tail Archives - Page 11 of 31

Unique

The striking black and white colours of the coat of the Burchell’s zebra are breathtaking. The patterns formed by these stripes are unique to each individual; which is why you will hear people say that no two zebras are completely the same. Burchell’s zebra, which is also known as the plains zebra, has black and white stripes all over its body with only a few or fading stripes on the legs. Each zebra has unique stripes that can be used as an identification character to distinguish between individuals – similar to fingerprints in humans. The stripes on the sides run down and join under the belly. Burchell’s zebra can be mistaken for the mountain zebra, but the stripes on the legs (fading stripes in Burchell’s zebra vs. clear stripes on mountain zebra) and belly are distinct (in the mountain zebra, the belly is all white with no stripes). Burchell’s zebra also have smaller ears when compared to those of the mountain zebra. There is a short mane down the back of the neck. The tail has long black hair at the end. Males are slightly larger than the females, and they have a narrow black stripe running vertically between their hind legs. In females, this stripe is wider. Males grow to between 1.35 and 1.37 m at the shoulder and their weight is between 290 and 340 kg, while females weigh about 260 kg. Info source: https://www.sanbi.org/animal-of-the-week/burchells-zebra/

17 May 2019Picture of the day, Wildlife

Frenzy

Bulbuls are short-necked slender passerines. The tails are long and the wings short and rounded. In almost all species the bill is slightly elongated and slightly hooked at the end. They vary in length from 13 cm for the tiny greenbul to 29 cm in the straw-headed bulbul. Overall the sexes are alike, although the females tend to be slightly smaller. In a few species, the differences are so great that they have been described as functionally different species. The soft plumage of some species is colourful with yellow, red or orange vents, cheeks, throat or supercilia, but most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage. Species with dull coloured eyes often sport contrasting eyerings. Some have very distinct crests. Bulbuls are highly vocal, with the calls of most species being described as nasal or gravelly. One author described the song of the brown-eared bulbul as “the most unattractive noises made by any bird”. Info source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulbul

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The photo was taken during August 2018 at Segaia Bush Retreat, Buffelsdrift Conservancy, Gauteng, South Africa.

15 May 2019Picture of the day, Wildlife

Dragon

This rather sociable agama is normally found in small groups or colonies. It grows up to about 25 cm and has a thin dorsal crest that runs the length of its body. It typically has a short, plump body and a thin tail, with a triangular head. During the breeding season, the heads of the males become bright blue. The males also take to sitting on top of prominent rocks and are therefore a common sight in mountainous areas of South Africa. The females and young are a more uniform greyish-brown and are much shyer. It has some ability to change colour, although not to the same extent as chameleons, of which it is a sister group. When a male agama in breeding colouration is approached by a potential predator, it will lie flat against a rock and lose the intense breeding colours in favour of more cryptic colouration. A dominant male usually occupies a high point in the area and performs a pushup display and head nodding to warn off intruders.
Info source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agama_atra
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The photo was taken during August 2015 at Pine Lake Resort, Witrivier, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

14 May 2019Picture of the day, Wildlife