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Grazing
Active mainly at dawn and dusk, springbok form harems. In earlier times, springbok of the Kalahari desert and the Karoo migrated in large numbers across the countryside, a practice known as trekbokking. A feature, peculiar but not unique, to the springbok is pronking, in which the springbok performs multiple leaps into the air, up to 2 m above the ground, in a stiff-legged posture, with the back bowed and the white flap lifted. Primarily a browser, the springbok feeds on shrubs and succulents; this antelope can live without drinking water for years, meeting its requirements through eating succulent vegetation.
A brown duck with a vividly yellow bill and white scalloping on the feathers, giving it a scaly appearance, especially on the underparts. A common resident and nomad through Africa’s freshwater and brackish wetlands, where it forages for plants and invertebrates. The similar African Black Duck differs from Yellow-billed Duck by being darker overall and having white spots on the upperparts, a bull-neck, and a pale-pink-and-black bill.
Elephants can live up to 60 years. Ageing elephants is not a simple task unless an individual has been seen regularly since its birth. Experts are able to accurately determine the age of elephants using several variables such as the length of the back, shoulder height and the number and condition of the teeth. In older elephants, the males usually have a more rounded forehead than the females when viewed in side profile. From about 25 years, the bulls’ foreheads start to become more rounded and, as they continue to grow they become taller and more heavy set, with thicker and longer tusks. Their temples also start to sink, but usually, once they are past 30 years old.
A characteristic of the Blesbok is the prominent white blaze on the face and a horizontal brown strip which divides this blaze above the eyes. Body colour is brown with a lighter coloured saddle on the back, and the rump an even lighter shade. The legs are brown with a white patch behind the top part of the front legs. Lower legs whitish. Both sexes carry horns, ringed almost to the tip. Female horns are slightly more slender. It was once one of the most abundant antelope species of the African plains, but Blesbok have become scarce since 1893 due to relentless hunting for their skins and meat.
Cape Point is in the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve within Table Mountain National Park, which forms part of the Cape Floral Region, a World Heritage Site. It includes the majestic Table Mountain chain, which stretches from Signal Hill to Cape Point, and the coastlines of the Cape Peninsula. This narrow stretch of land, dotted with beautiful valleys, bays and beaches, contains a mix of extraordinarily diverse and unique fauna and flora.
The Mother City has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and something to offer everyone. It is no surprise that South Africa was one of the first countries outside of Europe to earn blue flag status for some of her beaches - there are three on offer in and around the Mother City, Cape Town. The blend of 2 oceans (the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean) and hence 2 different styles of beach, divided by a 1000m high peninsula, leaves Cape Town an unrivalled holiday destination.
The African darter, also known as the snakebird or, slanghals in Afrikaans, is a water bird that is common throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It has earned the name snakebird for the way that it swims – it keeps its entire body very low in the water, with only the neck and the head sticking out, giving it the appearance of a swimming snake. The male darter’s body is almost completely glossy black with the exception of the white streaking on the face and body, and the colouration of the neck, which has a warm chestnut hue. The female (like the juvenile birds) is browner than the male with less noticeable white streaks. Both of them have gold-coloured eyes with brown bills. The male’s bill is slightly larger than the female’s. This bill is used to impale fish and is, as a result, strong and sharply pointed.
Where the booming breakers of the Indian Ocean relentlessly pound rocky shores, where temperate high forest and fynbos roll down to the sea in an unspoilt verdant carpet, where ancient rivers carve their paths to the ocean down rocky ravines. This, "the place of much water", is the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park. The heartland of the park stretches some 5km to sea, protecting a wonderland of inter-tidal life, reef and deep-sea fish. Dolphins frolic in the breakers, surfing and playing for the sheer joy of life, and the gentle giant of the ocean, the southern right whale visits here, coming inshore to breed.
Commonly known as the red hartebeest, it is the most colorful hartebeest, with black markings contrasting against its white abdomen and behind. It has a longer face than other subspecies, with complex curving horns joined at the base. The average weight of a male is about 150 kg, and the female is 120 kg. Their average shoulder height is 135 cm, and horns are 60 cm long. The life expectancy of a red hartebeest is around 19 years. The red hartebeest is closely related to the tsessebe and the topi.
Info source URL: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_hartebeest
Photo capture date & Location: 2018-02 Bushtime at Mabula
Elephants are the largest land mammals on earth and have distinctly massive bodies, large ears, and long trunks. They use their trunks to pick up objects, trumpet warnings, greet other elephants, or suck up water for drinking or bathing, among other uses. Both male and female African elephants grow tusks and each individual can either be left- or right-tusked, and the one they use more is usually smaller because of wear and tear. Elephant tusks serve many purposes. These extended teeth can be used to protect the elephant's trunk, lift and move objects, gather food, and strip bark from trees. They can also be used for defense. During times of drought, elephants even use their tusks to dig holes to find water underground.
