Say what?

Elephants use their feet to detect and interpret vibrations in the ground.

The feet stomping display of aggression can be detected some distance away as warning vibrations traveling through the ground, causing the elephants to gather in defensive formations .

It has also been noted that if unknowns vibrations are detected, the animals vacate the area.

 

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More fortifications

During the latter part of the second Anglo-Boer war (Boer war / South African war) 1889-1902, the British constructed almost 8,000 blockhouse type fortifications to restrict Boer movements.

The Boers at that time engaged in very effective guerrilla tactics.

Several blockhouse structures (some in various stages of disrepair) are still scattered across the landscape.

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Blockhouse near Wolseley, Western Cape.

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On to solid foods.

The harvestman (Opiliones) is an small arachnid (eight, joint legged invertebrate) like spiders and scorpions. Their bodies are typically no longer than 7mm in length and some species are as small as 1mm.

There are over 6,500 identified species.

Harvestman and scorpions differ from spiders in, amongst other things, the fact that they can eat solid food.

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Harvestman (Opiliones)

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You been crying?

Unlike most cat’s the cheetah  (Acinonyx jubatus) is primarily diurnal (active during the day).

The “tear marks” (malar stripes) on the face of the cheetah reduces glare from the sun, which increases contrast and as a result improves vision.

The use of glare reducing products (creams and strips) is now a feature in certain sports including American football, baseball and  lacrosse.

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Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

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Call me Teddy.

Did you know, the teddy bear is named after former American President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt.

The President was out on a hunting trip as the guest of the governor of Mississippi in 1902. After three unsuccessful days, guides tracked down an old black bear, tied it to a tree, directed the president to the spot and offered him the opportunity to shoot the bear. The president refused on strength that it would be unsportsmanlike to shoot an injured tied up bear.

When word of this reached the newspapers a cartoonist drew a cartoon of the event.

Drawing inspiration from the cartoon a New York sweet shop owner asked permission from Roosevelt to call some soft toy bears his wife made (on display in his shop) Teddy’s bears. The rest, as they say, is history.

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King of My Castle

The Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) is the largest eagle in Africa and one of the largest in the world.  It can have  a wingspan exceeding 2.5 meters.

The largest eagle (at least by weight) is Steller’s sea eagle that tip the scales at just shy of 10kg and they can be found in Russia, Korea and Japan.

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Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus).

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Better off than dead I’ll say.

Autotomy (from the Greek auto- “self-” and tome “severing”) or self amputation is the observed behaviour where an animal discards one or more of its own appendages.

This is usually done as a self-defense mechanism. The lost body part may be regenerated later. The best known example is most probably the gecko’s tail.

Under natural conditions, orb-weaving spiders undergo autotomy if they are stung in a leg by wasps or bees.

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