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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2013 5:22:26 GMT
You clearly have an excellent bird book to be able to identify all of these feathery fantasies!
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Post by lugg on Jun 11, 2013 6:26:28 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2013 10:30:31 GMT
Going back to the hyenas, you almost made them look lovable, and I absolutely hate hyenas (and jackals, for that matter).
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Post by tod2 on Jun 11, 2013 12:34:08 GMT
I was fascinated to hear that hyenas are closer to cats than dogs. Cats are meticulous in their grooming and toilet. Licking their paws and 'washing' the face after each meal and covering their fecal matter very carefully under a mound of dirt or cat litter come to mind, whereas dogs just stop and shite wherever and maybe give a few kicks with the back legs before they run off. I have seen a hyena in the Pretoria Zoo rolling around in it's own fecaes - dogs roll in rotten smelly stuff too! So, that's why I'm mighty surprised!
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 11, 2013 14:34:02 GMT
Thanks for looking up the Queleas, Tod! I think I’m going to fire my current editor (nycboy). And thanks to Lugg for the interesting links. So much interesting & surprising information. I had no idea baobabs have edible fruits, nor that female hyenas "possess a lengthy pseudo-penis". ( Am I the only person to comment on that?!) Why? Baobab fruit has multiple uses and is being hailed as a “superfruit.” I’d love to try it. www.forbes.com/sites/nadiaarumugam/2011/08/24/the-superfruit-thats-truly-super-baobab-boosts-health-poor-african-families-gin/Interestingly, female hyenas, in addition to having a pseudo-penis (which is actually an enlarged clitoris) are larger, more aggressive, and higher-ranking in social status than males. I can’t think of any other female mammal with all of these characteristics. The pseudo-penis is a very bizarre adaptation and scientists don’t definitively know how it developed. It doesn’t seem very advantageous, as its difficult for a mating couple to work out the logistics. Also, the female gives birth to fairly large cubs through a very narrow canal running through the pseudo-penis, causing injury that may last weeks. One advantage to the females, though, is they always choose their mate since forced copulation is physically impossible. Bet you’re sorry you asked. Thanks to everyone for reading. Hope you’re not tired, I’m about halfway through the trip.
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Post by bjd on Jun 11, 2013 14:44:34 GMT
I’m about halfway through the trip. Oh good -- that means there's lots more to come.
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Post by nycboy on Jun 11, 2013 14:52:23 GMT
Interestingly, female hyenas, in addition to having a pseudo-penis (which is actually an enlarged clitoris) are larger, more aggressive, and higher-ranking in social status than males. I can’t think of any other female mammal with all of these characteristics. What about my sister in-law?
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 11, 2013 20:53:58 GMT
That night my husband surprised me by booking a night drive for me. There wasn’t room on the truck for all three of us, so I went alone. At the start of the drive, I was treated to a stunning sunset. The disadvantage to that visual treat was that all those lovely storm clouds dropped buckets of rain on everyone minutes later! Completely soaked and worried about my camera, I was beginning to think that my husband and mother-in-law were lucky for having to sit this one out. Fortunately, though, the sightings more than made up for it. My photos all came out terribly, so I’ll just have to tell you what I saw. In the space of two hours, I saw a small African wild cat, a massive maned lion, a lioness with her cub (probably keeping her distance from the pride so the cub wouldn’t be hurt), and, finally, three honey badgers sauntering down the road. I was especially thrilled about that last one. The following morning, on the sixth day, my husband and I went on a ranger-lead bush walk. As we got into the truck, one of the rangers informed us that we were needed to head to the place where we were hiking as quickly as possible, so we would only stop along the way if we encountered one of the Big 5. I was disappointed to hear that because, as I mentioned before, some animals (cheetahs and wild dogs, among others) are much rarer than all of the Big 5 and, in my opinion, more interesting than most of them. As it turns out, though, I couldn’t complain because we did stop for one of the Big 5. In the dim early light, my husband spotted not one, but two leopards as we drove past. He told the driver, who put the truck into reverse. When we pulled up, one of the leopards, likely a female, discreetly slunk away, but a big beautiful male sat there as regal as a king. Actually, he was retching, but he was still gorgeous. My husband joked that the leopard must have eaten at Satara, one of the rest camps with a reputation for bad restaurants. We kept quiet as the leopard, seemingly indifferent, walked around rubbing his face on the plants. His coat was splendid. I loved watching