Tag Archive for Environmental awareness course

Did You Know – Pink Throated Twinspot

Lacey / November 23, 2011 / No comments

See below for the latest in our factsheet series
Pink-Throated Twinspot Scientific name: Hypargos margaritatus :Description - Small brightly spotted bird endemic to regions in the Northern KwaZulu Natal, Swaziland and southern Mozambique. :Call - Soft, high pitched trill. :Endemic (only found) in thornveld thickets and and coastal scrub. :Male/female - - Male has pinkish throat, face and breast with a brown crown. - Female has a grey-brown throat, breast and belly. - Both adults have distinct white spots on black on underside below wings and chest. - Juvenile is brown above and pale-grey below. Has no spots. :Nesting behaviour - Builds nest in an untidy ball shape with the entrance is on the side. Tend to be built low down in dense vegetation. 3-4 eggs are lain. Breeding occurs in the early months of the year, usually around January. :Diet - Eats both seeds and insects :Did You Know - - Very rare due to its relatively small distribution, very desirable with birdwatchers. - In Afrikaans they are called Rooskeelkolpensie. - Often mistaken for the red-throated twispot. - There is also a green throated twinspot

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Did You Know – Natal Hinged Tortoise

Lacey / November 16, 2011 / No comments

Natal Hinged Tortoise Scientific name / Genus: Kinixys Description: A group of tortoises who have a hinge between the 7 and 8th marginal scutes (plates) of their shell. Diet: Various - Grasses, forbs, indigenous fruits, succulents, millipedes, insects, snails, carrion and mushrooms. Habitat: Occur in a wide range of habitats including bushveld, thornveld, savanna woodland, forest and grassland. Restricted to North Eastern parts of South Africa. Breeding: Most recorded matings are Sep-Nov, but Natal Hinged tortoise has been observed in Feb. Clutches between 2-10 hardshelled eggs laid in Nov-Apr. Bell's hinged tortoise lays several clutches. Incubation 3-10+ months, hatching Sep-April. Conservation: The Natal Hinged Tortoise is IUCN listed as 'Near Threatened' due to extensive habitat destruction Different species within genus: - Bell's Hinged Tortoise; Kinixys belliana - Lobatse Hinged Tortoise; Kinixys lobatsiana - Natal hinged tortoise; Kinixys natalensis - Speke's hinged tortoise; kinixys spekii Male or female: Avg shell length 155-210mm. Avg weight 600g to 1.8kg. Females larger than males. Hinge may be absent or ill-formed in juveniles Did You Know: - Tortoises are more active in the rain - Have lived up to 22 years in captivity

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Did You Know – Suni

Lacey / November 2, 2011 / No comments

The latest in our quiz sheets! The Suni :)

Suni Scientific name: Neotragus moschatus Description: A very small species of African antelope - can be mistaken for very young duiker. Very little is known about these reclusive animals. Habitat: Rarely seen, found in dense woodland. Have a limited distribution usually in sandforest and coastal forest in North East of South Africa. Communication: Usually thought to be silent, few reported cases of barking. When distressed will cry like a human baby. Male or female: Approx 350mm high. Female/ Male 5.4kg/5kg Both have Light brown - chestnut coloured coat with white underparts and inner legs. Young are slightly darker. Rounded ears are pink inside, grey outside. Rams grow smooth tipped horns with deep ridges. Behaviour: Usually diurnal, the Suni will hide the day away in a sheltered, shady spot. Both males and females are territorial, with home ranges varying from 1-8 hectares depending on habitat suitability. Males mark their territory with the scent glands on their cheek (pre-orbital scent glands). Diet: Feed from the forest floor on newly fallen leaves, flowers and fruit. Usually will feed at dusk and dawn. Predators: Prey to many, the Suni use their camoflague and wait until the last minute to run away. Life Expectancy Unknown Did you know: - Suni sightings are even rarer than that of Leopard. - Suni have the largest pre-orbital scent glands relative to size of all African antelopes. - There are thought to be less than 1000 Suni in Zululand

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Did You Know? – Puff Adder

Lacey / October 19, 2011 / No comments

This weeks factsheet – Puff Adder!

