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Kogelbeen Cave
The Kogelbeen Cave forms part of eight caves on the dolomitic Ghaap Plateau of the Northern Cape, South Africa. It is commonly known as Kogelbeengrotte in Afrikaans. The cave is located on Kogelbeen Farm in Pixley ka Seme District Municipality. It is the longest known cave in the Northern Cape with a length of 788 meters. The Kogelbeen Cave has a diverse fauna with over 39 species living in five life zones within the cave. History The cave was first described in speleological literature in 1964. The cave is classified as a South African Natural Heritage Site under the South African Natural Heritage programme Surveys and explorations Irish and Marais survey The total cave length was measured at . The cave entrance was measured with a doline which leads to a sinkhole. The floor slopes at a depth of just less than . The doline walls have some holes; however, the main site of the cave starts at the deepest and southern part of the doline. The dry passage is a short and dusky se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dolomitic
Dolomite () is an anhydrous carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate, ideally The term is also used for a sedimentary carbonate rock composed mostly of the mineral dolomite. An alternative name sometimes used for the dolomitic rock type is dolostone. History As stated by Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure the mineral dolomite was probably first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1768. In 1791, it was described as a rock by the French naturalist and geologist Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu (1750–1801), first in buildings of the old city of Rome, and later as samples collected in the mountains now known as the Dolomite Alps of northern Italy. Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure first named the mineral (after Dolomieu) in March 1792. Properties The mineral dolomite crystallizes in the trigonal-rhombohedral system. It forms white, tan, gray, or pink crystals. Dolomite is a double carbonate, having an alternating structural arrangement of calcium and magnesium ions. Unless it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Barn Owl
The western barn owl (''Tyto alba'') is usually considered a subspecies group and together with the American barn owl group, the eastern barn owl group, and sometimes the Andaman masked owl make up the barn owl. The cosmopolitan barn owl is recognized by most taxonomic authorities. A few (including the International Ornithologists' Union) separate them Taxonomy The western barn owl was formally described in 1769 by the Austrian naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli under the binomial name ''Strix alba''. The type locality is the Friuli area of northeast Italy. The specific epithet is from Latin ''albus'' meaning "white". This owl is now placed in the genus ''Tyto'' that was introduced in 1828 by the Swedish naturalist Gustaf Johan Billberg. Ten subspecies are recognised: * ''T. a. alba'' (Scopoli, 1769) – northwest Africa, west, south Europe to the Balkans * ''T. a. guttata'' ( Brehm, CL, 1831) – central Europe and east Balkans to the Ukraine * ''T. a. ernesti'' ( Kleinschmi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Egyptian Free-tailed Bat
The Egyptian free-tailed bat, also known as Egyptian guano bat or Egyptian nyctinome, (''Tadarida aegyptiaca'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. Description The Egyptian free-tailed bat has fine, dense fur which is greyish brown, shading darker on the head and back and paler on the underparts, particularly around the throat. The wings are narrow and pointed with translucent light brown membranes, there is a short tail which is projects beyond the membrane connecting the wings and the ears sit close together on the top of the head and are rather rounded in shape. The face is rather bulldog-like and heavily wrinkled faces and this gives rise to the family name Molossidae, which refers to the Ancient Epirote mastiffs called molossus. Head and body length is 6–8 cm. Forearms 5 cm. Distribution The Egyptian free-tailed bat is widely but apparently locally distributed throughout Africa, except parts of the north west and east through the Arabia and the Middle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Serotine
The Cape serotine (''Laephotis capensis'') is a species of vesper bat occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa. 'Serotine' is from Latin 'serotinus' meaning ‘of the evening'. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Djibouti. Taxonomy It was formerly classified in ''Neoromicia'' before phylogenetic analysis found it to belong to ''Laephotis''. Habitat and ecology Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, dry savanna, and moist savanna, grassland, bushveld and Acacia woodland, and though recorded from more arid areas is absent from desert regions. Calum Moore disco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Hairy Bat
