Nama Karoo region, South Africa Photograph by Richard Margoluis   Afrotropics Deserts and Xeric Shrublands   135,600 square miles (351,100 square kilometers) -- about the size of Oregon and Kentucky combined Vulnerable

· Where the Dinosaurs Once Roamed
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Where the Dinosaurs Once Roamed

On a vast plateau that was once filled with dinosaurs, wildebeest and eland now graze on shrubs and grasses. In the skies above Nama Karoo soar tawny eagles, yellow-billed kites, and Marshall eagles. And among the rocks and plants scurry a wide diversity of rodents and reptiles. Bat-eared foxes, riverine rabbits, dwarf shrubs, and many other interesting animals and plants have adapted well to the harsh climate of this ecoregion.

Special Features

In the semi-arid climate of Nama Karoo, droughts are common and temperatures fluctuate wildly. Temperature variations of 77° F (25° C) between day and night are common, and rainfall is highly seasonal, peaking between December and March. The flat-topped hills of this region are covered with shallow, lime-rich soils. Fossils of some of the earliest forms of one-celled life have been discovered in the Nama Karoo, indicating that life has existed in this region for more than three billion years. The richness of dinosaur fossils in this region is world-renowned.

	The Nama Karoo was not as dry as it is today. In some areas, dinosaurs and mammal-like reptiles lived in swamplands. Footprints from bradysaurus and other dinosaurs found in what were ancient mud flats provide clues to the creatures that once roamed this land.

Wild Side

Although the ecoregion contains many endemic plants, there are relatively few endemic animals. Scorpions and termite-eating spiders scurry among the dwarf shrubs. Termite mounds, with their fine, moist soils enriched with the dung of aardvarks and steenboks, provide shelter to the endangered Brant’s whistling rat. Another endangered species is the riverine rabbit, which digs burrows that it plugs up when they are not in use. Karoo sand snakes chase skinks in the heat of the day, whereas Cape sand lizards sit and wait behind rocks, ready to make surprise attacks on unsuspecting insects. Tent tortoises, as they lift their rears to catch water trickling down their shells, lie susceptible to goshawks flying above. Below, birds known as karoo korhaans forage on seeds, insects, and an occasional reptile. In the early morning, packs of yellow mongoose bask in the rays of the rising sun.

Cause for Concern

Less than one percent of the Nama Karoo ecoregion is protected, and the vast majority of it is now rangeland for livestock grazing. While millions of animals such as wildebeest, springbok, and eland used to migrate through this region, guns and fences have now halted this phenomenon forever. Animals that are not killed by farmers, who regard them as pests, are prevented from migrating by fences built around livestock farms. Overgrazing by domestic sheep and goats has changed much of the vegetation and altered habitat for native wildlife. What’s more, livestock farmers often use poisoned carcasses as bait to kill "problem" animals such as black-backed jackals, which can result in the poisoning of raptors such as eagles. In addition to these problems, Nama Karoo’s biodiversity is threatened by invasive alien plants, mining, agriculture, and the collection of succulents and reptiles for the pet trade.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.