The Namib Desert is a parched and rippled desert, an endless expanse. It stretches along
the wouthwest coast of Africa from Angola in the north, through Namibia, into South
Africa. The name Namib means "emptiness." About 1,700 km (1,060 mi long and 100 km (60
mi) wide, the desert is bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The Namib has an
approximate area of 170,000 sq km (65,640 sq mi). It rises from sea level 914 m (3,000
ft). Temperatures average 16 deg C (60 deg F). Sands, varying from yellow to red in
color, form dunes reaching 240 m (800 ft) in height. The annual rainfall averages only
25 mm (1 in), but high humidity results in fog and dew. In the north deeep canyons have
been cut by streams. The area's main rivers, the Orange and the Cunene, follow the
southern and northern borders, respectively, of Namibia. One river, the Queeseb, is made
of water collected from over 160 km (100 mi) inward. The Queeseb causes water holes, for
which many organisms rely on for water besides the actual river itself. Acacia trees
grow along the rivers, and short grasses and succulents thrive everywhere. One of the
most important animals of the area is the baboon. The baboons excavate for underground
water that many other animals depend on. There are many other animals that have adapted
to live in the Namib desert farther away from the rivers and streams including 45 species
of lizards and more than 200 species of beetles. The nocturnal gecko, like many other
animals, burrows in the sand to escape the days heat, 77 deg C (170 deg F). The palmado
gecko drinks the moisture that forms on its own body from the fog and dew, as does the
sidewinder snake. The sidewinder has adapted a special way of moving in the loose sand
which gives it its name. The backflip spider uses a mixture of sand and silk to create
shade to keep it cool. Some beetles extract moisture from trenches made in dunes. Much
of this knowledge about the animals of the Namib desert is made possible by a research
institute in the desert that was established in 1963. The Namib desert is a harsh biome
to live in, but organisms have still adapted to life there and formed their own unique
ecosystems.
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