{{Short description|Organism that prefers or thrives in sandy areas}} [[File:Scarturus euphraticus 438215013.jpg|alt=A close-up photo of a Jerboa standing on two legs in a desert in Saudi Arabia|thumb|Jerboas are well adapted to living in sandy areas]] A '''psammophile''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|(|p|)|s|æ|m|oʊ|f|aɪ|l}} {{respell|(P)SAM|oh|fyle}})<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of PSAMMOPHILE |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psammophile |access-date=2023-07-12 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref> is a plant or animal that prefers or thrives in sandy areas. Plant psammophiles are also known as psammophytes. They thrive in places such as the Arabian Peninsula, the Sahara<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mo'atsah|title=Israel Journal of Zoology|date=1992|page=182}}</ref> and the dunes of coastal regions.
Because of the unique ecological selective pressures of sand, animals on opposite sides of the planet can convergently evolve similar features, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as ecomorphological convergence.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fet |first=Victor |last2=Polis |first2=Gary A. |last3=Sissom |first3=W. David |date=1998-08-01 |title=Life in sandy deserts: the scorpion model |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140196397903864 |journal=Journal of Arid Environments |volume=39 |issue=4 |pages=609–622 |doi=10.1006/jare.1997.0386 |issn=0140-1963|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The ''Crotalus cerastes'' native to American deserts and the ''Bitis peringueyi'' native to Namibian deserts have independently evolved sidewinding behavior to traverse across sand.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Elbein |first=Asher |date=2021-02-01 |title=The Skin-Deep Physics of Sidewinder Snakes |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/science/sidewinders-snakes-physics.html |access-date=2023-08-31 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Similarly, the African jerboa and the American kangaroo rat have separately evolved a bipedal form with large hind legs that allow them to hop.
== Etymology ==
''Psammo'' is from Ancient Greek ψάμμος (psámmos, “sand”); ''-philo'' is from Ancient Greek φίλος (phílos, “dear, beloved”) via Latin ''-phila''.<ref>Information from Wiktionary</ref>
==Popular culture== With the correct spelling of the word ''psammophile'', Florida eighth-grader Dev Shah, one of 231 contestants, won the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee in June 2023 and was awarded $50,000 in prize money.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-02 |title=Chthonic, psammophile: The best spelling bee words to add to your vocab |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/06/02/scripps-spelling-bee-words-list-psammophile/ |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=Washington Post |language=en}}</ref>
== See also ==
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Extremophile}}
Category:Extremophiles
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