Carnivores of the Kalahari Desert Free Essay Example, 2250 words

The average amount of rainfall it receives per year is estimated to be between 76 and 190 mm of rain per year (Thomas & Shaw, 2009). The area is surrounded by the Kalahari basin, which covers about 2,500,000 square kilometers extending further into Namibia, South Africa and Botswana, and intruding into sections of Zimbabwe, Angola and Zambia. The Okavango is the only permanent river that flows into the delta in the northwest, forming wetlands that are rich in wildlife (Thomas & Shaw, 2009). Primeval riverbeds known as the Omuramba pass through the Central Northern stretches of the Kalahari and supply stagnant pools during the rainy season (Ownes, 2012). In the past, the riverbeds were mostly havens for wild animals in the desert ranging from elephants to giraffes, and predators such as lion and cheetah (Ownes, 2012). Currently, the riverbeds are mainly grazing lands although some predators such as leopard and cheetah can still be found. Climate The word Kalahari is acquired from the Tswana term Kgala that can be directly translated to mean a waterless place (Owens, 2012). We will write a custom essay sample on Carnivores of the Kalahari Desert or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The Kalahari is vastly covered by red sand and does not have any permanent surface water. However, the Kalahari cannot be referred to as a true desert. Sections of the Kalahari receive 250 millimeters of erratic rainfall every year and are quite vegetated. The Kalahari is only actually arid in the southwest with less than 175 mm of rain every year, making the desert a fossil desert. The temperatures during summer ranges from 20 to 50 o C (Thomas & Shaw, 2009). The Kalahari Desert is extremely hot during the day. There are however no cloud to keep the heat on the ground at night. Therefore, it is often extremely cold at night. The desert sometimes experiences thunderstorms during the summer. Carnivores in the Kalahari Desert Spotted Hyena Spotted hyenas survive at relatively very low densities compared to other areas(Mills, 2008). They are quite specialized on gemsbok calves which are thinly and widely distributed. Their versatility enables them to travel vast distances to find them. They live in slightly larger clans of up to 80 hyenas making up one clan. Unlike other carnivores in the Kalahari, the spotted hyenas often hunt any species (Mills, 2008). The only exemption they make is on the buffalo and the giraffe, which are a bit too large for them. Unlike the brown hyena, the spotted hyena is a predator and not a scavenger. It is the only carnivore capable of coexisting in the same ecological niche as the lion, and pose as some form competition when it comes to hunting of the prey.