African Spurred Tortoise
Native to the Sahel, the African Spurred Tortoise is the largest mainland tortoise in the world, and the third largest of all tortoise varieties. Also called sulcata tortoises (from their scientific name, Centrochelys sulcata), they are a rather boxy tortoise that can grow up to three feet across – and tall! – and weigh up […]
What is The Sahel?
Many of us are familiar with the common divisions of Africa: northern, west, sub-Saharan, etc. So, what, exactly, is the Sahel? The Saharan Coast From an Arabic word meaning “edge” or “coast,” the Sahel is effectively a border zone between the Sahara Desert in the north and the savannahs of the south. This vast, semi-arid […]
Flood Water
Floods are one of the most common – and devastating – natural disasters in the world. In some areas, however, they are a common occurrence. Floods Many people are concerned about floods right now (October, 2024). Hurricane Milton has just crashed over Florida in the United States, but Typhoon Yagi, Storm Boris, and heavy rainfall […]
The Gobi Desert and Revegetation
When it comes to a desert, most of us think hot and arid, with picturesque sand dunes and not much else. The Lut Desert, for example, is the hottest place on Earth, where temperatures reaching 159°F (70.7°C) have been recorded.[1] But while heat is often considered to be hand-in-hand with a desert, this is not […]