Quickly now!

I only have 15 minutes of free wifi here at the OR Tambo airport hotel and only an iPod touch to write with, so this blog is going to have to be brief. So, after more than 20 hours spent traveling, I finally have arrived in johannesburg with all of my luggage and most of my composure. I didn't sleep that much on the flight, but the little bit I did sleep I managed to sleep through the on-flight meals...so when I arrived I was feeling very exhausted and very overwhelmed and intimidated...then I ate something and everything seemed sooooo much better...funny how that works. My time's almost up, but I promise to write more interesting entries once I arrive at the cheetah center tommorow.

Flock Together

I've decided to stick with the whole bird trend, mostly because I've been spending a lot of time thinking about flying recently. This is due to the fact that I will be spending a good 20 hours in the air within the next week, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I mean, flying doesn't freak me out or anything, which is definitely a good thing. I do, however, get fidgety and restless after sitting still for too long. I've been trying to find ways to keep myself entertained on the flight...I've stockpiled NookBooks, old fashioned paper books, The Game of Thrones TV series on my iPod, lots of music, and a notebook. If all else fails, I guess I can just sleep. Easier said than done, however.

Anyways, back to birds. Today I'll write about raptors. Birds tend to freak me out a little, because of their tendency to poop unannounced and I feel like they are really dirty. But if I had to choose birds that I actually liked, I'd have to go with raptors. So today's blog entry is about raptors. The first raptor of the evening is the Bateleur. It is a medium-sized eagle in the same family as buzzards, kites, and harriers. It has a very distinct short tail which makes it unmistakable in flight. An adult male is 24-30 inches in length with nearly a 6 foot wingspan, and weighs around 4-6 pounds. It hunts a territory of 250 square miles a day, preying upon birds and small mammals. "Bateleur" is French for "tight-rope walker", and describes the bird's tendency to tip the ends of its wings when flying, as if catching its balance. This bird can be found in Kruger National Park.

The Bateleur has a distinctive short tail

The Bateleur is sometimes called the Pine Eagle because its feathers
resemble a conifer cone when puffed out

Next on the list is the Bat Hawk, which is named for its bat-based diet. It is another medium-sized raptor, being a typical length of 18 inches. Besides bats, they also eat small birds and even insects. It is a crepuscular bird, meaning it is most active at twilight. The bat hawk can be seen at Kruger National Park.

The African Fish Eagle is a large species of eagle that resembles the Bald Eagle in appearance. The female bird is larger than the male, weighing in at 7-8 pounds and having a wingspan of up to 8 feet. The male, on the other hand, weighs only 4-5 pounds and has a wingspan of up to 6 feet. Apparently, this is typical sexual dimorphism in birds of prey. As its name suggests, it preys mostly upon fish, but it is opportunistic and will take a wider variety of prey when the opportunity presents itself. It has special structures on its toes called spiricules that allow it to grasp fish and other slippery prey items. If it happens to catch a fish that is over four pounds, it will be too heavy for the eagle to lift, so it will drag the fish across the water until it reaches the shore. It has a distinctive cry that is often cited to be evocative of the spirit of Africa. They are believed to be monogamous, meaning that they mate for life. I should be able to spot them in Kruger National Park.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Martial Eagle. It is a very large eagle, with a length of up to 38 inches, a weight of up to 13 pounds, and a wingspan of up to 7.45 feet. It is the largest eagle in Africa. It is also one of the world's most powerful avian predators. It eats birds, reptiles (including puff adders and black mambas), and mammals. It can prey upon mammals as big as young warthogs and impala lambs. It is abundant in protected areas such as Kruger National Park, but elsewhere it faces serious decline due to shooting, poisoning, and man-made obstacles such as powerlines.

CHEETAH TIME!!!
Cheetah cubs can fall victim to the larger raptors.

Birds of a Feather

Considering the fact that the bird Zazu is a major character in the Lion King, I'm a little surprised that I have not covered South African birds yet. So today I'm going to fix this problem and write about my feathered friends. There are a lot of birds in South Africa, so I will only be covering a few of them. And since I already mentioned Zazu, I think I'm going to start with the hornbills. 

