Death Valley's Kangaroo Rats never need a drink of water

Kangaroo Rats can live their entire lives without drinking a drop of liquid, a very handy ability when living in the Death Valley and other desert areas. All of the water they need to survive can be metabolized within their bodies from the dry seeds they eat. They also conserve moisture; their kidneys can concentrate urine to five times that of humans.

Kangaroo rats avoid the intense heat of the day in underground burrows that are both cooler and higher in humidity than outside. Water vapor in the humid air is reclaimed by special membranes in their nasal passages, and is also absorbed by the food stored within the den. They may even plug the burrow’s entrance with dirt to keep out heat and intruders.