User:Kehendricks

Fauna and Flora of Namibia
Namibia has a semi-arid climate, but most animals and plants have adapted to the condition. One of the adoption styles animals have developed is reproducing after the rainfall during summer. Another tactic used by animals is to move to places where rain has fallen but human beings occupying most of the area has made it tough for animal movement. Namibia has divergent animals ranging from herbivores e.g. Zebras, Elephants Kudus, and Graphs etc. This animals survive by eating plants and grass.

Carnivores range from lions, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, spotted hyaena, brown hyaena etc. These animals leave in national parks e.g. Etosha National Park, Khaudom National Park, Mamili National Park, Mangetti National Park, Mudumu National Park, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Skeleton Coast National Park, Sperrgebiet National Park and Waterberg National Park. Although these parks are designated for these animals there is always contact between animal and human beings which some time can result in a catastrophe. Omnivores like the domestic pig and some scavengers also form part of the ecosystem as well as different type of birds. Plants has adopt in a way they open their leaves in the morning hours for photosynthesis to take place and closes the leaves in the mid-day to preserve water loss due to the stronger sunlight. Plants in Namibia has adopt in a way that areas that get more rainfall, for example the northern area especially the north east Caprivi region has big trees and tall grass and as you move down south the trees become more smaller, thinner and the grass more shorter. The most famous plant growing in Namibia’s desert is the Welwitschia mirabilis. This plant has adapted to the harsh conditions of the Namib desert and can survive for very long without water. In English the plant is commonly known  as Welwitschia. It has various common names in local languages, for example kharos or khurub in Nama, tweeblaarkanniedood in Afrikaans, nyanka in Damara, and onyanga in Herero. It is the only genus of the family Welwitschiaceae and order Welwitschiales, in the division Gnetophyta. Informal sources commonly refer to the plant as a "living fossil". Welwitschia is named after the Austrian botanist Friedrich Welwitsch who discovered it in 1859. Welwitschia mirabilis is endemic to the Namib desert within Namibia and Angola. Very big trees like the baobab tree find in the north of Namibia also exist. This trees were also use as shelter. Namibia also has many reptiles all over - some living on land and others in water. Namibia also has a beautiful ocean namely Atlantic ocean on its west coast in which a variety of fish and other sea mammals like the dolphins live.

Reference list

 * http://www.completenamibia.com/Fauna%20and%20Flora.htm
 * http://www.southern-africa.arroukatchee.fr/namibia/photos/animals.htm
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Welwitschia_mirabilis(2).jpg
 * http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
 * http://www.klausdierks.com/images/Namibia_Kavango_MahangoReserve_5.jpg
 * http://www.expertafrica.com/namibia/info/wildlife-in-namibia-large-herbivores
 * http//www.google.com.na/#hl=en&sclient=psyab&q=pictures+of+fish+in+the+atlantic+ocean&oq=pictures+of+fish+in+the+atlantic+ocean&aq=0K&aqi=g-K1&aql=&gs_l=serp.1.0.0i30.208905.233265.7.235795.40.24.0.16.16.0.910.10200.3-1j7j2j7.17.0...0.0.KLBtr9v8yTY&pbx=1&fp=fc3f768b4074ce18&biw=776&bih=498&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&cad=b