Carnivores of the Kalahari Desert - Term Paper Example

Carnivores of the Kalahari Desert Summary The Kalahari Desert is a vast dry to semi-arid sandy area situated in Southern Africa, and extends to about 900,000 square kilometers, covering most parts of Botswana and portions of Namibia and South Africa, as a semi-desert, with large tracts of good grazing lands after rains (Thomas & Shaw, 2009). It is however not a true desert. The Kalahari despite being a desert is inhabited by plants, insects and a variety of animals who have adapted to the environment in order to ensure their survival in the arid area. Some of the main carnivorous animals that inhabit the Kalahari Desert are the desert lion, the leopard, the wild dogs, the cheetah, the spotted hyena and the brown hyena. The desert is characterized by extreme temperatures during the day and very low temperatures at night due to the fact that there are no clouds to tap the heat and maintain the warm temperatures at night. The land experiences little rainfall and the temperature during summer often tends to be very high. Most of the carnivores that inhabit the Kalahari Desert have a higher likelihood of survival in high density areas. The main predator in the Kalahari Desert is the lion. The only other predator in the dessert that can somehow be viewed as a competitor to the lions is the spotted hyena. The cheetah is not specific about its preys and can be liberal about the prey it chose to hunt. This is likely to increase its chances of survival in the desert. The spotted hyena, unlike the brown hyena, hunts it’s on prey and is not a scavenger. In addition, they are not particular about their prey and can go after any species except for buffalos and giraffes. Introduction The Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area situated in Southern Africa, and extends to about 900,000 square kilometers, covering most parts of Botswana and portions of Namibia and South Africa, as a semi-desert, with large tracts of good grazing lands after rains (Thomas & Shaw, 2009). The geography of the area is part desert and part plateau. Because not the whole of the Kalahari is a true desert, it supports the existence of plants and land over the vast amount of land. The land experiences little rainfall and the temperature during summer is often very high (Lonely Planet Publications, 2009). 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). 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. The common misconception by many is that spotted hyenas steal food from the lions. However, it is in fact the other way round (Nowak, 2005). Brown Hyena The brown hyena is one of the most common large carnivores in the Kalahari. They are some of the most common scavengers in the Kalahari. They are poor hunters and live prey only makes up about 4.2% of their overall diet. They are highly active at night searching for food. In addition, their high sense of smell allows them the ability to track food for over two kilometers away (Thomas, 2009). Its capacity to cover great distances, to scavenge small relics from a wide variety of species and to supplement its food to about 25% on wild fruits, make this species ideally befitted to arid regions. Brown hyenas live in clans. The clans are made up of an adult of each gender and an associated younger. Unlike the spotted hyenas, brown hyenas do not hunt in groups. They also have a habit to cache any surplus food to be eaten the next day. Cheetah The cheetah has an extraordinarily wide diet in the Kalahari with six species being frequently eaten. These include the steenbok, which caters for 34% of their diet, Springbok, which takes 32%, hare 16%, ostrich 17% and gemsbok calves 7%, and lastly the spring hare which makes 6% of their diet. Steenbok is the most important prey species, especially for females with cubs (34% of kills) do not star predominantly in the foods of any of the other different large carnivores. Cub survival is seven times higher for cheetahs in the Kalahari as compared to those in the Serengeti (Mills, 2008). The cheetah is famously recognized for its stalking method followed by being the fastest land animal with an explosive acceleration of 120 km/h as they hunt. Cheetahs often prefer smaller weaker preys, which are much easier to catch as compared to the other preys. Cheetahs are most active during the day; they prefer to do their hunting during early mornings and late evenings. They kill their prey by knocking them on the ground and finally finishing them off with a suffocating bite on the neck. Leopard The leopard’s liberal diet makes it a resourceful species, able to persist in arid areas by preying on some unique species such as bat eared foxes and porcupines(Bothma, 1998). Of the rest of the big cats, leopards are by far the strongest; they can even carry their kill up a tree to ensure that the lions and hyenas do not steal them. They are predominantly solitary animals and very territorial, the only time that the territory line can be breached is during the mating season. The leopard utilizes a classically catlike way at daytime and will hunt to boundaries of 10 meters or interims in ambush for his prey. Their diet is mostly made up of five main species, which include Porcupine (27%), springbok (13%), duiker 12%, BEF (13%) and gemsbok calves (10%). On occasion, the leopard can switch its diet to birds and rodents (Mills, 2008). The overall hunting success rate is low (estimated to be about 18%) compared with that of the cheetah (which has been estimated to be about 