A never-ending thirst
Animals visit a water hole frequently,
especially elephants. Elephants have
to drink about 200 litres
(53 gallons) a day.
In the dry season, a water hole may provide the only water for miles around.
At the water hole
169
Become
an expert
154-155
Food
chains
164-165
A sea
of grass
Water birds
Birds are often seen wading in waterholes,
looking for fish and frogs. There are many
different types, and a few are shown here.
Yellow-billed storks
stir
the water with a foot to
disturb fish and frogs.
Crowned cranes
are
the only cranes able
to perch in trees.
Saddle-billed storks
are
the largest storks, with a
wingspan of 2.7 m (9 ft).
Wattled cranes
surround
their large nests with
moat-like water channels.
Stuck in the mud
Some water holes dry up in
the dry season. The African
lungfish buries itself in a sticky
bag of slime and hibernates
until the rains come back.
Impala
African
elephant
A
w
a
t
e
r
h
o
l
e
i
s
a
c
o
o
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p
l
a
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e
.
