Mirages are found in deserts when when light passes through two layers of air with different temperatures. The blistering desert sun heats the sand which then heats a layer of air directly above the sand surface. The hot air bends light rays and reflects the sky on the sand, creating the illusion of water on the horizon. 

Oasis or no oasis, camels are incredibly resilient in desert conditions and can survive for a week or even longer without water and for several months without eating any food. The camel uses its infamous hump, or humps in the case of Bactrian camels, to store fat reserves to give the camels energy to survive when food is scarce. The humps are not used for storing water as commonly misunderstood. The bigger a camels hump, the healthier the camel is. Healthy camels live for around 50 years. 

Camels have evolved to be equipped for all desert conditions including sand storms. Camels have three sets of eyelids and two rows of eyelashes and have the ability to close their nostrils, to keep the sand out. Even more incredible is Dromedary Camels ability to extract moisture from the air using their specialised nostrils. Camels have adapted wide flat feet for walking in sand and have extra thick lips which let them forage for food from even the most thorny plants which other animals can’t reach. Camels can loose up to 40% of their body weight, journeying in the sand dunes and then drink over 100 litres of water in one go when they finally reach water. These astonishing mammals can carry up to 600 lbs and run up to 25 miles an hour and are known as the “ships of the desert.”