Faced with such a bleak picture, most of us simply bury our heads in the increasingly warm sand and hope for the best.

Once required to imagine the warm sand trickling between their toes, even those most adept at deflecting unwelcome questions often surprise their audience, and perhaps themselves, by telling the truth.

And how long are you prepared to spend in the air to feel the sun on your back and warm sand between your toes?

Blue dragon eggs must be buried in warm sand to incubate.

The contrast between colder lower areas and warm sand dunes creates a bright variety of species.