43%). They are particularly ineffective at catching the most common and popular small antelope, the steenbok, which is commonly hunted (second most common), but hardly ever caught (4% success rate). Leopards are nocturnal creatures, meaning that they are most active during the night and spend most of the day perched up on trees resting. Lion Lions also persist at comparatively very low densities opposed to other areas. Lions are commonly known to be most active during the night. The females do the hunting. They usually hunt together in line alongside each other of their prey. They have to travel long miles between meals hunting for other prey. Lions commonly live in a group of 12 lions or sometimes fewer. The group is referred to as a pride. They appear to be able to enhance their food with porcupines that are copious in the Kalahari and strenuously far simpler to catch than the similarly abundant and similarly sized but steenbok that are considerably more mobile (Nowak, 2005). The lion’s biggest competitor in the Kalahari Desert is the spotted hyena. Lions are often inactive during the day and spend most of their time resting. They are most active after dusk. Conclusion Although the Kalahari is a desert, the land is anything but barren. A slew of diverse plants and animals live in the Kalahari providing food, protection and shelter for one another. In addition, here are some plants and animals, which only inhabit the Kalahari Desert. The insets, plants and animals that inhabit the Kalahari are capable of surviving with the little water available and keep themselves cool during the day. They have found places to live and wild ways in which to hunt food to ensure their survival (Ownes, 2012). References Bothma, Jdu P. 1998b. A review of the ecology of the southern Kalahari leopard. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 53:257–266. CrossRef Lonely Planet Publications (Firm). (2009). Watching wildlife: Southern Africa ; South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia. Footscray, Vic: Lonely Planet. Mills, M. G. L., Hofer, H., & World Conservation Union. (2008). Hyaenas: Status survey and conservation action plan. Cambridge: IUCN Publ. Nowak, R. M. (2005). Walkers carnivores of the world. Baltimore [u.a.: Johns Hopkins University Press. Ownes, M., & Owens, D. (2012). Cry of the Kalahari. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Thomas, D. S. G., & Shaw, P. A. (2009). The Kalahari environment. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press. Annotated Bibliography Bothma, Jdu P. 1998b. A review of the ecology of the southern Kalahari leopard. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 53:257–266. CrossRef The article talks about leopards’ survival tactics and how environments filled with several preys, the survival of the leopards is assured by an energy-maximizing, prey-selective strategy through which the leopard is able to obtain the maximum amount of energy as food for the minimum amount of energy used in hunting. In environments that do not have so many preys, like around the sound the southern parts of the Kalahari, this is almost impossible to accomplish. Therefore, the leopards are forced to come up with different strategies in order to ensure their long term survival in the desert. Lonely Planet Publications (Firm). (2009). Watching wildlife: Southern Africa ; South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia. Footscray, Vic: Lonely Planet. The book gives a complete wildlife experience and explores the different wildlife that inhabits the Kalahari Desert, including the carnivores. In addition, it helps understand the different territories and the diversity that exists in the ecosystem. It also explores the hunting strategies employed by the carnivores as they hunt for their prey and the different diets each carnivore is specific to. Mills, M. G. L., Hofer, H., & World Conservation Union. (2008). Hyaenas: Status survey and conservation action plan. Cambridge: IUCN Publ. The authors explores the different species of hyenas, the spotted hyena and the brown hyena, that exist in the Kalahari Desert and the dangers to them and the dangers they pose to the humans around the area. The book aims to address some of the major issues facing the species and ways in which to ensure its survival without hyenas becoming extinct in the Kalahari. Nowak, R. M. (2005). Walkers carnivores of the world. Baltimore [u.a.: Johns Hopkins University Press. The author explores the different carnivores inhabiting the Kalahari, their different characteristics and how they coexist in the ecosystem. In addition, the book also seeks to explore the many different challenges facing the carnivores in the hunt for its prey and how they somehow manage to survive in the desert despite the harsh circumstances. Ownes, M., & Owens, D. (2012). Cry of the Kalahari. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. The book gives a general overview of the Kalahari desert, looks at the different birds, insects, plants and animals that exist in the desert and how they have adapted to climate conditions in the desert. Thomas, D. S. G., & Shaw, P. A. (2009). The Kalahari environment. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press. The authors give an up to date view of what the environment in the Kalahari desert is like, any developments that may have taken place over the years. in addition, the author gives an answer to readers about the question often asked by many about whether the Kalahari is truly a desert or not. Read More