Desert Plants and Animals
Although it may seem strange, the desert is the home to many plant and animal wildlife. Of course, to survive the hot and dry conditions, these wildlife have to be specially adapted to capture as much food and water as possible to sustain themselves. In the desert, it can get as hot as over 30 degrees in the day and below 16 degrees at night! This project will further explore a few of the plants and animals, as well some of their adaptations.
PLANTS : KAI COLE
ANIMALS : DENNEIL CHAMBERS
Plants: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/kalahari-desert-plants.html http://www.eoearth.org/article/Adaptations_of_desert_plants
Animals: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/meerkat TSAMMA MELON (also ‘citron melon)
The Tsamma Melon is endemic to the Kalahari Desert. It is commonly used by the native tribes as a source of food and water, because of its high water content. The Tsamma melon can easily be confused with a watermelon, as it resembles a smaller version of one, but upon cutting it open, one will find that it has a hard white flesh, that requires cooking prior to consumption. The patch grows big yellow flowers, and the leaves are lobed and abrasive to the touch.
The Citron Melon is adapted to the desert climate in the following ways: 1. They store lots of water in their lobed leaves and in their fruits. 2. They also store water in their roots. The Hoodia Gordonii, commonly found in the Kalahari Desert, is often mixed up with the traditional cactus. Although it resembles a cactus, the Hoodia Gordonii is, in fact, not a part of the cactus family. Pollination in this plant is carried out by flies, which are attracted to the flowers due to the
PLANTS : KAI COLE
ANIMALS : DENNEIL CHAMBERS
Plants: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/kalahari-desert-plants.html http://www.eoearth.org/article/Adaptations_of_desert_plants
Animals: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/meerkat TSAMMA MELON (also ‘citron melon)
The Tsamma Melon is endemic to the Kalahari Desert. It is commonly used by the native tribes as a source of food and water, because of its high water content. The Tsamma melon can easily be confused with a watermelon, as it resembles a smaller version of one, but upon cutting it open, one will find that it has a hard white flesh, that requires cooking prior to consumption. The patch grows big yellow flowers, and the leaves are lobed and abrasive to the touch.
The Citron Melon is adapted to the desert climate in the following ways: 1. They store lots of water in their lobed leaves and in their fruits. 2. They also store water in their roots. The Hoodia Gordonii, commonly found in the Kalahari Desert, is often mixed up with the traditional cactus. Although it resembles a cactus, the Hoodia Gordonii is, in fact, not a part of the cactus family. Pollination in this plant is carried out by flies, which are attracted to the flowers due to the