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Vervet monkeys are medium-sized primates that are highly social and live in groups of up to 50 individuals. Within a troop, adult males form a dominance hierarchy that is established and maintained by threat and aggression. Facial expressions (eyelid display) and body postures are used to communicate threats or aggressive behaviour. At sexual maturity, young males tend to migrate between groups – usually in the company of a sibling or peer. In contrast, females remain in their natal groups and form strong hierarchies that are based on maternal social status. Vervet monkeys are largely vegetarian and are common in savanna and woodland that have access to water and trees for cover. Vervet monkeys can be serious pests that cause crop damages in areas where their habitat overlaps with agricultural areas. Vervet monkeys are classified as Lower Risk/Least Concern by the IUCN due to their wide range.
Info source: https://www.sanbi.org/animal-of-the-week/vervet-monkey/
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The photo was taken during August 2015 at Pine Lake Lifestyle Resort, White River, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

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The greater kudu of South Africa has tawny-brown to grey-brown coats with distinctive white stripes running down on its flanks. They have a white V-shaped band across the eyes and forehead with white spots on their cheeks. There are strong physical differences between males and females. The males grow long, spiral horns that can reach up to 1,8 m in length. The kudu bull’s horns reach full length at the age of six years old, and males are significantly larger than females. Bulls can weigh as much as 300 kg with a shoulder height of 1.4 m and cows weigh 210 kg with a shoulder height of 1.25 m. Kudu have long manes of hair that run on its back from head to tail and along the lower neck to the underbelly. A kudu herd tends to split up into two sub-groups. Young females remain with their mothers, while sexually mature males around the age of two years old form bachelor groups. Kudu males will join the female herds during mating season. No territorial spacing exists amongst bulls, but as they show age in their physical appearance, they have size-graded dominant hierarchies.
Info source: http://southafrica.co.za/kudu.html
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The photo was taken during January 2015 at Mabula Private Game Reserve, Rooiberg, Bela-Bela, Limpopo, South Africa.

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Picture of the day, Wildlife

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The giraffe is the tallest mammal in the world, standing at around 4-5m high, and the tallest giraffes ever recorded have been up to 5.9m. That’s over a meter higher than a double-decker bus. It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that such a large animal weighs quite a lot as well – up to 1900kg, which is more than most cars! A giraffe’s neck is too short to reach the ground. As a result, it has to awkwardly shuffle and spread its front legs to reach the ground for a drink of water. Fortunately, giraffes only need to drink once every few days, as they can get most of their water from all the plants they eat. Despite being incredibly tall, giraffes still only have seven vertebrae in their necks – which means a giraffe neck has the exact same number of bones as a human neck! A fully grown giraffe can raise or lower its head by up to 5m, so it might actually pass out were it not for a dense network of fine capillaries (the ‘rete mirabile’) that cushions its brain against rapid changes in blood pressure. Other adaptations to prevent sudden giraffe collapse are valves to stop the back-flow of blood and elastic-walled vessels that dilate and constrict to manage the flow.
Info source: https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/facts-about-giraffes/
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The photo was taken during September 2017 near Lower Sabie, Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

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Picture of the day, Wildlife