Puff adder Scientific name: Bitis Arietans Description: South African snake with distinct scales and pattern. Habitat: Widespread throughout most of Sub-saharan Africa. Variable habitat from sand forest to coast they occur anywhere there is food. Venom: Very potent cytotoxic venom. Responsible for cell damage and tissue necrosis which in severe cases can lead to death. Fang: Long, hinged front fang. Size: Average 60-80cm (females larger). Have been found over one metre in length. Hunting Technique: Ambush predators - Puff Adders rely heavily on their camoflague for both hunting and protection. This does however lead to them being trodden on as they do not move out of the way. With a fast strike they immobilise their prey with venom before it has even acknowledged them. Deadly to Humans. Breeding: Ovoviviparous. Eggs are not laid, instead the female incubates the leather-like eggs within her body where they hatch before exiting. Around 20-40 juveniles are born with both fangs and venom and are considered to be more dangerous than adults as they have no control over the amount of venom they inject into their prey. Diet: Predominantly rodents, however will also eat amphibians and birds when available. Did you know: - Puff Adders is from the way they puff/hiss when disturbed. - Despite their short, chubby appearance Puff adders are very good swimmers.

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Did You Know – Pygmy Kingfisher

Lacey / October 12, 2011 / No comments

See below for the latest in our factsheet series.
Pygmy Kingfisher Scientific name: Ispidina picta Description: The African Pygmy Kingfisher is the smallest Kingfisher in the region at 13cm high. Habitat: Found in the West of South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Non-aquatic the pygmy kingfisher is found in woodland, savannah and coastal forests. Diet: Unlike most Kingfishers, the pygmy Kingfisher does not eat fish.Their diet consists mainly of insects, however they will also devour small lizards and frogs when available. Despite its small size the Pygmy Kingfisher can easily control large prey by bashing it on a tree or stone until it stops fighting. Calls: High pitched 'chip chip' when flying. Male/ Female: Adults the same. Juveniles similar to adult but with darkish bill (beak). Breeding: Usually breeding between October and December the pygmy kingfishers nest in an old burrow or tunnel on a bank. 3 - 6 eggs are normally laid in the nest. Did You Know: - Only Kingfisher that doesn't eat fish. - Can be distinguished from malachite kingfisher by its small size and the violet wash around its ears.

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Did You Know – Large Striped Swordtail Butterfly

Lacey / October 5, 2011 / No comments

See below for the latest in our ‘Did You Know’ educational factsheet series.

Sword tail butterfly Scientific name: Graphium antheus Identificaton: Upperside: Black with turquoise bands and spots. Transverse bands in forewing are wavy. Underside: Similar pattern but grey/brown with pale green markings. Behaviour: Flight is high and rapid. Both sexes visit flowers. Males tend to be found in hundreds on wet mud. Larvae and caterpillars are diapausal meaning that if the environmental conditions are not right they will continue to 'sleep'. Wingspan: Male - 65-70mm Female - 70-75mm Male/ female: Similar markings on male and female Diet: Adult butterflies do not need to eat as they obtain most of the food they need as caterpillars. They do however drink. Using their proboscis (mouth-piece like a straw) they suck nectar from plant flowers and tree sap. Males will also suck up salts from the drying mud. Larvae feeds on various leaves, flowers, and fruit dependant on region. Communication: Communicate with chemical signals Distribution: Within South Africa: From, coastal lowland forest from Eastern Cape to savannah in KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo province. Habitat: Forest edges and flatlands. Predators: Varied predators from Chameleons to birds. Roughly summarised to 'anything that can catch them' Did you know: - You can tell moths and butterflies apart by their antenna. Butterflies have straight antenna whilst moths have ones that resemble TV aerials to help them fly at night. - Butterflies only fly in the daytime

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Did You Know – Spotted Hyaena

Lacey / September 28, 2011 / No comments

See below our fact sheet for the spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta)

Spotted Hyaena (hyena) Scientific name: Crocuta crocuta Description: Largest of the hyena family, look bearlike. Hyena are carnivores that are related to the mongoose. May have originated in Asia 5 million years ago. Coat is short and thin. Colour reddish brown/tan coat which gets lighter and less spotted with age. Natal coat is black, no spots. Yearling coat grey and heavily spotted. Habitat: Found in savannah and where ever there are antelope and zebra. Life expectancy: Males and females can live 20-25 years in the wild. Captive hyaena have been known to reach 40. Communication: One of the most vocal African animals. Have 11 different calls. - Groans and squeals - greeting - Whooping - contact call - Fast whooping - Rally call - male calls tend to be ignored. - Lowing - shows impatience, usually when waiting at a kill. Diet: Carnivore, rarely eats insects/fruit/vegetable. Unlike other carnivores eats most of animal (other carnivores can waste up to 40%). Hyaenas have the ability to eat and digest everything, even bones, hooves, teeth and smaller horns which are all digested within 24 hours. Hyaenas eat everything except the stomach content of their prey. Taking the easy way for food they will scavenge or pick young/injured animals. But they are capable of taking down wildebeest three time their size. Social structure: Live in large groupd to defend territory. But unlike other social carnivores; - compete more and co-operate less. - Females are bigger than the males - Females compete for rank and food - No cross suckling of young - Males play no parental role - the few that are allowed near the cub dens are bullied by higher ranking offspring. Male/female: Not as easy as you'd think... Males: height 79-86cm Females: Larger than males height 84-89cm. Both sexes have 2 teats and boneless penis 14.5-19.5cm. Female penis changes at puberty as urethral opening splits open and teats enlarge. Behaviour: Movement - rarely trots, moves at about 6mph. Can run 25-31mph but only for a few miles. Predators: No real predators, but heavy competition. Spotted hyaena practice mobbing attacks against rival clans and lions - usually to claim a kill. Lack of cooperative defense does put hyaena to disadvantage. Use vultures as indicator of carcass. Did You Know: -Their jaws are capable of exerting pressures of up to 800 kg/square inch! -Another name for the spotted hyena is the “laughing hyena”.

