Peafowl

Even though most people refer to both sexes as peacocks, only the males are called peacocks. The females are called peahens. And peafowl is the term for both.  Peacocks use their bright iridescent trains to attract peahens. Another technique males use is quivering their feathers to produce infrasonic sounds (low frequency). Baby peafowl are calledContinueContinue reading “Peafowl”

A Mob of Meerkats

Meerkats are members of the mongoose family. They live in the African savannah and yes like Timon they do eat insects, grubs and termites. They also eat scorpions, luckily they are immune to most venoms.    Meerkats live in large groups called mobs, clans or gangs. The mob is led by an alpha female, called theContinueContinue reading “A Mob of Meerkats”

The worlds largest bird

You guessed it…The Ostrich  These birds are not just big, they are powerful. The ostriches’ main defense is its legs. They can run up to 43 mph (70 kph). When running isn’t an option, ostriches use their foot equipped with a 4-inch long claw. A single kick from an ostrich can kill a lion.   OstrichesContinueContinue reading “The worlds largest bird”

What is the Buzz?

…..Bees… Bees are extremely important pollinators. They are a vital part of our ecosystems, without them the human population would plumate. About ⅓  of the world’s food production depends on bees to pollinate the crops.  Although honeybees are not endangered other bees are. On the IUCN Red list 16 bee species are listed as vulnerable,ContinueContinue reading “What is the Buzz?”

The masters of defense

The African crested porcupine. Porcupine means “quill-pigs” in Latin. But don’t be confused porcupines are rodents, not pigs.  The African crested porcupine has highly effective defense mechanisms. The first strategy is to appear bigger by raising and fanning out it’s 13 in quills. If this doesn’t scare a predator away the next thing they willContinueContinue reading “The masters of defense”

Tiny Turtles

ENDANGERED! The black-breasted leaf turtle is one of the smallest turtles in the world. Adults are a maximum of 5 inches. They can move their brilliant eyes independently, like a chameleon.  This is especially useful when they are looking for prey. Leaf turtles are omnivores that eat earthworms, insects, and small fruit.  Unlike most turtles,ContinueContinue reading “Tiny Turtles”

Flamingos are not the only pink birds

Like flamingos, the scarlet ibis’s vibrant coloring comes from the red crustaceans they eat.   They live in shallow waters, and swaps in South America and the Carribean.  Their long curved beaks are used to probe through the mud and sand to find food. They eat insects, crustaceans, shellfish, and amphibians. Their population is decreasing dueContinueContinue reading “Flamingos are not the only pink birds”

Why the long face?..

….Huge teeth A horse’s teeth take up more space in their head than their brain does.  Horses have the largest eyes of any land mammal. Having eyes on the sides of their head allows them to see almost 360 degrees.  The only wild horse species left is the Przewalski’s horse, and they are endangered. OnceContinueContinue reading “Why the long face?..”