Tag: tail

Nibble

The Nyala is a highly selective, mixed feeder taking in large quantities of grass, forbs and browse (grass contributes 12-30% of its dietary intake). They prefer the fruit, pods and flowers of broadleaf forbs and eat only soft, green new-growth grass tufts (dry leaves and stems are avoided completely). Nyala is dependent on fresh water and an adult will drink an average of 3.5 litres daily. Nyala thrives in the thicket, closed woodland, riverine bush and forest habitats. They require abundant shade, cover for refuge, a constant supply of fresh drinking water and a large variety of broadleaf forb species to browse. The ideal habitat comprises a 4-23cm sweet grass layer, a minimum of 15% thicket and should be no less than 60 ha in size – nyala spends 70-90% of its life in the thicket and become nocturnal in environments lacking in this foliage component. Nyala cannot survive in areas with temperatures lower than -2°C or rainfall of less than 300mm.
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The photo was taken during September 2017 in the Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Info source: http://westacresvet.co.za/farming-with-nyala-a-few-things-…/

Nibble

Picture of the day, Wildlife

Solo

The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds, with 64 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Although herons resemble birds in some other families, such as the storks, ibises, spoonbills, and cranes, they differ from these in flying with their necks retracted, not outstretched. They are also one of the bird groups that have powder down. Some members of this group nest colonially in trees, while others, notably the bitterns, use reed beds. The herons are medium- to large-sized birds with long legs and necks. The necks are able to kink in an S-shape, due to the modified shape of the cervical vertebrae, of which they have 20–21. The neck is able to retract and extend and is retracted during flight, unlike most other long-necked birds. The neck is longer in the day herons than the night herons and bitterns. The legs are long and strong and in almost every species are unfeathered from the lower part of the tibia (the exception is the zigzag heron). In flight, the legs and feet are held backwards. The feet of herons have long, thin toes, with three forward-pointing ones and one pointing backwards.
Info source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heron

Solo

Picture of the day, Wildlife

Scarlet

The Southern Red Bishop is a common and widespread resident and local nomad in marshy grassland, savanna and fields, usually associated with water. They favour breeding in reed beds, and sometimes also in crops. They are highly gregarious and sedentary, and feeds, roosts and breed in flocks. Their distribution is from Angola, Uganda and Kenya, south to the whole of Southern Africa; mainly near perennial water and less common in the dry west. Locally common to abundant, the females outnumber males at a ratio of 3 to 2. Longevity is 12 years. Their general habitat is open grassland, marshes and cultivated areas, typically with close access to perennial water. They are gregarious year-round, form large flocks during the non-breeding season, often with other granivores, and roost in reed beds. It regularly drinks water by sipping, then tips the bill to swallow.

Scarlet

Nature, Picture of the day