Zazu is technically a Red-billed Hornbill, which is a relatively small member of the hornbill family. Members of this bird family vary greatly in size. The smallest member is the Black Dwarf Hornbill at 1 foot in length and 3.6 oz in weight, while the largest member is the Southern Ground Hornbill at 13.6 pounds and 4 feet in length. The male animals are always bigger than the females, but any further sexual dimorphism varies with body parts such as the bill and wing length. The most unique feature of the hornbills is the heavy bill that assists in fighting, preening, constructing the nest, and catching prey. The hornbills have something called a casque, which is a hollow structure that runs along the upper mandible and reinforces the bill. In one species of hornbill, called the Helmeted Hornbill, the casque is actually filled with ivory and used as a battering ram in aerial jousts. Their bill is so large that it intrudes on their vision, but this allows them to be more precise in the handling of food objects with their bil. Food objects include fruit, insects, and small animals. As far as social relationships go, Zazu isn't the only member of this family that teams up with other species of animals. For example, some species of African hornbills have a mutualistic relationship with Dwarf Mongooses in which they forage together and warn each other of imminent danger.

The Red-billed Hornbill, real and animated

The Helmeted Hornbill's casque is filled with ivory.

Bee-eaters are gorgeous little birds with richly colored feathers, slender bodies, downturned bills, and pointed wings. As their name suggests, they eat flying insects and prefer bees and wasps. The bee-eater removes the stinger by repeatedly hitting and rubbing the insect on a hard surface, which manages to extract most of the venom. The birds will only pursue insects that are flying. Bee-eaters live in colonies and nest in burrows tunneled into the side of sandy banks. Many different species of bee-eaters are found in South Africa, including the Little Bee-eater and the Southern Carmine Bee-eater.

Southern Carmine Bee-eater

Little Bee-eaters

South Africa is home to 8 different species of Old World Vultures, including the Bearded Vulture, the Cape Griffon Vulture, the Egyptian Vulture, the Palmnut Vulture, the Hooded Vulture, the White-backed Vulture, the Lappet-faced vulture, and the White-headed Vulture. Vultures are scavenging birds, and many species have bald heads that help to keep the head clean while eating messy gory stuff. A group of vultures is called a wake, committee, venue, kettle, or volt. Kettle refers specifically to vultures in flight, while committee, volt, and venue refer to vultures that are resting in trees. A wake is a group of vultures who are feeding. Because the African vultures are old world vultures, they find carcasses exclusively by sight. Vultures will rarely attack healthy animals, but may go after wound or sick animals. These birds are very important, especially in hot regions, because they can safely digest putrid carcasses infected with things like hog cholera and anthrax bacteria.

Bearded Vulture

Egyptian Vulture

Cape Griffon Vulture

Hooded Vulture

Moving right along to flightless birds. Ostriches are large, flightless birds with the ability to run at speeds of up to 43 miles per hour, the top land speed of any bird. Not only is the Ostrich the fastest runner, it is also the largest living species of bird and lays the largest eggs known to bird. They weigh between 140 and 290 pounds, with some extremely large male specimens weighing up to 350 pounds. Their long neck and legs elevate their head anywhere from 6-9 feet off the ground. They eat mostly plant matter, although they will eat invertebrates as well. They live in nomadic groups consisting of between five and fifty animals. If threatened, the Ostrich will either hide by laying flat against the ground or it will run away. If it can do neither of these, it can attack with a kick from its powerful legs. Their legs can only kick forward, but they can cause serious harm or even death. Their feet actually have long claws that are capable of disemboweling with a single blow. Despite this dangerous little detail, Ostrich racing is a popular (and unusual) sport in some countries, especially in South Africa. Contrary to popular belief, they do not bury their heads in the sand.

Big claw!

Baby Ostrich

I wasn't making it up. They race ostriches. 

The next flightless bird, and last feature of tonight's blog, is the African Penguin. Also known as the Black-footed Penguin for its black feet, or as the "Jackass" penguin due to its donkey-like bray. It is between 26 and 27 inches tall and weighs between 4 and 11 pounds. Their unique black and white coloring is a form of camouflage. The white is for underwater predators looking upwards, while the black is for predators looking down into the dark water. They live on 24 islands, some of which are known as the Penguin Islands, off of the coast of southern Africa. They eat pelagic fish, anchovies, and small marine invertebrates. It can live up to 27 years in the wild, although they often fall prey to sharks, seals, orcas, mongooses, genets, domestic cats, and the Kelp Gull. It is an endangered species, due to commercial fisheries depleting their food supply and due to the practice of collecting penguin eggs to eat. Oil spills, such as the sinking of the MV Treasure in June 2000, also threaten to push these birds to extinction.

