Wells in the Desert: How Donkeys Help Animals During Drought
Biologist Erik Lundgren of the Sydney Institute of Technology has identified an interesting feature in the behavior of donkeys living in the desert. It turns out that, like mustangs, they dig wells, thereby increasing the availability of water in arid areas. Writes about this Science.
Scientists, led by Lundgren, surveyed the Sonoran Desert and discovered many deep pits. Camera traps showed that they were made by feral donkeys. Biologists noted that other animals also use wells: lynxes, mules, birds. In total, 59 species of vertebrates with a mass larger than 100 grams resort to these water sources.
The study says the donkey is capable of digging a well up to two meters deep. This greatly increases the availability of surface water. Such pits reduce the distance between sources of life-giving moisture.
Earlier, the bones of a dinosaur unknown to science were found in the Atacama Desert. The herbivorous dinosaur lived 66-80 million years ago. At that time, the desert was a blooming oasis.
