The camel is the most well-known creature to roam the desert; therefore it has earned an accolade for itself as the ‘ship of the desert’. Apart from endless golden sand, dry gusts of wind and desert palms very few images come to mind when picturing a desert. Boutique hotels in Dubai are usually packed with people who want to explore and learn about the actual topology, geology, and biodiversity of deserts. The hotels in the city promote desert treks; Desert Palm PER AQUUM is one hotel that does so, complete with guides, food, and vehicles included in the package.
The exploration of Dubai deserts would bring to earth the realities that are hidden amidst the sand and rocks. It is believed that in the past there were far more species of life that existed in the desert terrains of Dubai, but as the years passed some have become extinct while others are endangered. Some are seen so rarely that they even wildlife experts are unsure of their continuity as a species.
The existence of gazelles, oryx, and invertebrates in addition to the much spoken of camels has been confirmed. Arabian leopards have been spotted prowling around in mountainous areas where there is access to water while the hares that reside in this part of the world do not live in burrows but out in the open. Their beige fur acts as the camouflage and they survive easily from the wetness of the grass they consume. The tahrs and mountain gazelles occupy the mountainous regions with the leopards but only the tahrs squabble with the Arabian leopards for water as the mountain gazelles can do with or without for long periods of time.
The invertebrates such as snails, scorpions and spiders are common in the sand and fall prey to some of the larger animals. Yet, their population is always on the rise, unlike their larger counterparts who devour them.
Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life.