Kalahari+Desert

=**KALAHARI DESERT- Darcy, Brayden and Hannah** =

Botswana / Namibia / South Africa
=** __//BOTANIST- DARCY LANE//__ ** = Water Eggs Camel Thorn Tree Shepherd's Tree Gray Camel Thorn Tree Tsmamma or Kalahari Desert Melon Ghaap

**Water Eggs** The San people of the kalahari desert have an great way of carrying water on hunting trips. They suck up water through hollow reeds, and store it in hollow ostrich eggshells.

**Camel Thorn Tree** Under the worst conditions of the Kalahari, the Camel Thorn Tree, Acacia erioloba, is actually a shrub, but under the right conditions it can grow into a tree up to 30 feet high. The plant's crescent-shaped seed pods, covered by a fine gray down and said to resemble camel hair, are from 4 to 5 inches from end to end. A mature tree can produce more than a thousand pounds of these pods in a year, each of which contains several hard, shiny seeds that are part of the survival rations for Bushmen. the camel thorn hard, dense wood is prized for "braaivleis," Afrikaans for barbecue.

**Shepherd's Tree** The Shepherd's Tree, Boscia albitrunca, with white bark and little, dark green leaves, is one of the few trees that will grow on the sides of a sand dune. It gives berries that are eaten raw, made into jam or combined with yogurt. Its roots are used to make a coffee thing and boiled to make a yummy syrup. They are also mashed and used as a flour.

**Gray Camel Thorn Tree** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The Gray Camel Thorn, Acacia Itaematoxylon, has gray leaves. It usually grows as a lots-of-stemmed shrub, although it can grow into a tree in flat sands and dry river beds. The seedpods are thinner and more round than the true Camel Thorn, and there are inlet between the seeds, making the pod look like a row of beads.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Tsmamma or Kalahari Desert Melon** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">A relative of the watermelon, the Tsmamma, Citrulus lanatus, can remain strong and fresh for more than two years. Both animals and men eat it for the water in its juice, which tastes better if it is cooked. The juice brews after two days.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Tsmamma or Kalahari Desert Melon**
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Both animals and men eat it for the water in its juice, which tastes better if it is cooked. The juice brews after two days. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">An oil from its seeds is highly prized. Kalahari desert melon is a valuable, edible resource for humans and other animals in the desert because of its hydrating properties. The seeds can be pressed to make oil, which is used to moisturize skin and hair. The Kalahari melon looks much like watermelon, and it can be eaten raw or cooked.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Threats to the desert.
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">global warming is a threat to desert life. Rainwater collects in underground lakes and sometimes flows to the surface. These water holes are called oases. If the earth overheats it can dry up these oases, hurting all the plants and animals that depend on them. Also, global warming increases the risk of wildfires that can burn down desert plants.

__**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Q.1 What are the main animals found in your chosen desert? Make a list of as many animal species as you can including animal, insect and bird species. **__
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Aardwolf]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span class="wiki_link_ext">Antbear / Aardvark
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Baboon, Chacma]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Badger, Honey]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Caracal]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Cat, African Wild]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Cat, Small-spotted / Black-footed]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Cheetah]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Fox, Bat Eared]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Fox, Cape]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Genet, Small spotted]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Jackal, Black Backed]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Kudu]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Leopard] [[image:file:///F:/desert%20pics/chacma-baboon-baby_vf-2947_blog.jpg link="http://www.wackywildlifewonders.com/files/animals/leopard.html"]]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Lion]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Pangolin]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Porcupine, African / Cape]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Steenbok]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Eland]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Gemsbok / Oryx]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Hartebeest, Red]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Hyaena, Spotted]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Springbok]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Warthog]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Wild Dog / African Hunting Dog]
 * <span style="color: #6d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Wildebeest, Blue]


 * __<span style="color: #ff0023; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Select 5 of these animal/insect or birds and describe them in detail. IE Are they tall, hairy, spiky, deadly, fast runners, can they fly etc. __**

<span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Diet: - Omnivore <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Overall Length: - 1.35m <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Weight: - Male - 38 kg <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Weight: - Female - 17 kg <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Lifespan - 31 years <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The chacma baboon is a highly intelligent animal which lives in rainforests or mountain valleys near water. They eat insects, berries and other small fruits. Baboons live in groups of 10-30 and have a dominant male leader. They sleep in trees high up.
 * __<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Chacma Baboon __**

__<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**African Wild Cat** __ <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Diet: - Carnivore <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Shoulder Height: - 0.35 m <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Weight: - Male - 5.5 kg <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Weight: - Female - 4.9 kg <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Lifespan - 14 years

<span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The wild cat is around 1.5 times larger that the average house cat and it is a light tan colour with dark stripes on its legs and a white stomach. The Wild cat is a solitary creature and it’s found almost anywhere, grasslands, bushlands and forests. They eat small animals, such as birds, frogs, reptiles and eggs. During the day they keep out of the weather by hiding in sheltered crevices, hollow logs, burrows and tunnels.

