Botswana's dry lands boast more than 70 species of snakes, including three species of spitting cobra. Botswana's wonderful national parks and reserves are home to an amazing variety of wildlife, including elephant, cheetah, hunting dog, leopard, hyena, giraffe, hippopotamus and zebra. Most of Botswana is covered by savanna - either acacia or low thorn scrub. The soft wood of the marula is used in local crafts, and its fruit goes into a local beer. Although it straddles the Tropic of Capricorn, Botswana experiences extremes in temperature.
Days are normally clear, warm and sunny, but nights range from cool to bitterly cold.
Botswana is primarily a dry country, but a summer rainy season lasts roughly from November to March. From late May to August, rain is rare anywhere in the country. Bear in mind, however, that this is also the time of European, North American and South African school holidays, so things can get a bit crowded. In general, June, early July and mid to late September are the least crowded times to visit. Summer isn't the best time to hit the back roads, enjoy wildlife viewing or explore the Okavango, as prolonged rains may render sandy roads uncrossable and animals disperse when water is abundant.