Childrens Illustrated Animal Atlas

Growing up to 9 ft

(2.8 m) tall, the

ostrich is the world’s

largest bird. It can’t

fly, but it can outrun

most of its predators.

Cheetah

The world’s fastest land

animal, the cheetah can run

at speeds of up to 68 mph

(110 kph). It takes just three

seconds for this cat to reach

its top speed.

Ostrich

NAMIBIA

Windhoek

Location

The Kalahari covers most

of Botswana and parts of

Namibia and South Africa.

In summer, it can become

as hot as 104 ̊ F (40 ̊ C).

HABITAT KEY

Wetlands

Scrublands

Tropical

grasslands

Hot desert

SCALE

100 kilometers

0

0

100 miles

Meerkat

Meerkats help each other protect

their families. They take turns

standing on guard and warn other

meerkats if danger approaches.

This high-leaping

antelope moves

around in large herds.

Both males and

females have horns.

Springbok

Sociable weaver

These small birds

build giant nests,

over 21 ft (6 m) wide,

with up to 100

weavers in each one.

Some nests are so

heavy that they break

the tree they’re in!

SOUTH

AFRICA

ANGOLA

Gaborone

A

T

L

A

N

T

IC

O

C

E

A

N

Leaf chameleons are possibly the

world’s smallest reptile.

Comet moth

The comet moth is also

called the Madagascan

moon moth. It has a

wingspan of 8 in (20 cm)

and its striking tail is 6 in

(15 cm) long. This moth

lives for just a few days.

BOTSWANA

Circling high in the

desert sky on its broad

wings, this bird searches

for dead animals to eat.

White-backed

vulture

Warthogs kneel

on their front legs

when munching

on fresh grass.

Common

warthog

This big frog lives underground

during the dry season, which can

last 10 months of each year!

African bullfrog

O

ka

va

ng

o

Va

al

Cape

porcupine

During the day, this large

rodent sleeps in caves or

burrows. At night, it comes

out to find plants to eat.

Sociable weavers’ massive nests

can last for 1OO years.

Kalahari

desert

The Kalahari is a huge, dry, sandy area in southern

Africa. In some parts of the Kalahari, it may not

rain for up to eight months. Many animals here

have to travel in search of fresh grass to eat, and

predators follow them.

Madagascar

Madagascar is the fourth-largest island in

the world, and it is amazingly rich in wildlife.

More than 250,000 different species of

animals live here, and two-thirds of them

are found nowhere else on Earth. Sadly,

many are endangered.

The aardvark’s name

means “earth pig.” It

can eat up to 50,000

ants a night!

Aardvark

N

S

W E

Bloemfontein

Pretoria

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