KnowraWaterholeWaterholeA natural or artificial pool or source of water where animals gather to drink, especially in dry landscapes.BriefConnectWildlife corridor: A route of connected habitat that allows animals to move between larger habitat areas. Waterholes can anchor movement routes through otherwise dry or fragmented habitat.Water balance (ecology): The relationship between water gained and lost by an organism or ecosystem. Animals visit waterholes when environmental water cannot meet their physiological needs.Intraguild predation: Predation between species that compete for the same resources. Predators and prey can encounter one another at waterholes where both seek water.Okavango Delta: An inland delta in Botswana where the Okavango River spreads across the Kalahari Basin. Its seasonal floodplains and dry islands create changing networks of wildlife water sources.Watering hole (livestock): A natural or constructed place where livestock drink. Ranchers provide or maintain waterholes to support animals on grazing land.Evapotranspiration: The combined transfer of water from land to atmosphere by evaporation and plant transpiration. High evapotranspiration can dry waterholes and increase the distance animals travel to drink.Disease transmission: The spread of an infectious agent between hosts or through the environment. Crowding at shared water sources can increase contact among animals and contaminated water exposure.Etosha Pan: A vast salt pan in Namibia surrounded by savanna and wildlife habitat. Waterholes around the pan draw animals into an otherwise arid landscape.Wildlife camera: A remotely triggered camera used to record animals in their habitat. Cameras at waterholes document species visits and drinking behavior.Drought: A prolonged period of unusually low precipitation that causes water shortages. Drought reduces waterhole availability and intensifies competition around remaining pools.Show all 20Linked from 5 pagesAfrican buffaloRelated: Dependence on drinking water can concentrate buffalo and shape their local movements.Grévy's zebraRelated: Access to water shapes its movements, though it can go several days without drinking.Rainbow SerpentRelated: Waterholes can be understood as significant places in stories about serpent beings and country.Mountain zebraRelated: Access to drinking water influences where mountain zebra groups forage and rest.SandgrouseRelated: In dry habitats, waterholes concentrate sandgrouse and create useful observation points.