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All of the flora and fauna of Namibia adapts to the arid environment. A most familiar sight is the Camel Thorn Acacia (left). With its long lateral and tap roots it can reach water in the most desert looking landscapes. Also found in the most unlikely locations are the quiver trees (right), Aloe dichotoma, which usually grow singly on cliffs or hills.Namibia has a huge variety of bird species. Very familiar are the sociable weavers whose huge nests frequently topple trees (below) and telegraph poles. Also common are larks, chats (below), and starlings. In the plains we see large goshawks while at the Kunene river we see fish Eagles and a rare Goliath Heron.
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The Gemsbok (Oryx) appears perfectly adapted to the desert. While we saw many springbok, Kudu, Klipspringer and wildebeest, the gemsbok seems to survive everywhere. You see them on their own and in groups, in the plains, among the dunes and even on mountain tops.
The desert elephant has also adapted to the dry conditions. Following the river beds we find this one by the Hoarusib River near Purros along with several others. This one has a collar with a transmitter allowing his movements to be tracked.
Most farmers keep goats, sheep or game animals but in the wetter areas you find cattle. These ones are also near Purros and have found some water in the river.
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The bugs and insects survive in the drying conditions. We found tok tok beetles (second from right) near the top of a huge sand dunes getting water from the dew.
There are also many geckos and chameleons. We almost ran over this guy in the NamibRand park.
The crocodile is a much larger reptile. This one in the Kunene is quite small.
There is a huge amount more to see in Namibia that we have not listed here but hopefully this gives you a good taste of what is in store. Click below for links: