Tag: africa

• The satanic leaf-tailed gecko wears nature in disguise

  

  The satanic leaf-tailed gecko (uroplatus phantasticusis) wears many disguises.

  It has superior camouflage — special skin that evolved to look like plants — and can also scare away predators by opening its bright red mouth and hiss like a cat.

  

  These geckos can even shed their tail to deceive predators, not to mention they lick their corneas to keep them moist and free of dirt. Like most geckos, satanic leaf-tailed geckos lack eyelids and can’t blink.

  But gook luck finding one of those awesomely named critters. Most satanic leaf-tailed geckos live in the rainforests in the central-east part of Madagascar, an island off the African continent.

  

  The lizard typically rests during the day, using its varying shades of brown and flat tail to blend in with the leaves. Talk about benefiting from natural selection!

  After exploiting its camo all day to avoid the mouths of birds and snakes, it goes hunting at night in search of crickets, moths, cockroaches, and snails.

  

  Wells Baum

  August 10, 2022

  Animals

  africa, animals, gecko, lizard, Nature

• The beauty of Madagascar’s giant Baobab trees

  

  The Grandidier’s Baobabs (Palmate adansonia) are giant trees indigenous to Africa. Nicknamed the “mother of the forest,” this species of Baobab trees is predominantly found off Africa’s mainland in the island country of Madagascar.

  Baobabs can live up to 800 to 1000 years with their unique ability to act as water storage tanks. The trees can store up to 32 gallons of water in their thick trunks.

  The heart of many African remedies and folklore, the iconic Baobab is often referred to as the “Tree of Life.” Both the animals and locals tap the trees for H20 during the dry season. The resilient trees are also resistant to termites and fire.

  

  

  The 80-plus foot trees average a circumference of 108 feet and appear “upside down” since the tops of the trees look like roots. They also feature on a 250-meter path called the Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar’s Menabe region. The tree is famous for producing surreal white, bat-pollinated flowers as well.

  “A Caliban of a tree, grizzled, distorted old goblin with the girth of a giant, the hide of a rhinoceros, twiggy fingers clutching at empty air and the disposition of a guardian angel,” once wrote the Australian novelist Ernestine Hill about the Baobab’s immensity.

  Unfortunately, baobab trees are at risk of extinction due to climate change, with more than ten thousand disappearing yearly.

  

  

  Wells Baum

  January 22, 2022

  Nature, Travel

  africa, Madagascar, Nature, Travel, trees

• The spot where the Namib Desert meets the Atlantic ocean

  

  Where in the world can you see an infinite beach? Try the Namib Desert in Namibia, where some of the world’s tallest dunes meet the sea.

  The Namib Desert is the world’s oldest desert, going back at least 55 million years. While devoid of surface water, there are nearly a thousand miles of desert coastline on the Atlantic ocean where coastal winds have helped shape and shift massive dunes.

  The contrast between the land waves and sea waves, desert and the Namib-sand sea, is simply breathtaking.

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  January 11, 2022

  Nature, Travel

  africa, desert, Namibia, oceans, sand

• The African Dung Beetle navigates Earth using the stars

  

  Not sure what’s more amazing about the African dung beetle, one that it rolls immaculate balls out of other animals’ dung or that it navigates from home to manure piles and back via celestial cues.

  “These clever insects use the polarized light of the moon to navigate in a straight line,” writes Popular Mechanics. “Their eyes cannot see individual stars but a group of stars together, like the Milky Way, is dense enough to create a luminous line for them to follow.”

  

  No stars, no problem! When the sun gets blocked or is directly overhead, the beetle uses its antennae to perceive wind signals. This way it can roll across the desert without getting lost.

  But entomologist and photographer Piotr (Peter) Naskrecki of the Wilson Biodiversity Laboratory at Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique believes the Kheper subaeneus beetles are more interesting for what they do for mother Earth. 

  Few animals are as important to the African savanna ecosystem as the dung beetles and without their thankless toil the entire ecosystem would soon collapse, covered in a thick layer of waste. 

  Piotr Naskrecki

  Keep in mind that the gathered feces, which the palm-sized creature rolls into big balls, often weigh more than the beetle itself.

  

  

  Wells Baum

  January 1, 2022

  Animals, Nature

  africa, African Dung Beetle, animals, Nature, Peter Naskrecki

• The ‘underwater waterfall’ phenomenon at Mauritius Island

  

  A unique and beautiful ‘underwater waterfall’ illusion lies off the southeast coast of the African continent at Mauritius Island in the Indian Ocean.

  The surreal view’s location, visible only from a precise perspective, rests at the Black River Gorges National Park in Le Morne, on the island’s southwest. UNESCO recognizes the area as a World Heritage site. 

  The spectacular mirage occurs when the sand and silt sediments on the ocean floor sink under the influence of stronger underwater currents between the opening of the reefs.

  The scene, in which various sea water colors from light green to dark blue vacillate, resembles the flush of a waterfall cascading into a massive underwater pit. 

  One may not see the effect from the shoreline but get an aerial view via helicopter or plane and be prepared to be awed. Tourists claim it looks like an opening to an underworld. 

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  October 22, 2021

  Nature, Travel

  africa, Mauritius Island, waterfall

• Gorgeous eyelashes of the Secretary bird

  

  The Secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is your new favorite bird.

  Endemic to Africa and the national bird of Sudan, the Secretary bird looks like a combination of an eagle and a crane. Its snake-stomping legs can deliver up to 43 pounds of force.

  The raptor is also known for its speed, earning the nickname “devil’s horse.” It can walk up to 18 miles a day while stopping to pluck beetles and grasshoppers from the ground.

  But what’s most recognizable about this 4-foot terrestrial bird of prey is its beautiful, elongated eyelashes and eyelash-like feathers.

  Don’t be ashamed to admit if the Secretarybird has prettier eyelashes than you.

  

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  October 4, 2021

  Animals

  africa, animals, birds

• World’s third-largest diamond discovered in Botswana

  

  A unit of De Beers unearthed one of the world’s largest diamonds in Botswana earlier this month.

  The 1,098-carat diamond is believed to be the third-largest gem-quality stone ever mined. It’s worth a jaw-dropping $100+ million. 80% of the income through sales will be passed on to the state to “be used to advanced national development in the country,” according to the Botswana Government.

  President Mokgweetsi Masisi revealed the palm-sized stone to the public on Wednesday.

  This afternoon Botswana's president announced that they discovered the 3rd biggest diamond in the world. pic.twitter.com/jrqeBggIiW

  — Kasi Economy Group (@KasiEconomy) June 16, 2021

  The government receives as much as 80% of the income from Debswana's sales through dividends, royalties and taxes.
  
  Production at Debswana fell 29% in 2020 to 16.6 million carats while sales fell 30% to $2.1 billion as the pandemic impacted both production and demand pic.twitter.com/bK4JwUDG8c

  — Reuters (@Reuters) June 17, 2021

  The world’s largest stone remains the 3,106 carat Cullinan stone discovered in South Africa in 1905. It was cut and placed into the British Crown Jewels where it remains to this day.

  

  The second-largest diamond remains the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona found in the Lucara Diamonds in Botswana in 2015. That’s a whole lot of rings.

  Wells Baum

  June 18, 2021

  Culture & Society, Nature

  africa, Diamond, Nature

• Marvel at the Giant Groundsels of Mt Kilimanjaro

  

  Giant Groundsels (Dendrosenecio kilimanjari) are prehistoric plants found on top of Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

  They evolved about a million years ago in altitudes above 14,000 feet, where they learned to harness the ability to survive sub-zero temperatures. They can also grow as high as 30 feet tall.

  Giant Groundsels are a member of the dandelion family but look more like a twist between a pineapple and a cactus. The plant retains its large dead leaves to help insulate the stem. The leaves even close when it gets too cold.

  Marvelous and strange, one can imagine dinosaurs just snacking on these big old plants.

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  June 14, 2021

  Nature

  africa, Nature, trees

• The huge neck of the East African gerenuk

  

  The Gerenuk is an antelope often referred to as a giraffe-necked antelope or “giraffe gazelle.”

  They are unique-looking creatures due to their huge necks, small heads, and big eyes and ears. In short, they look like a gazelle had a baby with a llama.

  Amazingly, they can survive their entire life without ever taking a drink of water. This is because the gerenuk derives water from the leaves that it eats.

  To better reach this foliage it has evolved a long, slender neck and head. It often raises its front legs and props them against a tree trunk in order to reach higher branches.

  Mostly found in the Horn of Africa and the drier parts of East Africa, the gerenuk is near threatened due to trophy hunters seeking their mount.

  

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  May 25, 2021

  Animals, Nature

  africa, animals, gerenuk, Nature

• The beautiful yet feisty Lilac-breasted roller bird, Africa’s most colorful bird

  

  The plumage on the lilac-breasted roller bird is gorgeous. The creature sports eight different colors to give it the impression of a mesmerizing rainbow.

  Native to sub-Saharan Africa and the national bird of both Botswana and Kenya, the lilac bird is known to perch on treetops by the roadside so it can pounce on rodents and insects moving about on the ground.

  An aggressive little fluff—especially when intruders get too close to their nest—the African Lilac-breasted roller birds are also renowned for the rolling flight pattern that sees them dip and dive from high in the sky in torpedo-like motion.

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  March 11, 2021

  Animals, Nature

  africa, birds, Nature

• The Great Blue Turaco

  

  The beautiful Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata) is a bird from West and Central Africa’s tropical forests. 

  The birds weigh up to three pounds and grow up to 30 inches long, about a pheasant’s size. While not the most competent flyers, they are excellent climbers, spending most of their time hanging out in the trees.

  

  While the great blue turaco sings sweet melodies and snacks on fruit, leaves, and flowers, it’s most famous for its mix of vibrant colors. 

  With blue running across its head and upper breasts, the bird also flashes a black crest, a teal belly, and a red and tipped beak that gives it the impression of wearing lipstick. It also sports a stunning dark blue mohawk.  

  One of the most sought-after bird species by birders, the Great Blue Turaco is also widely regarded as a bird that brings good luck. 

  

  

  Wells Baum

  January 15, 2021

  Animals

  africa, animals, birds, Great Blue Turaco, Nature

• Lost and Found: The Somali Elephant Shrew is back!

  

  The Somali Sengi, also known as the Somali Elephant Shrew, is back after a 50-year hiatus. The small insectivorous mammal endemic to Somalia was deemed extinct since the 1970s by the Global Wildlife Conservation’s list of lost species. 

  But scientists recently rediscovered a thriving population of Somali Sengi in Djibouti. 

  “Here we report new evidence that the Somali Sengi is currently extant,” says the study.

  “These data include voucher specimens, georeferenced occurrence localities, body measurements, habitat parameters, and DNA sequences. While the species is historically documented as endemic to Somalia, these new records are from the neighboring Republic of Djibouti and thus expand the Somali Sengi’s known range in the Horn of Africa.”

  FOUND: What is related to an elephant but the size of a mouse, has hindlimbs built like a gazelle, & was lost to science since 1968? The Somali Sengi, an adorable elephant-shrew was recently rediscovered in Djibouti. @DukeLemurCenterhttps://t.co/xSZYutT0CT pic.twitter.com/NJZs0Kx21g

  — Re:wild (@rewild) August 18, 2020

  The adorable mouse-sized creature features a long snout that allows it to suck up ants into its trunk-like nose. The animal is also known to pick up speeds of 19 miles per hour. 

  The shrew is neither elephant nor shrew, to be exact, but a distant relative to aardvarks, hyraxes, and manatees.  

  Lost for half a century and found, let’s hope we never lose sight of the adorable Somali Sengi again.  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  September 25, 2020

  Animals, Nature

  africa, animals, Nature, Photography, Somalia