What would be the direct translation of "aunque" in this sentence

Question

El escorpión de Corteza de Arizona vive en los desiertos porque sus capas de grasa lo mantienen hidratado aunque se esconde debajo de cobijos como rocas o hojarasca en pleno día.

Is the direct translation of aunque here "while" or "even while"?

Why was aunque chosen instead of another preposition, such as y? It seems to clash with the "The scorpion lives in deserts" phrase. Is it common in Spanish to have sentences with this type of grammar?

In other words, what would be the best English translation for this sentence?

I would think it would be one where "aunque" is translated to "even while" but I don't find any listings of aunque meaning "even while," though it can mean "while." The only way for it to keep the meaning of "aunque" as "although" in English would be have "although it hides under rocks" separated by a comma or in parenthesis.

Answer 1

Although is fine, that's the most direct and correct translation; a comma would have been nice in the original sentence too, for it would have made the meaning clearer.