The world is getting hotter.
And while most of us are
either sweating it out
or enjoying the luxury of
air conditioning,
some animals
thrive in extreme heat.
Today
we are going to show you
Steaming it up at number ten
These hearty reptiles can live
in temperatures
of up to 40 °C (104°F).
Surprisingly,
they can also tolerate
temperatures that
dip below freezing.
Their secret to living in this
harsh environment
is that they live 95% of
their lives underground,
escaping the
extreme temperatures
of the Mojave Desert.
They hibernate for about
nine months,
but they are usually
aboveground between
March and June
or September and October.
Things are heating up
on the way to number nine
These freshwater fish
These freshwater fish may be small,
around two inches long,
but they're mighty
as they live in water that gets
as hot as 45 °C (114 °F).
The only place you'll find them
is in El Pandeño de los Pandos
hot springs, southeast
of Chihuahua, Mexico.
The water is so hot
that they have
no natural predators
other than humans.
These hot springs are now
a protected sanctuary.
Scorching in at number eight
Somali wild asses,
which are closely
related to zebras,
can live in temperatures
as high as 49 °C (120 °F).
They can survive
without water longer
than any other member of
the horse, or equid family.
And their large ears
help them dissipate
the oppressive heat.
Though they once roamed
throughout West Africa,
they're now critically
endangered.
Good job humans.
With only a small population
of around 400
living in Northern Ethiopia.
Roasting our way
to number seven,
Camels are
a symbol of the desert.
It's probably because they can
withstand temperatures
up to 49 °C (120 °F),
which is why they're
such a reliable
mode of transportation
for desert-dwelling humans.
The two species of camels
are the two-humped Bactrian
and the one-humped
dromedary,
or Arabian camel.
Contrary to popular belief,
their humps store fat,
not water,
which they use for energy.
You'll find Bactrian camels
in China's Gobi Desert
and the steppes of Mongolia,
while dromedaries
are native to North Africa
and the Middle East.
However,
there is an invasive wild
population of dromedaries
in Australia.
Surprise, surprise.
Though the majority of the world's
dromedaries are domesticated,
Bactrian camels
can be wild or domesticated.
Searing in in number six
This adorable nocturnal rodent
lives in environments that reach
54 °C (129 °F).
They dwell in the deserts of
North Africa's Arabian Peninsula,
and they spend most of their time
burrowing underground to stay cool.
Can't say I blame them.
These critters evolved for living in
the desert as they rarely urinate
and only get water
from the food they eat,
not by drinking it.
Which brings us to the blistering
This flightless African bird
is the world's largest and heaviest.
And it can sprint at speeds of
up to 70 km/h (43 mph),
making it the fastest.
It tolerates temperatures
that reach 56 °C (133 °F).
And unless they happen upon
a watering hole,
ostriches don't need to drink water
as they hydrate
through the foods they eat,
like the jerboa.
Here's a fun fact.
Ostriches
don't bury their heads in the sand,
although sometimes they lay them
on the ground.
From afar, it may look like their heads
are buried, but they're not.
Blazing our way to number four
Silver ants are the fastest insects
on the planet,
running at 0.3 m per second
That's like a human running
at 643 km/h (400 mph).
They run this fast because otherwise,
they will bake
in Africa's 60 °C (140 °F) Sahara Desert.
Feverishly approaching number three
These cute little foxes
live in Iran's Lut Desert.
In 2005, it set the world record for
the highest surface temperature
at 70 °C (159 °F).
Like many other creatures on this list,
they're masters
of water conservation,
always absorbing it from their prey.
Rüppell's foxes
are also night hunters,
which allows them to stay cooler
and waste less water.
Being small,
only 66 to 74 cm (26 to 29 in) long,
helps them dissipate heat
and conserve energy.
And the fur on the pads of their feet
prevents the searing sand
from scorching their paws.
Melting are waiting number two
These frilly worms are tough cookies.
They live directly on stone
hydrothermal vents that spew boiling
hot water from the Earth’s crust.
They're found
at the bottom of the ocean,
at depths ranging
from 1,500 m (5,000 ft) to 3,500 m (11,500 ft).
The worms build protective tubes
around themselves and attach them
to these hydrothermal chimneys,
allowing them to survive in
temperatures that reach up to 105°C (221°F).
That's a toasty worm
Pompeii worms also have a unique
bacterial coating that cools them
by redistributing the heat.
The coating also helps break down
the vent's minerals, making them
an important part of this
very harsh ecosystem.
And sizzling it up to number one
Affectionately known as water bears,
these nearly microscopic creatures
have eight legs and clawed hands.
They are found everywhere on Earth,
from the deep seas
to mud volcanoes to Antarctica.
But they prefer living in
wet ecosystems, like on moss
or at the bottom of lakes.
Tardigrades feed on the juices
of lichen, moss and algae,
but some species are carnivores.
Sometimes, they even eat each other.
These water bears are indestructible,
living in temperatures that range from
-200 °C (-328 °F) to 149 °C (300 °F).
Scientists from
Harvard and Oxford universities
found that even a supernova,
asteroid impact or gamma-ray burst,
all of which would
obliterate humanity,
would have zero effect on the
tough little tardigrade.
They definitely earned their
spot at the top of this list.
Conserving water and thriving
in the world's hottest places
is what these organisms do,
and that's what makes them