The Kalahari Desert dominates southern and western Botswana. This is a sparesely thornvelded near-desert which eventually gives way to the dry woodland savannah of the north and east and the infertile sands give way eastwards to better soils developed on granitic and sedimentary rocks. Even in its southwestern corner, where there are some bare sand dunes, the vegetation is more characteristic of dry steppe than desert. Croton and Combretum tree savanna is found on the rocky hills of the eastern hardveld. Mopane woodland covers most of the northern and eastern third of the country, with the exception of the open grasslands immediately surrounding the Okavango delta and Makgadikgadi Pans.
Animal life is extremely varied in a thirstland environment.
About 150 species of mammals are found in Botswana. These range from 30 species of bats and 27 of rodents to more than 30 species of large mammals. Birdlife is prolific, with more than 460 species. Botswana has a great variety of reptiles and amphibians, of which more than 200 species have been described in detail.