This section of the Park contains the same vegetation zones as Kitibong, but also has a belt of Acacia-Commiphora woodland which runs parallel to the river. This area is dominated by 'black cotton' grassland near Haidedonga Hill.

'Black cotton' is a very heavy clay soil common in Africa which, when dry, cracks into gullies often two meters deep. Once the rains start the soil rapidly absorbs a large quantity of water, and in so doing expands and becomes very sticky. Roads which cross 'black cotton' soil are rough and dusty in the dry season and in wet weather often become impassable.

During the rainy season large numbers of water birds will inhabit this temporary wetland. If the grass and reeds are burned soon after the end of the rainy season, the new flush of grass soon attracts many grazing animals.

An attractive little creature seen in this area is the ground squirrel, easily recognizable by its bushy tail and white lateral stripe. The tail is as long as the head and body and covered by long black and white hairs forming alternate rings.

These animals live underground in burrows and feed on roots, bulbs, seeds and grubs. They are very sociable and live in colonies. The ground squirrel is a very wary creature seldom straying far from its hole and scuttling for cover at the slightest sound.

In parts of Tarangire Park you will see large sculptured earth mounds which are built by termites. Termites are sometimes called 'white ants', but are in fact related to cockroaches. Termite mounds vary in shape and size depending on the soil types and local climatic conditions.

Termite colonies can number up to three million inhabitants. They are divided into castes of queen, king, soldiers and workers, each with a specific function to perform and all interdependent. The queen is the largest inhabitant and her huge abdomen may reach as long as 20 cms. The passages of the mound are too small for her to enter and she spends her life in a chamber laying eggs, as many as 10,000 per day, and being fed by the workers. The king is the only sexually active male. The soldiers which guard the entrances to the mounds, develop weapon-like jaws and cannot feed, relying on the workers to feed them.

During the rains vast numbers of termites fly out from the mounds in the hopes of founding a new colony. These are eaten by many different animals including man and only those pairs that find shelter underground manage to get established.

African hunting dogs, although not common in the Park, may occasionally be seen in this area. They are mud and mustard colored with black and white patches and large, round ears. They live in packs of six to 20 animals and have ranges up to 800 sq kms. They are efficient hunters but their kills may be gruesome to watch. Their hunting success rate falls off dramatically when the migratory prey disappears from their range.

Each pack has a dominant breeding pair and up to 16 pups may be born in one litter. The pups are kept in dens for about 12 weeks until they are old enough to follow the adults. Meanwhile members of the pack supply them with food. The pups beg for the food which is then regurgitated by the adults. Pup mortality is high as dens are often flooded during the rainy season.

Because giraffes feed almost exclusively on the tender leaves of acacia trees they are rarely seen outside the areas where these trees grow. The species of giraffe occurring in Tarangire is the Maasai giraffe, which has irregular roseate or star-shaped markings which cover almost the entire body. Giraffes have individually distinct patterns-the neck is a good place to look at markings and recognize individuals. As giraffes do not compete for food with grazing animals, and feed at a greater height than most other browsers, they are able to share their habitat with a wide range of creatures.

For all its great length the giraffe's neck has only seven vertebrae, the same as man. A male giraffe weighs about 500-800 kgs., and stands about five meters tall: the female is about one meter shorter and correspondingly lighter. Males can be distinguished from females by their sturdier horns, which are not true horns but thickened bone. In the female the horns are more slender and often topped with a tuft of hair.

If you watch giraffes walk you will notice that they have a characteristic gait which brings both limbs on the same side forward together.

Amongst males there is a strong dominance hierarchy and it is fairly easy to observe the displacement of one male by another. Males frequently spar in a particular manner known as 'necking'. They stand shoulder to shoulder and swing their heads at each other in such a way that their necks sometimes entwine. The impact can be very hard and heard as a 'thud'.

Special Thanks to Thomson Safaris and Tanzania National Parks for contributing Tanzanian information.

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