Most of the native people have left, however, leaving the vast majority of the desert uninhabited.[9]. The Namib fauna mostly comprises arthropods and other small animals that can live on little water, but a few species of bigger animals are also found, including antelopes (such as oryxes and springboks), ostriches, and in some areas even desert elephants. A few Nama Khoikhoi still graze their livestock on the banks of the Kuiseb River in the desert. The Namib (/ˈnæmiːb/; Portuguese: Namibe) is a coastal desert in southern Africa. Eba Kandovazu THE Namibian Police is seeking assistance from members of the public to trace the whereabouts of 20-year-old Yu-Tee Kraingar, who went missing on 13 January 2021. The Addax Antelope is one of the most magnificent desert animals. They can survive without food and water for many days and drink over 100 liters of water in one go. The Sahara is a sandy desert with giant sand dunes. The taproot of the plant develops into a flat, concave disc in age. Most rivers flow underground and/or are dry for most of the year, and even when they are not, they usually drain into endorheic basins, without reaching the sea. var aax_src='302'. All these species have developed techniques to survive in the Namib environment. The Dromedary is known as the Arabian camel and has a hump on its back. Morning fogs coming from the ocean and pushing inwards into the desert are a regular phenomenon along the coast, and much of the life cycle of animals and plants in the Namib relies on these fogs as the main source of water. Other major deserts include the Arabian Desert in the Middle East, the Gobi Desert in Northern China and Mongolia, and the Kalahari Desert … They can run up to a speed of 25 mph for long stretches. Many of the animals found in deserts have either adapted to the environment or have evolved to survive the harsh climatic conditions. This area is traversed by the Tropic of Capricorn and is mostly flat, although some scenic canyons and elevations are found in some areas, for example in the Moon Valley system. All along the coast, but mostly in the northernmost part of it, interaction between the water-laden air coming from the sea via southerly winds, some of the strongest of any coastal desert, and the dry air of the desert causes immense fogs and strong currents. There are many levels of studies taking place based on the survival abilities of both animals and plants with such limited natural resources and high temperature. [5] Further inland, the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the largest game park in Africa, supports populations of African bush elephants, mountain zebras, and other large mammals. Warm waters with depth and associated water flows from the northwest were first fully catalogued by Sea Fisheries researchers, Cape Town (L V Shannon et al.). Thereby making the Danakil desert one of the most dangerous areas in the world. [1][8] These rivers arise in the interior mountains of Namibia and flow after summer rain storms.[1]. Desert elephants are adapted to living in desert conditions. Now let’s look into some of the most common animals found in the desert. They mainly feed on grass, wheat, oats, and dates. Some of these wrecked ships can be found as much as 50 metres (55 yards) inland, as the desert slowly moves westwards into the sea, reclaiming land over a period of many years. This species is very tough and attacks if frightened. This region is a volcanically active area and on top of that, to increase the risk, the air temperature in the desert rarely falls below 50 degrees Celsius. The Swakop and the Omaruru are the only rivers that occasionally drain into the ocean. Some desert habitats are short-lived—springing up to brighten the landscape only when the rains come. The humps functions as a storehouse of fats.  The hump on their back enables them to survive without water or food for a week. Do you think the desert is a lifeless wasteland which cannot support any life? When most people think ... Read moreFamous Rivers of the World These species of elephants are known to roam in the desert in search of waterholes scattered in many parts of the desert. It has a large and flat beak and their eyes have long eyelashes. While most of the soil is rocky, sand dunes are still occasionally found in this region; for example, sand dunes occupy much of the coastline between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. I love dancing and listening punjabi music. This animal consumes anything because they get the water required for survival from their food.An Ostrich has very long legs that enable them to run up to 40 miles an hour and they are as fast as a gazelle. Suggested Read: 30 Exotic Honeymoon Destinations In The World All Romantics Must Go To In 2021. Winds coming from the Atlantic Ocean, on the other hand, are pressed down by hot air from the east; their humidity thus forms clouds and fog. There’s a belief among certain African cultures that these animals can induce seizures in people. The Namib (/ ˈ n æ m iː b /; Portuguese: Namibe) is a coastal desert in southern Africa.The name Namib is of Khoekhoegowab origin and means "vast place". var aax_size='300x600'; It is hard to imagine a list of desert animals without rattlesnakes and sidewinders. [1] Temperatures along the coast are stable and generally range between 9–20 Â°C (48–68 Â°F) annually, while temperatures further inland are variable—summer daytime temperatures can exceed 45 Â°C (113 Â°F) while nights can be freezing. The Brewer’s Sparrow feeds on seeds that have less water content but, would have good carbohydrate concentration. Some of the animals that survive in the desert environment have developed some physical adaptation like slat glands that enable secretion of salts without losing water, some animals lack sweat glands and allows concentration of urine, apart from these few of the species have unique physical adaptation like avoiding fat storage throughout the body and concentrating fat storage in humps/tails. The Egyptian Vulture is known for its unique combination of beak and feather colour. Diet: Elephants are vegetarians, eating up to 160kg per day, made up of savannah grasses, bushes, small plants, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots. They are known as the “bird without any field mark” and known to rely on sagebrush as breeding habitat. Black rhinos are the smaller of the two African rhino species. Several types of trees are also able to survive the extremely arid climate.[5]. They feed on leafs, shoots, tubers, flowers, roots etc. The Namib-Naukluft National Park, that extends over a large part of the Namib Desert, is the largest game reserve in Africa and one of the largest of the world. [5] Fogs that originate offshore from the collision of the cold Benguela Current and warm air from the Hadley Cell create a fog belt that frequently envelops parts of the desert. This bird has villi projection in its intestinal tract that absorbs water with the help of blood vessels and sends this water to the main bloodstream. In the Sossusvlei area, several dunes exceed 300 meters (980 feet) in height. They have a hump on their back that helps them store water and food. The desert geology consists of sand seas near the coast, while gravel plains and scattered mountain outcrops occur further inland. The African penguin, also known as jackass penguins due to its bray resembling that of a donkey's, lives only in Africa's southern shores, from Namibia to South Africa.The penguins' population has rapidly decreased by more than 60% since the early 1980s. Many desert plants, like cacti in the Americas, are able to absorb and store water, letting them survive long periods of drought. Its name is derived from the Nama language, implying ‘an area where there is nothing.’ This carbohydrate is broken apart to carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen by the internal body system and then latter two elements are broken from carbon and reunited to produce water. An area where Welwitschias are a common sight is found in the surroundings of the Moon Valley, including the eponymous Welwitschia Plains. Another beetle, the Lepidochora discoidalis, builds "water-capturing" webs.