Tag Archives: Africa

Waterbuck

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Waterbuck

Waterbucks do not buck water.

  • Waterbucks are native to Africa’s sub-Saharan area, and their are two main categories of the animal – ‘ellipsen’, that has a white ring on it’s rear end, and ‘defassa’, which has a white patch instead of the ring.
  • Waterbucks grow to be approximately 1 to 1.3 metres (3.3 to 4.3 feet) in height to the top of their shoulder and weigh 160 to 300 kilograms (350 to 660 pounds).
  • Waterbucks are scientifically known as ‘Kobus ellipsiprymnus’, and are from the family bovid, the family of mammals with unbranched horns, and are one of six species of African antelope.
  • Contrary to popular African belief, the meat of a waterbuck is edible, although it may not be tasty.
  • Only male waterbucks have horns, and they are long and slightly curved, and they grow longer with age.

Cape Waterbuck, Svannah, Alert, Tanzania, Africa, Antelope, Animal, Ten Random Facts, National Geographic

Waterbuck
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • Waterbucks live in habitats of scrubs and grassy plains, that have much grass and close access to water to fulfill dietary needs.
  • Waterbucks usually live in small herds, in all male groups, all female groups, or mixed groups, although the number of animals in a herd can be quite numerous.
  • Waterbucks may enter bodies of water to hide from predators such as hyenas, lions and leopards, and even though they don’t enter the water much, they are good swimmers.
  • Waterbucks generally live up to an age of 18 years, and the females usually give birth to a single calf each year, which is hidden away for a number of weeks.
  • Waterbucks have an off-putting odour that comes from their sweat glands, that deters prey and affects the flavour of their meat.
 Bibliography:
Huffman B, Waterbuck, 2004, Ultimate Ungulate, http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/Kobus_ellipsiprymnus.html
Waterbuck, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterbuck

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Warthog

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Warthog

Warthogs do not have a wart virus.

  • ‘Warthogs’ are sometimes called ‘common warthogs,’ and are known as the ‘pig of the plains’ or ‘vlakvark’ as the Afrikaans call them.
  • Warthogs are scientifically known as ‘Phacochoerus africanus’, and are from the family Suidae, the family of pigs.
  • Warthogs are native to sub-Saharan Africa, and are usually found in their natural habitat of grassy plains and wooded areas.
  • Warthogs grow to be 0.9 to 1.5 metres (3.0 to 4.9 feet) in height and weigh 45 to 150 kilograms (99 to 330 pounds) depending on the gender.
  • Warthogs have four ivory tusks that curve from the mouth at a 90° angle that they use for digging, fighting or for defence against predators such as humans who hunt them for their meat and tusks, hyenas, leopards, lions and crocodiles.

Warthog, Four, Tusk, Pig, Hog, Ugly, Mane, Zimbabwe, Ten Random Facts

Warthog
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • Warthogs have four ‘warts’ or bumps on their face, that are said to be used as fat reserves and for protection.
  • Warthogs typically have a thin fur coat in black and brown colours, and birds often sit on their backs to eat the small insects that can be found on the mammal.
  • Warthogs have a diet that mainly consists of grass and other vegetation, various fruit and berries, and insects, although sometimes they are meat eaters.
  • Warthogs are more likely to run away than fight, and can run up to 48 kilometres per hour (30 miles per hour).
  • Warthogs generally breed during seasons of wet and rain, giving birth to piglet litters from two to four, although a greater number are sometimes born.
Bibliography:
Warthog, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/warthog/
Warthog, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warthog

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Red Orchid Bush

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Red Orchid Bush

Red orchid bushes have red flowers and are bushes, but they are not orchids.

  • ‘Red orchid bushes’ are also known as ‘red bauhinias’, ‘Pride of De Kaaps’, ‘orchid trees’, ‘nasturtium bauhinias’, ‘African orchid trees’ and ‘African plumes’.
  • Red orchid bushes are from the family Fabaceae, which is the family of legumes, beans and peas, and their scientific name is ‘Bauhinia galpinii’.
  • Red orchid bushes are clambering, evergreen perennial shrubs that are native to south and east Africa.
  • Red orchid bushes have flowers 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) in diameter, with five petals and three large stamens, and are usually red, although pink and orange varieties are also available.
  • Red orchid bushes generally grow to be a height of 3 to 5 metres (10 to 16.4 feet), but may climb higher with the support of other trees.

Red Orchid Bush, Pride of De Kaap, Baulinia galpnii, Ten Random Facts, Green, Red, Plant, Bush,

  • Red orchid bushes generally bloom during spring, summer and early autumn, and follow with long green seed pods that turn brown and split open, releasing the seeds.
  • Red orchid bushes are often used as an ornamental in gardens, and they prefer sunny or partly shady conditions.
  • Red orchid bushes are a weed in some countries, including parts of Australia, as the seeds and cuttings are easily grown and spread by garden waste, water and garden trimmings, and the plants can be found on abandoned urban land, forest and woodlands.
  • Red orchid bushes attract butterflies and bees, and the branches have been used for basket weaving and roof trusses.
  • The green leaves of the red orchid bush are shaped a bit like a hoof, and are symmetrical with two lobes.
Bibliography:
Bauhinia galpinii, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauhinia_galpinii
Red bauhinia, n.d, Brisbane City Council, http://weeds.brisbane.qld.gov.au/weeds/red-bauhinia-bauhinia-galpinii

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Greater Flamingo

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Greater Flamingo

Tall, pink flamingos are greater flamingos.