the spots move and shift as his muscles rippled beneath the skin. This was one of my favorite sightings in a trip with many highlights. All too soon, it was time to move on. We came to the hiking spot, got out of the truck, were given a safety briefing, and were on our way. Hard to believe I was out in the bush with nothing between me and the wild animals but two people with rifles. The rangers told us that they had had many brushes with danger and fired hundreds of warning shots, but never had to take down an animal. I was glad to hear that. We weren’t walking long when we saw an elephant in the distance. He couldn’t see us, but he lifted his trunk, caught our scent, and grew visibly nervous. He was large but young and we were between him and his herd. The rangers positioned us with the sun to our backs so he couldn’t make us out. We waited. The wind shifted, and when he lifted his trunk again, he couldn’t detect us and he went about his business. We continued, giving him a very wide berth. It felt great to be out of the car and stretching our legs. Before long, though, someone spotted a worrisome sight. There were vultures circling ahead in the direction we were heading and a big grey mass could be seen on the ground. The rangers conferred with each other in low tones and made a call on their handheld radio. They then decided to take us in another direction. They didn’t want to tell us their misgivings, but my husband had had a good enough look to guess that the carcass was a dead rhino. Later, the rangers heard back from the anti-poaching unit, the people they were calling, and learned that it was indeed a dead rhino that most likely died of natural causes. The concern the rangers had that they didn’t want to share with us, understandably, was that the body was the work of poachers and that they were still there and armed. The rest of the walk proceeded without any alarming incidents. The rangers pointed out a lot of interesting facts about the flora and fauna. We saw lots of spiders, like the golden orb weaver, known for their very strong, complex webs that apparently shine like gold in the sun. One person related that he once saw a bird with its wing caught in a web and the ranger said this was certainly possible with the golden orb weaver. This spider with a pineapple-shaped body is a garden spider. We came across skeletons from fresh kills that had been picked clean. They looked lovely, in a macabre way, sitting there on top of dewy grass and wildflowers. We breakfasted on a flat rock with a sweeping view of the surrounding bush and listened to some of the adventures our rangers had experienced at Kruger. They certainly loved their jobs. When it was time to go back, I was reluctant to leave. I would have liked another wildlife encounter, even one that was a tiny bit dangerous. Here is the road we took back to camp, one that is closed to the general public.
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Post by htmb on Jun 11, 2013 22:54:24 GMT
Wow! What an experience. I was holding my breathe while reading about your hike.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 12, 2013 12:40:09 GMT
You brave girl! I'd want to hold my own rifle thanks very much ;D Glad it was a success even though you did not dance with death I think being safe is a good thing! The un-identified 'pineapple' spider: According to my big thick BUSHVELD book, it is called a GARDEN SPIDER of the family Arancidae and Genus Argiope spp. Another name is "Cross Spiders" as they rest in the web with their first two pairs of legs and last two pairs , crossed together. These are well-bound spiders that never leave their web and are usually yellow and black. The web is made from yellowish to white silk and usually positioned low in grassy areas and vegetation. The web is always slightly angled and has a characteristic 'zig-zag' in the centre. This structure is called a 'stabilimentum'. These timid and harmless spiders are also found in gardens, hence their common name. Webs are maintained meticulously and if the stabilimentum becomes damaged the spider makes immediate repairs. The reason is thought that this stabilimentum makes the web more visible to larger animals and prevents them walking into the web and destroying it. Another reason is that it strengthens the web for larger insects like grasshoppers when they are ensnared. It also reflects UV light which attracts insects. You may notice small males with missing legs hanging around the outside of the web. Courtship occurs when the female is feeding....."Sorry dear husband number 3, I think I've just eaten you left fourth leg...oops!"
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Post by htmb on Jun 12, 2013 16:14:37 GMT
Your post got me to thinking how lucky we are to not only have these amazing photos and narrative from girl and boy, but to also have your additional comments, Tod. I've learned so much about the southern part of Africa thanks to the three of you!
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 12, 2013 16:33:34 GMT
Ditto, Htmb!!!
This is so exciting and beautiful. Was the leopard maybe coughing up a hairball?
What is the small dark spot in the first photo in #67 -- a large bird coming home for the night? The picture is so gorgeous, it's tempting to imagine it as the eye of god.