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Did You Know – Purple-Crested Turaco

Lacey / September 21, 2011 / No comments

See our factsheet below for more information about the purple-crested Turaco (formerly known as the purple-crested Lourie).

Purple crested turaco Formerly known as the Purple-crested lourie Scientific name: Musophaga porphyreolopha Description: Colourful African forest bird with red underwings and distinctive call. It differs from the other Turacos due its very dark purple crest, and the lack of white around the eyes. Diet: Feeds almost exclusiely on fruits Habitat: Tends to be found in coastal and riverine forests, sometimes also found in broad leaved woodland. Inhabits a large portion of Eastern African continent including; South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Male/female/juvenile: Adults the same. Juvenile is duller in colour. Call: Loud 'kok-kok-kok-kok' call Nest behavior: Both sexes build the nest. Usually one will return with sticks to give to the other who will place it in the nest. 2-4 eggs are laid which are incubated by both parents for approx 3 weeks. Chicks are ready to fly at 38 days. Did you know: Despite being brightly coloured, the purple crested turaco is hard to spot. It is mostly noticed by the bright red feathers of their underwings as they move from tree to tree.

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Did you know? – Toad Tree

Lacey / September 14, 2011 / No comments

Part 3 of our factsheet series

Toad tree Scientific name: Tabernaemontana elegans Description: Shrub or small deciduous to semi-deciduous tree with single upright trunk. Habitat: Bushveld and coastal areas of North-East South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique. Bark: Thick and cork like with longitudinal fissures. Leaves: Found at end of branches. Glossy dark green on upper side, underside contains prominent hairless veins in lateral pairs of up to 22. Large; 90-200mm x 50-70mm. Fruit: Hang like pendulums on stalks from branches. Are joined at the base in pairs. Semi round with three ridges, they vary in colour from dark green to grey. Surface is covered with light grey cork-like warts. Sometimes covered in a white latex wax. Seeds are contained inside within a bright orange pulp. Uses: The leaves are suitable for browsers. The pulp of the fruit when ripe is edible. Pulp can also be used to curdle milk. The latex is used for birdlime and to stop bleeding. The root is thought to have medicinal properties. Flowers: Occur in fragrant bunches at the end of branches. White corolla lobes approx 10mm long and twist to the left. Did you know: Hang like pendulums on stalks from branches. Are joined at the base in pairs. Semi round with three ridges, they vary in colour from dark green to grey. Surface is covered with light grey cork-like warts. Sometimes covered in a white latex wax. Seeds are contained inside within a bright orange pulp.

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Did You Know – Cocktail Ant

Lacey / September 7, 2011 / No comments

See below the factsheet for the South African Cocktail Ant
Cocktail Ant Scientific Name: Crematogaster peringueyi Description: Small ant species indigenous to South Africa. Habitat: Diverse habitat, usually found in a forested area. Distribution is along the East Coast of South Africa. Predators: Surprisingly few due to red colour and irritant fluid. Tend to be preyed upon mainly by birds. Food: Worker ants tend aphids and coccid insects for honeydew. Social structure: Like all ants they form colonies which comprise of a queen and worker ants. There are many different types of worker ant - some work in the nursery, some collect food, some protect the colony e.t.c. Communication: Unknown, presumed same as standard ant - Using pheremones (scents). e.g. an ant that finds food will leave a scent trail on his way to the colony for other ants to follow. Male or Female: This doesn't really apply to Ants.Two types of ant instead; Queen - Body length 6mm Worker ant - Body length 3-6mm, 2 segmented waist, head, thorax and legs reddish brown and black. Life Expectancy: Unknown, presumed to be the same as a standard ant - 90 days (worker ant) Did you know? Cocktail ants will build their nests near birds nests so that as the birds protect their own nests from predators they inadvertently protect the ants. Cocktail ants are called that because they cock their tails in the air and squirt on the bite.

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