Surviving droughts: How some fish and frogs do it

Talk about unique adaptations. Here is a video showing how lungfish and desert frogs are able to survive for years outside of water during periods of drought. The video also shows how thorny devils living in harsh desert environments absorb water through their skin. These adaptations may come in handy with climate change.

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I find this quite interesting. Having been to areas as dry as those mentioned, and living near some of them being from South Africa. You always find the strangest things in places where we wouldn't normally survive if not for ingenuity. It's fascinating that something that normally needs a constant supply of water can adapt to desert conditions. Another notable creature is a fish in death valley, which I ironically found out about before lungfish. Quite a strange occurrence regarding the fact that it lives in one of our planets driest areas. Unlike Africa where lack of water for long periods of time is often caused by drought and is as such abnormal, Death Valley is an actual desert where water is the abnormality.

By Ambrotos42 (14… (not verified) on 30 Apr 2014 #permalink