African Penguins at the Cincinnati Zoo

CHEETAH TIME!!!
Vultures will nom a cheetah's kill, and they cheetah doesn't seem to mind too much...

Watch your step

Well, with only seven days left until I leave Cincinnati, I have still not quite digested the whole going-to-Africa deal. It probably won't even be until I land in Johannesburg that I'll be able to comprehend, "Wow, I'm going to Africa!". Then my brain will have to catch up with my body so it can say "Wow, I'm actually IN Africa". We'll see how this goes.
I ran out of animals to write about. Its not that I went through all of the South African animals that I could possibly see, because I didn't even come close to doing that. However, I did feel as if I touched upon the most classic animals and I didn't know what to write about tonight. Here is where I am going to lead you on a tangent, but bear with me. I saw the Hunger Games this evening, which I thought was very well done (and yes, I read the books) which is saying something since I tend to be a book-over-movie snob. Anyways, there were lots of scenes where things were trying to kill Katniss, like tracker jackers and muttations. While these things don't exist in Africa, I've heard that there are other animals that can still pose quite a threat. I've already covered the big obvious ones, like the hippos and crocs and lion, etc. So I decided to look up snakes, more specifically snakes that could do me harm. So if you don't like snakes, don't feel obligated to read this post. I actually like snakes, at least a lot more than I like spiders. If I get myself to look up South African spiders, it will be a big accomplishment on my part. But tonight is all about the snakes.

Our first serpent is the Southern Stiletto Snake. It is found in many habitats, including forest, moist savanna, dry savanna, karoo scrubland, grassland, and deserts. They are partial to living in termite mounds or under rocks and logs. Its fangs are unique because they lay horizontally, pointing backwards diagonally towards the corners of the mouth. It typically hunts underground, feeding on frogs, rodents, and burrowing reptiles. It will bite readily if presented with the opportunity, and its venom is not very fun. It has effects of local pain and swelling, necrosis, mild neurotoxic symptoms, nausea, and dry throat. There is no antivenom available, so bites can only be treated symptomatically. So really, just don't get bitten.

The Twig snake may not sound intimidating, but it has a highly venomous bite that can be fatal. It is a hemotoxic venom that acts very slowly, and there is no antivenom available. Again, the best idea seems to be avoiding the snake and its pointy teeth. The twig snake preys on lizards, frogs, and birds. They are very hard to spot, as they conceal themselves in trees and have cryptic coloration combined with an ability to freeze or sway gently like a twig on a tree.

The Zebra Cobra is a subspecies of the Black-Necked Spitting Cobra. Not surprisingly, this snake has they ability to spit its venom, which is a mixtures of cytotoxins and neurotoxins. Not a good mix. It is more cytotoxic, however, and bites can result in tissue damage and loss of limbs. Needless to say, this snake is considered armed and dangerous. It can reach lengths of up to 1.5 meters (4.9 feet).

The black mamba is the longest venomous snake in Africa, ranging from 8.2 to 10 feet in length. It has even been known to reach lengths of up to 14 feet. Its name comes from the black coloration inside the mouth, not from its dull yellow-green-gray scale color. Not only is this sucker large, but it is also the fastest snake in the world, capable of slithering at 10-12 miles per hour. It is known to be aggressive and highly venomous. Toxicity of the venom can vary greatly within the same species based on many factors, including location and weather. It has the most rapid-acting venom of any snake species. This fast-acting venom consists mostly of neurotoxins, but also has cardiotoxins (among other toxins) involved for good measure. If you want a good idea of just how toxic this venom is, a black mamba killed a 7500 pounds elephant named Eleanor back in 2006. While a miniscule 10-15mg of venom is enough to kill a human adult, a black mamba injects about 100-120 mg of venom on average. Luckily, there is an antivenom available. Time is of the essence, however, as death can occur 20-60 minutes after being bitten. Due to its high level of aggression, its speed, its agility, and its size, it is considered to be the deadliest snake species in the world by many herpetologists. So basically this snake is considered armed and EXTREMELY dangerous. And also very fast. The person in the photo below is crazy. Why, why, WHY in the name of all things alive and breathing would you go anywhere near this death machine?

Okay, I saved the best (worst) for last. The puff adder is a venomous viper species that is responsible for causing the most fatalities in Africa. Its average size is about 3 feet in length. It is the most common and widespread snake in Africa, which is not good considering the whole venomous thing. It is normally a sluggish sort of snake, relying on camouflage for protection. They can also swim and climb. Why don't they just fly, while they're at it? The puff adder is mostly nocturnal, preferring to ambush unlucky prey as it wanders on by. It has an extremely powerful strike that can be enough to kill its meal before the venom even begins to work its magic. The venom works it magic with cytotoxic effects. Puff adders yield between 100-350mg of venom. Only 100 mg is required to kill a healthy human male. Fatality depends on the severity of the bit, but occurs in less than 10% of all untreated cases. While it may seem to be less worrisome than the black mamba, it has a bad habit of basking by footpaths and sitting quietly when approached. Also, it has a very wide habitat distribution and occurs frequently in highly populated areas. The adder in the photo below is saying "DO NOT TOUCH".

CHEETAH TIME!!!
Although rare, cheetahs can die from fatal snake bites (just like everyone else). On National Geographic's show "Cheetah Blood Brothers", Achilles the cheetah is killed by a cobra bite.


So I hope you have good dreams tonight. I know I will.

River Horse

Since I'm on a roll with the whole dangerous African animal thing, I think I'll feature the Hippopotamus next. Its name derives from the ancient Greek for "river horse", although it is rather large to be a horse. In fact, is the third largest land mammal, beat only by the elephant and the rhinoceros. Even though it is called a "horse" in ancient Greek and resembles a pig, it is actually most closely related to the order that includes whales and porpoises. The hippo is a semi-aquatic mammal inhabiting the rivers, lakes, and mangrove swamps of Africa. It is one of the most aggressive animals in Africa, and have been known to attack humans even when unprovoked. One look at these porky guys and you'd probably think "Hey, no problem, I can outrun that stubby-legged blob". I know I did. However, it appears that this thought process is faulty; a hippopotamus can easily outrun a human, easily reaching a speed of 19 miles per hour over short distances. So don't let its roly-poly appearance deceive you, because it can SQUASH YOU!

As I mentioned, a hippo can easily squash you once it catches you with its surprising speed. The average weight for adult males ranges from 3,300 - 4,000 pounds, while the average weight for females ranges from 2,900-3,300 pounds. Males hippos seem to continue growing throughout their lives, and some have been recorded to reach weights just shy of 10,000 pounds. Their weight and specific gravity allows them to sink to the bottom of a river, where they can run or walk along the bottom. Despite being semi-aquatic and having webbed feet, an adult hippo is not a very good swimmer and (big surprise) it cannot float. They measure 11-17 feet in length and are about 5 feet tall at the shoulder. They have relatively small (stubby) legs because the water in which they live reduces their weight burden. Its skeletal structure is graviportal, meaning that it is adapted to carrying enormous weight. They can remain in water with most of their body submerged because their eyes, ears, and nostrils are placed high on the roof of the skull. They are thick-skinned, with skin up to 6 inches thick, which provides it with protection against physical injury. This skin secretes a natural sunscreen that is red-colored and sometimes called "bloodsweat" despite the fact that it is neither blood nor sweat. The hippo has an extremely powerful jaw that can open up to 150 degrees. It has enlarged lower canines and lower incisors that grow continuously and can reach lengths of up to 20 inches. Like the warthog, its teeth sharpen themselves as they grind together, making its mouth a very dangerous place to be.

Hippos spend most of their days wallowing in water or mud with other members of their group. These groups are called pods, herds, dales, or bloats, and consist of around 30 animals. Hippopotamuses (or hippopotami, both are correct) are territorial only in water, where the bull presides over a small chunk of river that contains around 10 females. Bachelors are allowed in a bull's territory, as long as they behave submissively. Within the pods, hippos tend to segregate by gender. Not much is known about hippo communication, although they do appear to communicate verbally through grunts and bellows. They have a unique ability to send a cry through both water and air by holding their head only partially above water as it bellows.

