The marrakech désert is host to the small state of Dubai. We are aware that entire Arabian Peninsula is basically a desert with a few arid mountains and hills as part of the landscape. Dubai is no exception and has a similar landscape.
The desert is not what we generally think of as barren and in hospitable. It indeed has a charm of its own. But the problem of scarcity of water is omnipresent and conditions the life in the desert. In addition the day temperatures are high and the night temperatures low due to the peculiar property of sand. In Dubai the desert temperatures can vary to great extremes.
Because of the extreme heat their is a big effect on wild life. Thus only animals that can withstand the heat can survive in the desert. Thus most animals like the sandskunk and sand boa move rapidly beneath the surface of loose sand or spend time in deep burrows and holes. Most species emerge only at night when the desert is cooler.
Birds can survive only in the desert if they are resilient as birds like animals cannot burrow in the sand. Therefore a lot many species migrate to cooler places.
The UAE has very few bird species. However the desert eagle, long legged buzzard, little owl and the brown necked raven can be seen in the desert. In addition the cream colored courser and the black crowned finch are also seen. During the winter months these local species are joined by migratory birds from central Asia like the warbler and hauberk bustard.
However the deserts do teem with a fair number of reptiles. These are the main animals which populate the desert. Giant desert lizards and monitor measuring a meter in length are fairly common. Snakes also survive in the desert sands and the poisonous desert viper does rule the roost. Most snakes burrow in the sand and come out only when the sun is not there.
Mammals are the worst sufferers in the desert. Thus within the last hundred years a slow extinction of mammals has taken place. However some desert variety of wolf, striped hyena and jackal have survived.In addition two species of gazelle including the mountain gazelle can be seen on the major roads between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
