In the desert, where the animals are called "Dusties", Ajar the cobra and his best friend, Pitt the scorpion, steal a watermelon from a camelcade, only to have it taken by an older cobra named Saladin. The duo are a frequent target of belittling by Saladin and are viewed as outcasts. Ajar, tired of being a "loser", decides they should go into the Oasis, a haven for the rich and highly sophisticated green snakes but is forbidden to the Dusties.