an unusual plant called welwitschia. It does not resemble a conventional desert plant because rather than having small leaves, welwitschia has huge leaves, each being several yards long. Running beneath the upper surface of the leaf are absorbent fibers. These fibers are specially adapted to absorb any moisture that condenses on the surface.