I don't know what that area looks like in general... but I have a feeling I can imagin. A whole lot of open plains with very little in the way of things to stop any kind of wind from blowing up sand and dirt. You need a pretty decent amount of bushes, trees, and what not to keep that stuff down, or else it's all just going to blow away. You basicly needs semi to full forests spread all over to help areas like that from being created, or growing bigger.
If I am not mistaken that is basicly the reasons for all those huge duststorms that happend in usa during... oh I don't know... the first half or third of the 20th century... maybe earlier. Because anything that used to exist in those areas, to keep all that from blowing up and away like that, was pretty much gone by then due to them over time removing most of it.
Of course klimate does it's thing to... but it does it's thing a lot faster when you remove most of what was there to hold it back.
Anywho... a bit off topic... XD
So... what do you think of mechanical ferrets, squirrels, and simmilar kinds of animals? They are cool and awesome animals after all!
A mechanical ferret could be a really good little robot to help you get into buildings and what not. Small, flexible, quick, and somewhat good at climbing.