boyddd

Well, my trip is coming to an end. I am flying to Atlanta then driving back to Birmingham. Just as I am getting used to the time change, I am going home. I am on flight number 3645. Looks like there is a slight delay in my arrival to Atlanta, but that’s not to bad compared to some delays I have experienced. It was a great trip and I look forward to going back in the future!!

There are so many kinds of birds in the world! The African Barn owl has a face that looks like half of an apple, a white belly and dark eyes. Ostrichs are one of the fastest animals in the world and can run up to 40 miles per hour! An ostrich lives for about 30 years. The elf owl is one of the smallest owls in the world, being five and a half inches tall! This bird makes home in cactus trunks.

These insects are incredible! They adapt to every aspect of the desert itself! I know I couldn’t do that. The African scorpion..is..so..gross. It gives me chills right now just thinking about it. If you get stung, the pain can be very intense for up to forty – eight hours. Some other symptoms are muscle twitching, numbness, etc. The lubber grasshoppers are seen in late summer. They are about three inches long and have sharp spines that can give severe itching.

What an adventure this has been!! Totally not used to the time change but this trip is so worth it! The desert has some of the tallest sand dunes that reach 189 meters in height! The desert covers about 9,000,000 square kilometers. The landforms in this area are constantly changing due to the change in winds. Well I am about to go check out the different bugs (even scorpions, yuck!) Stay tuned for more!!

Human encroachment plays a huge part on the stability and well being of the Sahara desert. Desert encroaching just means putting an animal in or taking one out that really helps the desert to stay in its biological state. Bringing in new species that are not used to living in the desert can cause other animals to become extinct. Humans now are trying to prevent new species entering the desert to prevent others from becoming extinct.

  http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/images/Africa/factfile/africauniquefact13_clip_image002_0000.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Africaweb/factfile/africauniquefact13.htm&usg=__uMwis1ACEc9m2uINEBMWReYSKz4=&h=800&w=600&sz=55&hl=en&start=2&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=spiM9ARJHWkmTM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=107&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dafrican%2Bgiraffe%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

  http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.poster.net/anonymous/anonymous-african-lion-5001218.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/whats-the-difference/blog-143593/&usg=__v6tM4ie0SzhGRe0wmj3U-ieH8Hc=&h=500&w=333&sz=24&hl=en&start=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=-BGT62y7lcGTgM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=87&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dafrican%2Blion%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1 

  http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/hippo-sunscreen-1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/hippo-sunscreen.htm&usg=__6Ue7Fv2nlTbadd0li-B3g_Xg8iw=&h=300&w=400&sz=27&hl=en&start=6&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=Da195M4I9pdJ1M:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dafrican%2Bhippo%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

I loved being up close to the plants and today I get to explore the animals! The Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is the tallest of all living land animals. Here’s a cool fact for all you viewers; a giraffes tongue is blue and are as long as 40 cms!! They eat at dawn and dusk on different plants and fruits. The giraffe has to spread its fron legs so its head can reach water to drink!! That is SO funny! The lion (Panthera leo) is the largest African carnivore. Female lions hunt the most for food, consisting of zebras and antelopes, and males guard the territory. They hunt during the day. The hippo (Hippopotomus amphibius) is very fat! It wallows around in water during the day to keep itself from dehydrating because its skin is so thin. They feed at night on short grasses.

  Lovegrass http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vroimages.nsf/Images/african_lovegrass_plant/$File/tn_african_lovegrass_tussock.jpg Welwitchsia  http://www.iol.ie/~gerardnorris/namibia%202001/welwitchsia.jpg African Peyotehttp://www.iol.ie/~gerardnorris/namibia%202001/welwitchsia.jpg

Day 2

The plants here are out of this world!! I saw an African Welwitchsia and it is one plant that can survive due to its deep thick roots. This plant can survive for over hundreds and thousands of years! (See picture) The African Peyote cactus has thick stems that help it store plenty of water, to withstand the heat of the day.  This plant actually is proven to help treat schizofrenia and other physcosis. (See picture) Eragrotis (Which is commonly called  lovegrass) spreads rapidly and many Saharan inhabitants eat it. The roots store water and it absorbs the fog to prevent it from dying. It is soo tall and thin and grows in a cluster.

Day 1

I am Africa bound off to the Sahara desesrt!! I am on Delta  flight number 7030 and flying conditions are great. It should be about a thirty hour flight and I will arrive in Africa about 9:00 am Africa time. I’ll post information about the Sahara once I get on my flight’s altitude level. Stay tuned!!

Day 1 (Con’t)

The Sahara desert is the world’s largest and hottest deserts. The desert receives less than three inches of rain a year! The temperature hangs around 136 degrees and is extremely dry.  Some animals hide underground to stay away from the heat and come out at night. Some animals like kangaroos get nutrients from cactus.