__<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Springbok** __ <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Diet: - Herbivore <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Shoulder Height: - 0.75 m <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Weight: - Male - 42.8 kg <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Weight: - Female - 38.8 kg <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Lifespan - 11 years

<span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The springbok is South Africa’s national animal, they’re found in open, dry, bushlands near water. They eat shrubs, grasses and roots. The Springbok can run up to 90 km/h and can jump up to 3.5 m. But despite their speed they’re preyed on by cheetah’s and leopards. They’re found in herds and are often seen living with other animals such a Blesbok, ostriches and wildebeest.

__<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Honey Badger** __ <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Diet: - Omnivore <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Overall Length: - 0.93m <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Weight: - Male - 12.3 kg <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Weight: - Female - 12.3 kg <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Lifespan - 20 years <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The honey Badger is found in many areas and is very adaptable. It is very small with a white saddle on it’s back and a black body. It has a short bushy tail and small ears, it has very thick loose skin. The Badger eats small animals such as lizards, rodents, frogs, snakes and insects. It’s name comes from it’s tendency to smash open beehives and eat the honey and larvae. The Honey Badger is nocturnal and usually lives on it’s own.

__<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Spotted Hyaena** __ <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Diet: - Carnivore <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Shoulder Height: - 0.8 <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Weight: - Male - 68.4 kg <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Weight: - Female - 72 kg <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Lifespan - 23 years

<span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The Hyaena has big round ears and tall shoulders which slope downwards. The Hyeana has a long, coarse light brown coat with darker spots on it. They have very very strong jaws which can crush bones easily. Hyeana’s live in groups of up to ten and survive on leftover carcases killed by carnivores such as lions. Hyeana’s are not very often seen in the wild because they spend their days resting in cool tunnels. They come out at night to eat and drink, often looking for a long time before they find anything. Their loud, high pitch howls are characteristic of Africa.

<span style="color: #2d00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__**<span style="color: #ff002d; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Q.2 Describe ways that your 5 chosen animals adapt to the desert conditions. **__ <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">All of my animals except the Baboon stay out of the sun during the day and come out at night to eat, drink and socialise. The Baboon lives in thick bushland or forest though so it doesn’t get as hot in the shade. Most of the animals live in groups so they have strength in numbers and they can look after their young and hunt for food.

__**<span style="color: #ff0021; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Q.4 Identify and describe any threats to the animals in your desert area. **__ <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">One of the threats to the animals in the Kalahari is Global Warming. Because the weather is hotter, it dries up the small amount of water that does fall faster, and it makes it harder for the creatures to find shelter from the sun. Also, hotter weather increases the chance of wildfires, which can burn down the plant life and the homes of the animals. Development doesn’t have a huge impact on the Kalahari because it’s so hot there and so remote. The desert is a relatively quiet desert, and most of the animals survive there.

<span style="color: #00ff14; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**//__GEOLOGIST- BRAYDEN COBURN__//**
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Type of terrain?** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The surface is mostly covered with red soil except in the East where large patches of sand are found. When a heavy rain occurs pans of water form in the extensive mud flats.The erosion of soft stone formations created the sand masses. The red parallel dunes with wind-shaped sand ridges were stabilized through vegetation and are so typical of the landscape in the Kalahari.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Key landforms?** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area in Africa extending 900,000 km2.The Kalahari Desert was created by the erosion of soft stone formations and then the wind shaped the sand. Later on the dunes stabilized through vegetation and the area became a dry savannah. Today the desert covers an area of 225,000 miles.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Type of climate?** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Summer** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">In summer the temperature in the Kalahari basin climbs up to 40 degrees Celsius and higher. The annual rainfall is rarely more than 100 mm and some years it even stays below 50 mm. Precipitation can only be expected between December and April, when tropical thunderstorm activity extends down to the Kalahari basin. Then it rains huge amounts in a short time, and the desert transforms into a green oasis with colorful wild flowers all over.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Winter** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">In winter (June to August), the climate is pleasant. Then the air is dry and temperatures lie around 25 degrees Celsius. But the nights are harshly cold. Winter is also the best time for animal viewing because of the drought the game is forced to come to the waterholes in the riverbed.


 * Choose a landform and describe how the environment help it?**


 * Sand Dunes:**

The sand dunes of the Kalahari Desert was created by the erosion of soft stone formations and then the wind blew and shaped the sand into massive sand dunes. Then over times the dunes stabilized and became massive sand dunes.