Years ago...
These three skeletons were found in the Sahara Desert.
Thousands of years ago, the Sahara actually did have enough water supply so animals and even some people could live on the edge of the desert. Evidence shows that in that area, a sustainable river was located which was where animals such as crocodiles would visit for a drink. Also, many dinosaur fossils were discovered including; Jobaria, Ouranosaurus, and Afrovenator fossils.
Prehistoric rock paintings also showed that lions, giraffes, elephants, and cattle roamed in once-lush Sahara.
Today...
There is mininum vegetaion and water to sustain life in the Sahara. The Nile River, a few oases, and the northern highlands, where Mediterranean plants such as the olive tree are found to grow are the only places to find vegetation and water. After the shift in the Earth's axis around 1600 B.C., temperatures increased and precipitation decreased.
Camels were introduced to the Sahara Desert around 200 A.D. They can go 17 days without food or water and have soft feet so they can move quicker through the sand. Many Rodents, Snakes, and Scorpions live in the desert including the deathstalker scorpion. The deathstalker scorpion can grow up to 4 inches long and has venom which contains large amounts of agitoxin and scyllatoxin which makes this scorpion one of the most dangerous in the world. The Sahara is home to 40-plus species of rodents including the jerboa. To keep cool, the jerboa burrows underneath the sand to find more humid soils.
Camels were introduced to the Sahara Desert around 200 A.D. They can go 17 days without food or water and have soft feet so they can move quicker through the sand. Many Rodents, Snakes, and Scorpions live in the desert including the deathstalker scorpion. The deathstalker scorpion can grow up to 4 inches long and has venom which contains large amounts of agitoxin and scyllatoxin which makes this scorpion one of the most dangerous in the world. The Sahara is home to 40-plus species of rodents including the jerboa. To keep cool, the jerboa burrows underneath the sand to find more humid soils.
The Addax nasomaculatus, also known as the screwhorn antelope, is the Sahara's largest indigenous mammal. It travels in small herds and insted of drinking water, it sucks moisture from the desert's grass and bushes. The Addax also has oversized hooves that help them adapt to moving through the loose sand in the desert.
Several Jackals and Hyenas roam around the Sahara desert. The Mall Fennec Fox weighs less than 3 pounds and makes his home in tunnels in the sand dunes during the day and comes out during the night to prey on the rodents.
The horned viper has venom that, when injected into the human body, can cause significant damage to tissues and red blood cells. Repeated exposure to a lot of hemotoxins, which is what is contained in the viper’s venom, can be fatal.
The Dromedary Camel doesn't store water in its hump, but fat. Whenever food is scarce, all the camel has to do is to feed off the fat stored in its hump. That has got to be one life-saving bulge!
Also known under the name of Gazella dorcas and Ariel Gazelle, the Dorcas Gazelle jumps when a predator is near. This Gazelle can run up to 49 miles per hour which makes it easy to escape from any threat.
The Dung Beetle survives completely on animal waste. There are three types of dung beetles; the first one makes an almost perfect ball out of the dung and rolls it the entire way home. The second type digs burrows by making a hole near the dung. The last type of dung beetle plows right into the dung and actually lives in the dung itself.
Ostriches cannot fly but they are one of the quickest animals in the world. This allows them to travel long distances, also they have excellent hearing abilities and eyesight, they kick attacking predators with their strong legs and have many more defense talents.
The Monitor Lizard is very dangerous, its venom compares to a deadly and venomous snake. They grow well in warm weather because they are cold-blooded reptiles. When it becomes very cold at night, they get very aggressive.