You know I love all your photos, but I can't stop looking at & admiring the one of the elephant in #67 (8th pic).
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2013 17:24:18 GMT
Actually, when the story began with " my husband surprised me by booking a night drive for me," I thought it was going to be the beginning of an episode of CSI: Kruger. "So, sir, you say the last time you saw your wife was when she drove off looking for big game in the dark. You have no idea how her cleanly picked carcass got to the campground and what happened to the two drivers?"
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Post by nycboy on Jun 12, 2013 20:16:56 GMT
Ha! I'm looking for flights back *right now*
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 13, 2013 4:42:08 GMT
Bixa, yes, that's a bird. He looks big, doesn't he? Tod, thanks for the identification! I went back and changed my post. Your book sounds very comprehensive. I wonder if there's anything that could stump you. Great info about the spider. The husband-eating goes for the golden orb spider as well. I did see a tiny male in the corner of a web, keeping his distance from his intimidating wife. The male gets to live in the web the female builds and eat what she catches without doing any work, but he also has to watch his step.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 13, 2013 15:33:15 GMT
After the bush walk, we picked up my mother-in-law and continued driving on our own. We spotted more secretary birds. They weren't as big as that first one in Namibia, who was so enormous he could have been mistaken for a tree sapling, but they were fascinating to watch. I love how the wind rustles their crest of quills. We saw another long-tailed paradise whydah. We were fortunate to see him in his breeding plumage, when his tail feathers are up to 36 cm long, three times the length of his body. This large, brightly-colored lizard is the southern tree agama. It was a relatively slow afternoon for sightings, but that night we booked a game drive, all three of us this time. We weren't on the road long when we came upon a maned lion. He walked along the road ignoring us for quite some time. He had a massive body, a thick mane and a handsome, battle-scarred face. We had two separate sightings of the African wild cat. This species is the ancestor of the domestic cat, first domesticated in Egypt 4,000 years ago. It is distinguished from feral cats by its longer legs and reddish ears. We caught the Verreaux's eagle-owl in action. Right before our eyes, he swooped from his perch, landed on something small on the ground, and ate it on the spot. We saw a crocodile out of the water for the first time. Such a primal, dinosaur-like animal. We saw one large-spotted genet, pictured here, and three small-spotted genets. They are exclusively nocturnal and hole up during the day, so there's no way we would have seen them without going on a night drive. We also saw (but couldn't get a picture of) a white-tailed mongoose and a side-striped jackal, which are also nocturnal. The night drive was a great success.
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Post by fumobici on Jun 13, 2013 17:34:25 GMT
This is an insanely good trip report. I have coffee table books that fall short photographically. More?
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Post by tod2 on Jun 13, 2013 17:46:21 GMT
Yee gads! That night drive certainly paid off So many visitors have a really disappointing trip at night but I think you also hit it at the right time of the year. The nights are warm and the animals are on the move. At the moment the temperatures are hitting 2C and even lower at night so I would think the cats(like the ones you photographed so beautifully) would be curled up in some hole trying to keep warm. You have had incredible luck with leopards - I hope some of it passes onto to us when we get back there. No booking made yet. Hope some more to come.....
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Post by bjd on Jun 13, 2013 18:54:19 GMT
Interesting how little cats have evolved over the centuries. Despite their being domesticated, the wild cat in your photo could easily be seen in any city as a pet.
Was it bigger than a domesticated cat?
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Post by mossie on Jun 13, 2013 19:14:52 GMT
Another super set of photos, many thanks again for all the gen attached. Sorry I haven't been keeping up, have been away without internet access and now I am home my internet here is very intermittent. Hope your teeth are still in good shape. "we breakfasted on a flat rock" indeed. Sorry, but couldn't resist.
