SANParks.org Forums

People - be gentle with me please. I am crawling (as in baby, not drunk) into this intellectual part of the forum. It took me long enough to fathom how to start a quiz

But I am prepared to drag my name through the mud and invite others in nappies to join in here with me! Please, those of you who are so good at these, just act like you're clueless as to the answer for the first few posts

So here goes!

Question 1:
The Camelthorn tree (Acacia erioloba) is a dominant tree in the Kalahari. How deep do its roots grow?

And a bonus for any other info on this tree.

I seem to recall a figure of something like up to 60m deep for the tap root but that's about all I can remember. Or, did they change the name of this some time ago from girraffe or something?

And good oh on your quiz - you're now talking an area that I have'nt visited since the mid-80's so this will be interesting for me.

Hi DB

Ok let me have a go - nappy and all!

I've read in "The Kalahari and it's plants" that the tap root system can develop up to a depth of 40m. A tree 10m high can produce up to 500kg of pods in a year - elephant in the northern Kalahari shake the trees to get to the pods. The seeds contain up to 33% protein.

The botanical name was previously Acacia giraffe. Erioloba refers to the wooly (erio) sickle-shaped (loba) pod.

They can grow to 15metres high. Do the roots really go 60m? That's incredible- i'll never look at one the same again...

Animals who eat the grey seed pods, end up tasting quite odd because of it.

In Botswana, they use the bark to treat headaches and lung problems.

Cool tree

So I have the KTP guide book on my lap...

The name giraffe comes from the Afrikaans name for the tree that translates to giraffe (Kamelperd) where the English name is Camel.

I was totally amazed to be told on an Orientation course I did there last week that the root can extend up to 150m down! But how would anyone really measure that? There is a case in the KTNP where they needed to dig down to repair a borehole and found the root of a Camelthorn at 99m!

There is a magnificent specimen in the north of one of the river beds, that is estimated to be 1000 years old.

They are very slow growing trees.

Camelthorns in the Nossob River:

Dang, but that's phenomonal!! Thanks for the info DB - I just love these quizzes for the education.

So, what's the next step in the education process?

You want me to exhaust my little list here in one go I think it could just be your turn to educate us

Aikona DB I have'nt been in that part of the world in 25 years and even then it was a fleeting visit.

Someone else better have a go

Kgalagadi? OK, never been there, but let me try one that is related.

You are looking at a herd of gemsbok, but the grass is long, so you can't see the stomach line, and thus cannot see the penis sheath of the bulls either. How do you determine which are the bulls? (Not failsafe without the penis sheath, but generally it works.)

B3006,

The female's horns are longer and thinner.
The bull shorter and thicker.

Only that...?

I always thought that the males are also stockier than the cows??

I like this! What a lot I can learn before going to the KTP next year, thank you DB!

And...?