  • Greater flamingos have the scientific name Phoenicopterus roseus, and are from the wading bird family, Phoenicopteridae, that only consists of six species of flamingos.
  • Greater flamingos are native to areas in Africa, Europe’s south and South Asia.
  • Greater flamingos are titled as the world’s largest flamingo, with figures of approximately 110 to 150 centimetres (43 to 60 inches) in height and 2 to 4 kilograms (4.4 to 8.8 pounds) in weight; with records of 187 cm (just over 6 feet) and 4.5 kg (10 lb).
  • Greater flamingos have red feathers in some areas, and black flight feathers, but they are well known for their pink-white feathers that are best seen when the bird is standing, although flamingos are born with white and grey feathers that are absent of pink colouration for two years or more.
  • Greater flamingos obtain their pink coloured body and plumage by eating organisms that contain carotenoid pigments, that are mostly found in the algae they eat, and if their diet consists mostly of algae, they will be a deeper colour pink than those that feed mainly on shrimp and the like.

Greater Flamingo, Pink, White, Adult, One Leg Full, Zoo, Bronx Zoo, New York, United States, statuesque, Ten Random Facts, National Geographic

Adult Flamingo
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • The Greater flamingo’s diet mainly consists of shrimp, tiny fish, seeds, blue-green algae and other algae, molluscs and plankton, and they obtain their food by filtering the food from water in their bill.
  • Greater flamingos can live to be over 60 years old in captivity, with the oldest Greater in captivity dying at an age of around 83 years old in Australia’s Adelaide Zoo, in early 2014.
  • The tongues of Greater flamingos were historically eaten luxuriously by Roman emperors.
  • Greater flamingos generally live in colonies, which helps to protect them from predators, that can be as large as a thousand or more birds, in habitats of lakes, particularly alkaline lakes, and mudflats.
  • When calling, greater flamingos produce a sound like a honk of a goose, and they lay one white egg per season in a nest of mud.
Bibliography:
Greater Flamingo, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Flamingo
Greater Flamingo, n.d, Adelaide Zoo, http://www.zoossa.com.au/adelaide-zoo/animals-exhibits/animals/birds?species=Greater%20Flamingo

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Buxus

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Buxus

Grow a hedge of buxus.

  • Buxus is a group of evergreen plants that contain 70 species that are native to parts of Europe, Asia, America and Africa.
  • Buxus suit a wide range of conditions and are generally best grown in full sun, although shady conditions can be tolerated by some species.
  • ‘Buxus’ is also known as ‘boxwood’ and ‘box’, and comes from the family Buxaceae, the box family.
  • Buxus are shrubs or small trees that grow to a height of 2 metres to a maximum of 15 metres (6.5 to 50 feet) in height, depending on the species and whether the plant is clipped to contain its size.
  • Buxus have flowers that are small and coloured in yellow-green shades, that generally appear in spring.

Buxus, boxwood, plant, hedge, white, green, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Buxus are slow growing and are popularly used as a decorative plant, particularly as hedges, topiary or bonsai.
  • Buxus plants have very good quality, hard wood, which is denser than water, and has historically been used to make boxes, chess pieces, printing using woodblocks, and musical instruments and parts, particularly form the strings and woodwind class and is still used for many of these purposes today.
  • Small branches of Buxus have been found in Ancient Romans’ tombs.
  • Buxus sometimes have a scent of a fox or cat urine, which displeases some people.
  • Buxus leaves have a low level of toxicity if consumed, although it can be fatal for small animals.
Bibliography:
Boxwood, n.d, BCI, http://www.bonsai-bci.com/files/Boxwood.pdf
Buxus, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buxus

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Lake Nakuru

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Lake Nakuru

Lake Nakuru is a blue and pink lake.

  • Lake Nakuru is an alkaline rich lake located in Kenya, Africa, in the East African Rift.
  • Lake Nakuru has been included in Lake Nakuru National Park, since 1961, which supports endangered white rhinoceroses, black rhinoceroses and giraffes.
  • Lake Nakuru covers an approximate area of up to 45 kilometres squared (17 miles squared) and has an approximate depth of 2.3 metres (7.5 feet).
  • Lake Nakuru is popularly known for its abundant attraction of thousands to millions of flamingos, although this number has been diminishing, that feed on the large quantities of blue-green algae growing on the lake.
  • Wildlife surrounding Lake Nakuru , in the national park, include black and white rhinoceroses, giraffes, waterbucks, lions, leopards, baboons, cheetahs, warthogs and pythons, as well as 300 different bird species.

Lake Nakuru, Flamingos, Flying, Alkaline, Soda, Africa, Kenya, National Park, Ten Random Facts

Flamingos on Lake Nakuru
Image courtesy of Andrea Schieber/Flickr

  • During 1951 to 1953, Lake Nakuru was dry, which led to programs of alkaline dust control.
  • Lake Nakuru contains fauna including the salt tolerant fish, Tilapia grahami, clawless otters and hippopotamuses.
  • Lake Nakuru is protected and is surrounded by a fence to deter poachers, and the word ‘nakuru’ is a local Maasai word meaning ‘dust’ or ‘dusty place’.
  • In 2007, Lake Nakuru boasted a tourism count of nearly 347,000 people, which included visits from local Kenyans, as well as visitors from around the world.
  • Lake Nakuru has been in danger of industrial and domestic pollution from nearby Nakuru town situated 4 km (2.5 miles) away, that causes poisonous water and shortage of algae, which has led to large migrations and fatalities of flamingos.
Bibliography:
Lake Nakuru, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nakuru
Lake Nakuru National Park, 2013, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1344/
Parks & Reserves: Lake Nakuru National Park, 2013, Kenyalogy, http://www.kenyalogy.com/eng/parques/nakuru.html

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