Hippos are one of the few mammals that give birth underwater. Baby hippos are born weighing between 60 and 110 pounds, and they must swim to the surface to take their first breath. The baby hippos often will rest on their mothers backs when it deep water, and they must swim underwater to suckle. Hippos are especially aggressive when calves are present. The unfortunate targets of this aggression include crocodiles, lions, spotted hyenas, and even humans. Oddly enough, hippos rarely kill each other. In combat, a territorial bull and a challenging bachelor will stop fighting when it becomes clear that one hippo is stronger. Not the case when a hippo and human are in combat...the hippo is clearly bigger and stronger and will still proceed to squash the poor human.

CHEETAH TIME!!!
Three cubs were orphaned when their mother was shot by poachers in 2005. These cubs were taken in by the Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary in Namibia, where they were hand-reared by men from the San tribe. Both the cheetah and the San tribe are endangered, so I think that this is a really cool story.

Zoo Weather

Today's weather was exceptionally gorgeous, so I decided to venture out to the zoo with a friend and practice using my camera and its fancy lenses that I don't really know how to use. We were only there for an hour, but I still managed to take upwards of 300 photos. Here are (some of) the results of today's foray:

I bet you thought you were going to get away without having to read a fact of the day. Sorry, no such luck for you or for me. Unfortunately, I didn't get to visit today's featured animal, which is the Nile Crocodile. If you are wondering why I decided that I have to do the crocodile today, it's because today is Saint Patrick's Day, and crocodiles are the only greenish animals I could think of.

Nile Crocodile's Range

The Nile Crocodile, or the Crocodylus niloticus, is the largest crocodilian in Africa. It has a ferocious reputation as a creature of indiscriminate carnivorous taste. The males can measure anywhere from 11.5 to 16 feet long, and the old fellows can even reach more than 18 feet. The females are slightly smaller, typically measuring 8 to 13 feet long. The Nile Crocodile typically weights around 500 pounds, although larger guys can weigh up to 1,600 pounds. The largest living crocodile is purported to be a man-eater from Burundi (good news for me in South Africa) named Gustave, who is said to be 20 feet long. Unfortunately, Gustave isn't the only Croc who doesn't mind a bit of human in his diet; up to 200 people may die each year in the powerful jaws of the Nile Crocodile. 

Nile crocs have a scaly hide with rows of ossified scutes running down the back and tail. Nictitating membranes protect their eyes, which are situated on top of their head along with their nostrils and ears. The nostrils, ears and eyes are on top of the head so that the rest of the body can remain concealed underwater. They normally crawl on the bellies, but they can also "high walk" with their upper bodies raised above the ground. Even large crocs can reach surprising speeds of up to 8.5 mph on land. In the water, they can move even faster, getting up to 22 miles per hour. In other words, don't go swimming in Africa's rivers because there isn't a chance for you (or me) to out-swim these guys. They can remain under water for up to 30 minutes if threatened, and if they stay inactive they can actually hold their breath for 2 hours.

Scutes

The bite force of a nile crocodile is extremely powerful. The muscles that open the mouth, however, are fairly weak and a man can easily hold them shut with a relatively small amount of force. That's why Steve Irwin could wrestle them, yo.

Their mouths have 64-68 cone-shaped chompers. Younger crocs use these teeth to eat insects, fish, amphibians, small reptiles, and small aquatic invertebrates. Juveniles and subadults take on birds and small-to-mid-sized mammals. The adults like to nom gazelles, antelope, waterbuck, wildebeest, zebra, warthog, young hippos, giraffe, Cape buffalos, and even young elephants. They also will prey on humans whenever the opportunity presents itself. Although it is uncommon, crocs can hunt in packs, or "floats", of up to five animals, which can lead to the capture of a fully grown hippo or even the Black Rhino.

Baby crocs are 12 inches long. The new mother will protect her babies for up to two years, and during this time she may pick up her offspring in her mouth or gular (throat pouch) to keep them safe. Turtles and snakes will feed on them. When they babies reach a length of 4 feet, they leave the safety of their mother and set out on their own. Crocodiles have an average life span of 70-100 years.

CHEETAH TIME!!!
A cheetah's tail can reach up to 36 inches in length, and it acts as a stabilizer or rudder while the cheetah is running and turning at very high speeds.