The mammals of the Namib Desert as
show in the PBS program The Living Edens "Namib" are: The
Cape Fur Seal, Warthog, Brown Hyena, Jackal, African
Oryx or Gemsbok, and Golden Mole.
The Cape Fur Seal is a coastal
inhabitant and found in great numbers on the Namib
Coast. The body size from head to tail for the Cape
Fur Seal male is about 8 feet long and weighs over
700 pounds, female about 5-6 feet and weighs over 200
pounds. The fur seal has four flippers two on the
side and two on the tail. The Cape Fur Seal is brown
and newly born pups are black. The scientific name of
the Cape Fur Seal is Arctocephalus pusillus.
The African Warthog is also found
in Namib. The male Warthog is up to five feet long,
weighs up to 300 pounds, and the female is slightly
smaller in length, and about half the weight of the
male. The Warthog will eat grasses and other plant
life and sometimes small mammals. The Warthog is gray
with a brown mane. They hide in holes in the ground
and rest during the night and middle of the day. The
scientific name of the African Warthog is
Phacochoerus aethiopicus.
The Brown Hyena is found in Namib
and is a predator. As seen in the program The Living
Edens "Namib", the Brown Hyena will prey on Cape Fur Seal
pups. The Brown Hyena is found throughout
southeastern Africa. The Brown Hyena grows to about 4
feet long and weighs over 100 pounds. The Brown Hyena
is usually nocturnal and is not active during the
day. The Brown Hyena will eat all small prey
including birds, insects, rodents and anything else
it can find. It will also eat carrion found along the
coast such as dead fish and seals or whales. The
scientific name of the Brown Hyena is Hyena
brunnea.
The Black Backed Jackal is found in
the Namib and is a predator. The male is heavier than
the female and is a little over 3 feet long and
weighs about 20 pounds. The Jackal is found in
Savannah and in semi desert. The Jackal is active
both during the day and at night. It is black to gray
in color with a white belly. The scientific name of
the Black Backed Jackal is Canis mesomelas.
The African Oryx or Gemsbok is also
an inhabitant of the Namib. Both the male and the
female have horns and is commonly called the Gemsbok.
The body length is about 8 feet long and it weighs
about 450 pounds. The Gemsbok is well adapted to the
desert with special adaptations to cool its body. The
scientific name of the Gemsbok is Oryx gazella.
It also uses the water from plants to survive and can
survive without drinking water. The Gemsbok is a
plant eater and thrives on leaves and wild fruits or
roots.
The Golden Mole of the Namib is
also a predator and feeds on termites. It has unusual
senses to detect the presence of the insect and
survives in this harsh environment. It is yellow in
color and has long fur. The Golden Mole is nocturnal
and travels great distances at night in search of
food. It will eat other insects such as beetles and
ants, and also spiders and moths. The scientific name
of the Golden Mole is Eremitalpa granti.
Resources used for the above
information :
PBS program The Living Edens "Namib", which aired on July 16,
1997, Burton, John A.
Pearson, Bruce, The Collins Guide to the Rare Mammals
Of The World, The Stephen Greene Press, Lexington,
Massachusetts, 1987,
Haltenorth, Theodor and Diller, Helmut, The Collins
Field Guide to the Mammals of Africa, Including
Madagascar, The Stephen Greene Press, Lexington,
Massachusetts, 1980.
Teacher observes the groups
discussing the predator and prey from the Namib
program. Teacher then directs the class discussion
and presentation by groups as to which mammals are
prey , which are predators and which might be both.
Elementary Extension:
Elementary students may need a
discussion regarding what is a mammal, bird, reptile,
etc. before participating in this activity.
You may want to have elementary
students draw some of the mammals found in the PBS
program The Living Edens "Namib."
You may also want elementary
students to role play predators and prey from the
Namib Desert. Elements in the role playing might be
aggressive behavior, what to eat and sounds which can
be mimicked from PBS' The Living Edens "Namib" program.
High School Extension:
High school students can research
in depth the mammals in the PBS program The Living Edens
"Namib" and enlarge the research by examine all the
mammals in southern Africa.
They may also determine the
boundaries that separate certain mammals from
southern Africa and the Namib.
They may also try to rank order
mammals that are at the top of the food chain down to
the lower end.
