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Kadishi Tufa
The Blyde River Canyon is a 26km long Canyon located in Mpumalanga, South Africa. It is the one of the larger canyons on Earth but much smaller than those of Asia, the Grand Canyon and the Fish River Canyon. Unlike the Grand and Fish River Canyon, the Blyde River Canyon is a "green canyon" which is dominated by subtropical vegetation. The canyon forms part of the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. The Blyde River Canyon passes a rock formation known as the "Three Rondavels". So named as the formation resembles three African-style houses or rondavels. This canyon is part of the Panorama Route. This route starts at the town Graskop and includes God's Window, the Pinnacle and Bourke's Luck Potholes. Name The canyon is named for the river that runs through it, the Blyde River, now called the Motlatse River. Blyde means "glad" or "happy" in old Dutch, a name derived from a voortrekkers' expedition. The 'happy river' was thus named in 1844, when Hendrik Potgieter and others returned ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blyde River
The Motlatse River ("Permanent River"), Blyde River ( af, Blyderivier "Glad River"), or Umdhlazi River is a river in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces of South Africa. It has a northwards course in steep-sided valleys and ravines of the Mpumalanga Drakensberg, before it enters the lowveld region of the Limpopo province. It has its ultimate origins at around 2,000 m altitude in the Hartebeesvlakte conservation area, to the north of Long Tom Pass. It runs through the Blyde River Canyon. Etymology The Blyde, meaning "glad", "joyous" or "happy" in Cape Dutch, was thus named during a voortrekker expedition. This occurred in 1844 when Hendrik Potgieter and others returned safely from Delagoa Bay to the rest of their party of trekkers who had considered them dead. While still under this misapprehension they had named the river near their encampment, Treurrivier, or 'mourning river'. The name Motlatse is said to predate the name Blyde, and means 'a river that is always full' in the se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andries Hendrik Potgieter
Andries Hendrik Potgieter, known as Hendrik Potgieter (19 December 1792 – 16 December 1852) was a Voortrekker leader and the last known Champion of the Potgieter family. He served as the first head of state of Potchefstroom from 1840 and 1845 and also as the first head of state of Zoutpansberg from 1845 to 1852. Beyond the Orange River Potgieter and his party moved inland to the present Free State, where they signed a treaty with the leader of the Barolong, Moroka. The treaty stipulated that Potgieter would protect the Baralong against the Matabele raiders, in exchange for land. The tract of land was from the Vet River to the Vaal River. The Matabele leader, Mzilikazi, was threatened by the white incursion into what he saw as his sphere of influence, which led to the Matabele's attack on the Potgieter laager in October 1836, at Vegkop, near the present-day town of Heilbron. The attack was beaten off, but the Matabele made off with most of the trekker oxen, crucial draught ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crowned Eagle
The crowned eagle, also known as the African crowned eagle or the crowned hawk-eagle (''Stephanoaetus coronatus''), is a large bird of prey found in sub-Saharan Africa; in Southern Africa it is restricted to eastern areas.Sinclair & Ryan (2003). ''Birds of Africa south of the Sahara''. Its preferred habitats are principally riparian woodlands and various forests. The crowned eagle is the only extant member of the genus ''Stephanoaetus''. A second species, the Malagasy crowned eagle (''Stephanoaetus mahery'') became extinct after humans settled on Madagascar.Goodman, Steven M. (1994). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 107(3): 421–428 ISSN 0006-324''Description of a new species of subfossil eagle from Madagascar: ''Stephanoaetus'' (Aves: Falconiformes) From The Deposits Of Ampasambazimba''. At least 90 percent of the diet is mammalian; the usual prey taken by populations shows pronounced regional differences. Throughout its range the principal prey items are s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Eagle
The black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis'') is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus ''Ictinaetus''. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South and Southeast Asia, as well as southeastern China. They hunt mammals and birds, particularly at their nests. They are easily identified by their widely splayed and long primary "fingers", the characteristic silhouette, slow flight and yellow ceres and legs that contrast with their dark feathers. Taxonomy and systematics The species name is spelt ''malayensis'' in most publications but the original spelling used by Temminck in his description uses the spelling ''malaiensis'' according to a 2011 finding of some of the original covers of the part publications leading to taxonomists applying the principle of priority and rejecting any later spelling emendations. Subspecies *''Ictinaetus malaiensis malaiensis'' - Myanmar to S China, SE Asia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Vulture
The Cape vulture (''Gyps coprotheres''), also known as Cape griffon and Kolbe's vulture, is an Old World vulture in the family ''Accipitridae''. It is endemic to southern Africa, and lives mainly in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, and in some parts of northern Namibia. It nests on cliffs and lays one egg per year. In 2015, it had been classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, but was down-listed to Vulnerable in 2021 as some populations increased and have been stable since about 2016. These majestic birds help to clean the environment by eating carcasses. Description This large vulture is of a creamy-buff colour, with contrasting dark flight- and tail feathers. The adult is paler than the juvenile, and its underwing coverts can appear almost white at a distance. The head and neck are near-naked. The eyes are yellowish, and the bill is black. Juveniles and immatures are generally darker and more streaked, with brown to orange eyes and red necks. It closely resembles the wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Narina Trogon
