The dry and deceptively empty Thar desert has an incredible story to tell – of spectacular diversity, unusual creatures, and exemplary survival strategies
About the contributor
Pradeep Hegde
is a conservation filmmaker and a wildlife cameraman with a passion for solution-based storytelling. He also produces films and works in close collaboration with various on-ground conservation teams.
View Profile
Related Content
Bishnois: Guardians of the Chinkaras
Meet the graceful chinkara that springs across the Thar. Also, meet its guardian angels — the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan, who watch over everything that thrives in the hot desert
Orans of Rajasthan: A Sacred Oasis at the Cusp of Change
Deg Rai Mata Oran is one of Rajasthan's largest sacred groves. A local guardian tells us how the lives of oran’s people and its biodiversity are intrinsically linked and why the new changes could be detrimental to this sacred oasis
A Dung Beetle Tries Stand Up
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment, and conservation
Dune Dinos: Laungwala Toad-headed Agama of the Thar Desert
With thick skin, a heavily scaled body, and perfect camouflage, this lizard is well adapted to living in one of the harshest environments in the world
Spiny‑tailed Lizard: Facts, Size, Habitat
All you need to know about this hardy survivor of extreme deserts
Sun and Sand: Spiny-Tailed Lizard’s Day Out
The sun is up in the Thar desert, and cold-blooded spiny-tailed lizards need to step out of their burrow to warm up. But hungry predators lurk just around the corner. Will the alert spiny get away?