About the Area
Species include the primitive plant Welwitschia (Welwitschia mirabilis), and an extraordinary diversity of succulent plant species including the illegally traded Kokerboom (Aloe dichotoma), and Halfmens (Pachypodium namaquanum) - that is known to wait in a dormant state until a storm, whereupon it extends a root within the first 24 hours.
Among the mammals found here are Mountain zebra (Equus zebra), Short-eared elephant shrew (Macroscelides proboscideus), and Desert golden mole (Eremitalpa granti).
Bird species include Karoo bustard (Eupodotis vigorsii), Ludwig's bustard (Neotis ludwigii), Karoo chat (Cercomela schlegelii), Dune lark (Certhilauda erythrochlamys), and Dusky sunbird (Nectarinia fusca).
Reptiles such as Dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion karrooicum), Rough thick-toed gecko (Pachydactylus rugosus), Karoo sand snake (Psammophis notostictus), Coral snake (Aspidelaps lubricus), and Péringuey's adder (Bitis peringueyi) also call this ecoregion home.
Amphibians include Namaqua caco (Cacosternum namaquense) and Desert rain frog (Breviceps macrops).
Poor land management, conversion of marginal lands for cultivation, animal ranching, unsustainable groundwater extraction, alteration of surface/subsurface flow, dam construction, mining, and illegal extraction of selected succulents for black market trade, all pose a suite of threats to the biodiversity of this ecoregion.
806,000 sq. km (311,000 sq. miles)
Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Southern Africa: Angola, Namibia, and South Africa