Fights between Zebra males usually occur over mares and involve biting and kicking. In plains zebra, stallions fight each other over recently matured mares to bring into their group and her family stallion will fight off other males trying to abduct her. As long as a harem stallion is healthy, he is not usually challenged. Only unhealthy stallions have their harems taken over, and even then, the new stallion gradually takes over, pushing the old one out without a fight.
Info sourced from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra
Photo capture date & Location: 2018-09 Rietvlei Nature Reserve
Greater kudus have a lifespan of 7 to 8 years in the wild, and up to 23 years in captivity. They may be active throughout the 24-hour day. Herds disperse during the rainy season when food is plentiful. During the dry season, there are only a few concentrated areas of food so the herds will congregate. Greater kudu are not territorial; they have home areas instead. Male kudus may form small bachelor groups, but they are more commonly found as solitary and widely dispersed individuals. Solitary males will join the group of females and calves only during the mating season.
Winter Solstice: Sunday Morning Snow and Rain, on Late December Fallen Leaves. (Yorktown Heights, NY, USA; 12/21/14). [Hi-Resolution Upload]
The long-tailed widowbird, also known as the "Sakabula", is a medium-sized bird and one of the most common in the territories it inhabits. Adult breeding males are almost entirely black with orange and white shoulders, long, wide tails, and a bluish-white bill. When flying, male long-tailed widowbirds are readily visible due to their extremely long tails. Between six and eight of their twelve tail feathers are approximately half a meter long. The tail during flight display is expanded vertically into a deep, long keel below the male as he flies with slow wingbeats 0.5 to 2 meters above his territory.
Info source URL: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-tailed_widowbird
Photo capture date & Location: 2017-12 Rietvlei Nature Reserve
Rhino horn is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, but increasingly common is its use as a status symbol to display success and wealth. Rhino horns are similar in structure to horses’ hooves, turtle beaks, and cockatoo bills. They are made of keratin – in rhinoceros horn, it is chemically complex and contains large quantities of sulphur-containing amino acids, particularly cysteine, as well as tyrosine, histidine, lysine, and arginine, and the salts calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate.
The Sentinel or Hangberg is a peak marking the western end of the mouth of Hout Bay in South Africa. It has a shear cliff dropping towards the sea, and a coastal hiking path is accessible at low tide. It is adjacent to Hout Bay Harbour and the Hangberg settlement, and to the higher Karbonkelberg peak. Just offshore to the south is a colony of Cape fur seals known as Seal Island, and a big wave surf spot known as "Dungeons", which has hosted the Red Bull Big Wave Africa competition.
The Sabie Falls are found at the start of the spectacular Panorama Route. The Panorama Route then travels further north up to the Blyde River Canon. The Sabie Falls are a short walk from the parking lot with a number of different viewing areas. Beautiful all year round, the falls are surrounded by steep cliffs and lush vegetation.
The African Fish Eagle is most frequently seen sitting high in a tall tree from where it has a good view of the stretch of river, lakeshore, or coastline which is its territory. Near a lake with an abundant food supply, a pair may require less than a km² of water to find enough food, whereas next to a small river, they may require a stretch of 25km or more. So well known and clear is the call of this bird that it is often known as "the Voice of Africa". A handsome bird, the African Fish Eagle is easily recognized by its pure white head, the striking contrast between the white upper-body and tail, the chestnut belly, and the black wings. The sexes look alike but the female is the larger of the two.
Info source URL: www.sa-venues.com/.../birds_african_fish_eagle.htm
Photo capture date & Location: 2018-10 Falcon Ridge Bird of Prey Center
Steenbok rams and ewes defend and share a territory. They are mainly solitary. Males will mark off their territories with urine and secretions from glands under the chin as well as using dung. They are the only bovid who scrape the ground before and after urination and defecation. The males are known to use roads and telephone lines as boundaries. They have excellent hearing. They have been known to scavenge meat from carcasses as well as kill the young of ground birds but this is due to severe shortages of food.
Before unleashing their speed, cheetahs use exceptionally keen eyesight to scan their grassland environment for signs of prey—especially antelope and hares. This big cat is a daylight hunter that benefits from stealthy movement and a distinctive spotted coat that allows it to blend easily into high, dry grasses.
Info source URL: www.nationalgeographic.com/anima…/mammals/c/cheetah/
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Photo capture date & Location: 2018-05 Ngwenya Lodge
The rock hyrax, also called dassie, Cape hyrax, rock rabbit, and (in the King James Bible) coney, is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal native to Africa and the Middle East. Rock hyraxes weigh 4–5 kg (8.8–11.0 lb) and have short ears and tails. Along with other hyrax species and the sirenians, this species is the most closely related to the elephant. Rock hyraxes are found at elevations up to 4,200 m (13,800 ft) above sea level in habitats with rock crevices, allowing them to escape from predators.