trunk Archives - Page 6 of 14

Frond

Tree ferns are ferns that grow with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level. Tree ferns are found growing in tropical and subtropical areas, including cool to temperate rainforests. Like all ferns, tree ferns reproduce by means of spores formed on the undersides of the fronds. The fronds of tree ferns are usually very large and multiple-pinnate. Their trunk is actually a vertical and modified rhizome and woody tissue is absent. To add strength, there are deposits of lignin in the cell walls and the lower part of the stem is reinforced with thick, interlocking mats of tiny roots. Tree ferns often fall over in the wild, yet manage to re-root from this new prostrate position and begin new vertical growth. It is not certain the exact number of species of tree ferns there are, but it may be closer to 600-700 species. Many species have become extinct in the last century as forest habitats have come under pressure from human intervention. Info source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_fern

10 June 2019Nature, Picture of the day

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

Moustache

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 has 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

9 May 2019Picture of the day, Wildlife