__NOTOC__ The Narina trogon (''Apaloderma narina'') is a largely green and red, medium-sized (32–34 cm long), bird of the family Trogonidae. It is native to forests and woodlands of the Afrotropics. Though it is the most widespread and catholic in habitat choice of the three ''Apaloderma'' species, their numbers are locally depleted due to deforestation. Some populations are sedentary while others undertake regular movements. The species name commemorates Narina, mistress of French ornithologist François Levaillant, whose name he derived from a Khoikhoi word for "flower", as her given name was difficult to pronounce. Description left, 160px, It is sexually dimorphic, with males more brightly coloured. Both sexes have vivid, gingery green upperpart plumage. The tail feathers have a metallic blue-green gloss. The outer three rectices on each side are tipped and fringed white, giving the undertail of perched birds a characteristic white appearance (compare bar-tailed trog ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samango Monkey
Sykes' monkey (''Cercopithecus albogularis''), also known as the white-throated monkey or Samango monkey, is an Old World monkey found between Ethiopia and South Africa, including south and east Democratic Republic of Congo. It is named after English naturalist Colonel William Henry Sykes (1790-1872), and has been considered conspecific with the blue monkey (which in turn has included the golden and silver monkey), but has a large white patch on the throat and upper chest, and a grizzled (not blackish) cap.Kingdon, J. 1997. ''The Kingdon Guide to African Mammals.'' Academic Press Limited, London. Subspecies The 12 subspecies of Sykes' monkey are: * ''C. a. albogularis'' – Zanzibar Sykes' monkey * ''C. a. albotorquatus'' – Pousargues' Sykes' monkey * ''C. a. erythrarchus'' – white-throated guenon * ''C. a. francescae'' * ''C. a. kibonotensis'' * ''C. a. kolbi'' - Mount Kenya Sykes' monkey * ''C. a. labiatus'' – rhite-lipped monkey or Samango monkey * ''C. a. moloneyi' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vervet Monkey
The vervet monkey (''Chlorocebus pygerythrus''), or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus ''Chlorocebus''. The five distinct subspecies can be found mostly throughout Southern Africa, as well as some of the eastern countries. Vervets were introduced to Florida, St. Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, and Cape Verde. These mostly herbivorous monkeys have black faces and grey body hair color, ranging in body length from about for females, to about for males. In addition to behavioral research on natural populations, vervet monkeys serve as a nonhuman primate model for understanding genetic and social behaviors of humans. They have been noted for having human-like characteristics, such as hypertension, anxiety, and social and dependent alcohol (drug), alcohol use. Vervets live in social groups ranging from 10 to 70 individuals, with males moving to other groups at the tim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lesser Bushbaby
Lesser bushbabies, or lesser galagos, are strepsirrhine primates of the genus ''Galago''. They are classified, along with the bushbabies (genus ''Euoticus'') and the rest of the galagos (genera ''Otolemur'', ''Galagoides'', ''Paragalago'', and ''Sciurocheirus''), in the family Galagidae. They are probably the most numerous primate in Africa, and can be found in every large forest on the continent, inhabiting forested areas, savannas, riverine bush and open woodlands.David Attenborough, ''Life of Mammals'', Episode 8: Life in the Trees. BBC Warner, 2003. They mark their territory by urinating on their hands and leaving traces on the trees they climb across, and they follow these detectable paths through the trees night after night. Males will also urinate on females to mark them. They are related to lorises, and have similar behavior and anatomy. They are much faster, however, and typical hunt by speed rather than by stealth. Primitive bushbabies are thought to have been the ancesto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greater Galago
The greater galagos or thick-tailed bushbabies are three species of strepsirrhine primates. They are classified in the genus ''Otolemur'' in the family Galagidae. Historical classification and species discovery The diversity of galago species has historically been grossly underestimated. In 1931, only 5 species were recognized, 4 in the genus ''Galago'' and 1 in ''Euoticus'', and only one species that would later be placed in the genus ''Otolemur''. In 1979, the genus ''Otolemur'' was separated from ''Galago''. By 1986, eleven species were recognized with revamped systemic classification including ''Otolemur crassicaudatus'' and ''Otolemur garnettii''. Additionally, ''O. crassidautus'' and ''O. monteiri'' were recognized as separate species instead of ''O. monteiri'' as a nested subspecies. By 2001, 23 species were recognized. Classification by vocalization has particularly become prevalent and helpful as a tool in understanding of these species. All ''Otolemur'' species exhibi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crocodiles
Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia, which includes the alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae), the gharial and false gharial (family Gavialidae) among other extinct taxa. Although they appear similar, crocodiles, alligators and the gharial belong to separate biological families. The gharial, with its narrow snout, is easier to distinguish, while morphological differences are more difficult to spot in crocodiles and alligators. The most obvious external differences are visible in the head, with crocodiles having narrower and longer heads, with a more V-shaped than a U-shaped snout compared to alligators and caimans. Another obvious trait is that the upper and lower jaws of the crocodiles are the same width, and the teeth in the lower jaw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hippo
The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus (''Choeropsis liberiensis'' or ''Hexaprotodon liberiensis''). Its name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse" (). Aside from elephants and rhinos, the hippopotamus is the largest land mammal. It is also the largest extant land artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the hippopotamids are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.), from which they diverged about 55 million years ago. Hippos are recognisable for their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths with large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, pillar-like legs, and large size: adults average for bull ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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