What is the flora and fauna of Kalahari Desert?

What is the flora and fauna of Kalahari Desert?

The northern part of the Kalahari Desert is home to a rich, diverse selection of animals, including various types of elephants, antelopes, lions, leopards, cheetahs, baboons, hyenas, anteaters and dozens of other species.

Which are common in Kalahari Desert?

The Kalahari is home to desert specialties such as meerkat, bat-eared foxes, cape fox and brown hyena. One of the more unexpected Kalahari Desert facts is that all three African big cats can be found here –cheetah, leopard and the famous black-maned Kalahari lions.

Are there lions in the Kalahari Desert?

These lions have vast territories, spreading across the harsh, arid environment of the desert. The Kalahari lions tend to gather in smaller, more scattered groups – unlike the larger prides found in other areas.

Are there leopards in the Kalahari Desert?

Some of the iconic carnivores of the Kalahari include the Kalahari lions, cheetahs, leopards, and wild dogs. Notable herbivores include elephants, black rhinos, larger herds of gemsbok, hartebeest, springbok, wildebeest, and impalas.

Are there rocks in the Kalahari Desert?

The discovery of extremely old stone-age tools and crystals at a rock shelter in the southern Kalahari Desert may change scientists’ understanding of early human culture in Africa. The new finds, reported in the journal Nature, include stone tools, bones with signs of butchery, and ostrich eggshell fragments.

How many plants are in the Kalahari?

Because the Kalahari Desert is not technically a desert, there are almost 500 species of vegetation that thrive during the rainy season. Because the soil and sand of the Kalahari retains water better than normal desert sand, the plant life is thriving in some parts.

What do lions in the Kalahari eat?

gemsbok
The Kalahari Lion feeds on the gemsbok. The gemsbok feeds on plants that hold water such as the Hoodia cactus. The weaver makes its nest in the camelthorn tree, and so on. When one species becomes extinct, it has a ripple effect on a number of other species.

What kind of plants grow in the Kalahari Desert?

Kalahari Desert Plants. In regards to trees, the most prevalent ones are acacia trees like the camelthorn tree. This tree grows almost exclusively in the Kalahari Desert and it is a symbol of the desert. Some cactus species like the Hoodia cactus is also present. Closer to the Okavango Delta there can be found baobabs as well.

What kind of weather does the Kalahari Desert have?

Rainfall is scanty, and parts of the desert are drained by the salt pans of Makgadikgadi and Etosha. In spite of harsh weather conditions, Kalahari desert exhibits a wide variety of plant and animal species.

Where does the name Kalahari Desert come from?

The word ‘Kalahari’ is derived from the Setswana (a language spoken in southern Africa) word kgala, meaning great thirst. The Kalahari desert covers the central part of southern Africa, and covers large areas of South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia.

What to do with Kalahari seeds in summer?

A root infusion is used to treat stomach ailments or as a laxative, while the seeds can be used as a coffee substitute. This annual has light yellow flowers in summer (yes, and thorns!), especially after good rains.