This was particularly alarming since we were all sleeping in hammocks. While some of these animals pose dangers with their poisonous bites, such as snakes and scorpions, others may prey on farm animals, such as eagles and wildcats. Sharing land with so many potentially harmful animals can be quite the hardship, but thankfully we can adapt!
Humans and plants alike have been adapting to these arid environments in different ways. In the Tatacoa, there are some shepherd families who mainly own goats and cattle. Unfortunately, there is relatively little water runoff, which means that there is not a lot of water available from the rain. Plants too have had to adapt to the conditions of low humidity and high temperatures. For example, the plants and trees in this area have developed horizontal roots of up to 30 meters and vertical roots up to 15 meters deep! This helps to facilitate access to water. Similarly, some cacti reach between four and five meters high!
