Kalahari Desert, A Full Of Life Place

The Kalahari Desert covers Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. The Kalahari comprises 900 square kilometers. Its name comes from the word in Twsana language "Kglagadi", that means "big thirst". Although it's called Kalahari Desert, it's not really a desert. Why? Because it receives 250 mm of rainfall. Only places where the rainfall is lesser than this are considered deserts. So, actually, it's a semi-arid and sandy area. In a distant past, what nowadays is the Kalahari, was a big lake. So it's not estrange the big amount of fossils that can be found in this zone. Despite the bad climate conditions and the lack of water, the Kalahari shelters a big amount of animals and plants. Amongst the Kalahari's fauna it can be found the Kalahari antelope, which adapts very well to its medium, as it doesn't need water. It finds the liquid it needs to survive in the vegetables that it feeds of. Other animals include the black rhinoceros, hyenas, lions, birds, reptiles... The most popular animal from Kalahari is, with no doubt, the meerkat. Some curiosities about the meerkat: - They live in groups from 5 to 30 members. - One of the members is always watching to see if a predator appears. - When a predator appears, it cries to alert the group. - The black spots around the eyes are like natural sunglasses that protect their eyes from sunlight filtering the ultraviolet rays. - They use their tail to maintain balance when they are over 2 legs. - They are skilled predators, able to hunt even cobra snakes. - They feed on scorpions, and they are immune to their poison. In the Kalahari Desert, it can be found the Hoodia cactus. It has a chemical component that fools the brain and gives a feeling of lack of hunger. This cactus is used by the bushmen to calm hunger when food is limited. Bushmen. They are the inhabitants of the Kalahari Desert. They are peaceful and kind, and live on the hunt and recollection. They use to live in groups of 10 to 15 people. In their groups there is no leaders. Each member of the group has his own function. Their language is very strange, as they have an "click" sound that they make with their tongues. They use it to emphasize the meaning of some words they say. They are nomads, they travel constantly in quest for food and water. Roots and tubers are the 80% of their diet. -Emma Alvarez- © 2008 by Emma Alvarez. Link to this post without copying the text. Some Related Posts: If you liked this post, subscribe to Emma Alvarez Site or give yourself a gift Stumble it! Add me to your del.icio.us network