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Post by nycboy on Jun 13, 2013 19:32:31 GMT
Looked right around the same size.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2013 22:11:21 GMT
Yes, it's amazing how different your nighttime animals are. I have always been amazed at how animals at night, not just in wild places but almost anywhere, often have no reaction to bright lights, as though their brains just cannot process such a weird incursion in their lives.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 14, 2013 20:35:13 GMT
Tod, yes, we were very fortunate and happened to have great timing. I have to admit, though, that my husband is a pretty sharp-eyed. I teasingly called him Leopard Man after he spotted three leopards on his own, but he was good at spotting the little birds and animals, too. I wasn't a very good spotter. Have you ever booked one of the activities, Tod? Very funny, Mossie.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 14, 2013 21:57:17 GMT
On the morning of the seventh day, we left as soon as the gates opened, as usual. Just as the sun was coming up, we encountered this beautiful couple. The big guy was a wonderful sight with the soft morning rays lighting up his face and golden mane. The lioness was lovely, too. They looked like a happy young couple. They seemed content to lounge around and nap all morning, so after awhile we left them to it. We didn't get far when we saw another lioness. The poor girl had a hurt paw and walked with a pronounced limp. She paused for a drink out of a rain puddle. She continued to limp along, letting out a few low, deep calls as she looked for her pride. She had such pretty eyes. We left her in peace and went on our way. As we continued on the road, we saw this huge snail. We came to a picnic area, one of the few places where you can get out and stretch your legs. To our delight we saw an African scops owl roosting in a tree. He was a cute little guy. Later we saw one of the most distinctive-looking birds of the whole trip, the crested barbet. As I've said before, you can quickly get tired of the ever-present impalas. They're downright annoying if you think you spot something interesting hiding in the bush and you realize that it's just another tremulous impala. However, they can be quite fun to watch when they are showing off their considerable athletic abilities. We stopped to watch a herd of impalas on the move, some of them executing a series of impressive leaps and bounds. There was no predator in sight. Something may have spooked them or perhaps were simply amusing themselves. We stopped to look another zebra herd that had adorable babies with them. One of the last sightings of the day was a family of dwarf mongooses scurrying in the road. They were so tiny compared to the doves next to them.
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Post by mich64 on Jun 15, 2013 2:41:14 GMT
Your lioness brought a tear to my eye... then your zebra's brought a smile to my lips... Beautiful photos nycgirl and a wonderful essay.
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Post by bjd on Jun 15, 2013 9:16:41 GMT
More beautiful pictures.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 15, 2013 10:41:00 GMT
Great stuff - The best photos you have taken thus far!! To take a photo of an animal is one thing.....to take a GREAT photo of a wild animal doing something cute is another ;D Very well done both of you! Am I right in thinking you stretched your legs at AFSAAL? That is the only place I know that has had a little resident Scops owl for over 20 years. A year or so ago his tree cordoned off area was removed, and the owl moved to another tree. He is very hard to find and there are usually tourists gazing upwards trying to find him. This owl is teeny - you could cup him in your hands. Please Nycgirl let me know where you spotted him and how you found the owl. You could sell those zebra photos on the Internet - I know of one photo featuring a mother and baby elephant that sold for $1,000-00 to an advertising company. I think your zebras would look great on a calender for 2014
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Post by Kimby on Jun 15, 2013 15:39:40 GMT
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Post by nycboy on Jun 15, 2013 16:51:59 GMT
Great stuff - The best photos you have taken thus far!! To take a photo of an animal is one thing.....to take a GREAT photo of a wild animal doing something cute is another ;D Very well done both of you! Am I right in thinking you stretched your legs at AFSAAL? That is the only place I know that has had a little resident Scops owl for over 20 years. A year or so ago his tree cordoned off area was removed, and the owl moved to another tree. He is very hard to find and there are usually tourists gazing upwards trying to find him. This owl is teeny - you could cup him in your hands. Please Nycgirl let me know where you spotted him and how you found the owl. You could sell those zebra photos on the Internet - I know of one photo featuring a mother and baby elephant that sold for $1,000-00 to an advertising company. I think your zebras would look great on a calender for 2014 The owl was right in this big tree at the Timbavati picnic spot, he was on a low limb on the far side of the tree. goo.gl/maps/LDPi0Thank you for the kind words regarding the pictures
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 15, 2013 16:56:29 GMT
Thank you very much, everyone. I appreciate your comments. Thanks for the suggestion, Tod. I'll get Nycboy to look into it. He'd love to make some extra money to put towards the next trip. Kimby, I'm not sure if they were pronking (or stotting). I saw springboks pronking earlier in the trip, arching their backs and jumping with all fours off the ground at once. These impalas were jumping by lifting their forelegs off the ground first. Sometimes they'd kick their backs legs in the air upon landing. Anyway, it was cool to see. My photos don't really do it justice.
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