The Cape hairy bat, also known as little brown bat, Temminck's mouse-eared bat, Cape myotis, tricoloured mouse-eared bat, Cape hairy myotis, Temminck's hairy bat and three-coloured bat (''Myotis tricolor'') is a species of vesper bat that is found in Sub-Saharan Africa. Description The Cape hairy bat is a diminutive bat which is very similar in appearance to the even more diminutive rufous mouse-eared bat. It has orangey to fufous fur on its back with slightly paler fur on the underparts, the fur is long, erect and his soft to the touch. Each hair is dark at its base and coppery-red towards the tips. it has relatively broad wings which are dark brown contrasting with the bright fur of the body. It has a plain face with no nose leaf and with moderately large brown ears which have a long narrow tragus. It weighs an average of 13.9g and the forelimb length is 49.5mm. Distribution The Cape hairy bat has only been recorded from the uplands of north-westernLiberia in West Africa and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Egyptian Slit-faced Bat
The Egyptian slit-faced bat (''Nycteris thebaica'') is a species of slit-faced bat broadly distributed throughout Africa and the Middle East. It is a species of microbat in the family Nycteridae. Six subspecies are known. Description The Egyptian slit-faced bat gets its name from a deep slit that runs from the base of the ears to the nostrils, between the nose leaves. The bats typically weigh , with females weighing up to . The wings are broad, with a wingspan of and a low aspect ratio, allowing for high maneuverability and the ability to hover close to the ground. The dorsal surface is dusky to reddish brown, while the underside is white to whitish gray. This bat has lighter fur than other members of the nycterid family. It has a long tail, reaching to . Distribution and habitat This species is able to thrive in a variety of tropical and temperate habitats throughout Africa and the Arabian peninsula. A specimen of an Egyptian silt-faced bat was found on the island of Corfu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dent's Horseshoe Bat
Dent's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus denti'') is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The bat's natural habitats are dry savannah country and it roosts in caves and other subterranean habitats. Description Dent's horseshoe bat is a small species measuring about in length and weighing . The fur is long and silky, light brown or grey on the upper parts and paler underneath. The wings are brown with white margins. Ecology Dent's horseshoe bat is a colonial species which roosts in groups varying from a few individuals to over a hundred. The roosts are usually in cool, humid caves. The bats have the ability to enter a state of torpor under certain environmental conditions. The bats are insectivorous, feeding on a variety of soft-bodied insects caught on the wing at night. Little is known of the breeding habits of this bat, but they are likely to be similar to those of other '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Darling's Horseshoe Bat
Darling's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus darlingi'') is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae found in Africa. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, caves and other subterranean habitats. Taxonomy Darling's horseshoe bat was described as a new species in 1905 by Danish mammalogist Knud Andersen. The holotype had been collected in the village of Mazowe in Zimbabwe by James ffolliott Darling, who is the eponym for its species name "''darlingi''". Description Darling's horseshoe bat is considered medium-sized for an African horseshoe bat, with a forearm length of and weights of . It has soft, fluffy fur. The coloration on its back is gray or grayish-brown, while its belly is pale gray. It has a low aspect ratio and very low wing loading, meaning that its flight speed is likely slow but highly maneuverable. Range and habitat Darling's horseshoe bat is widely distributed in southern Africa, where it has been documented in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geoffroy's Horseshoe Bat
Geoffroy's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus clivosus'') is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae found in Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, caves and other subterranean habitats, and hot deserts. Taxonomy Geoffroy's horseshoe bat was described as a new species in 1828 by German scientist Philipp Jakob Cretzschmar. The holotype was collected in Mohila, Saudi Arabia. In 2012, ''Rhinolophus clivosus'' was split into an additional species with the recognition of '' Rhinolophus horaceki''. Further division may occur, as the same 2012 studynoted five distinct genetic lineages within ''R. clivosus''. Description It is considered medium-sized for an African horseshoe bat, with forearm lengths of and weights of . Biology and ecology It has one breeding season each year. Gestation length is around 3.5 months, after which one offspring is born. Differing levels of sociality have been observed. In Alge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Bent-wing Bat
The common bent-wing bat (''Miniopterus schreibersii''), also known as the Schreibers's long-fingered bat or Schreibers's bat, is a species of insectivorous bat. They appear to have dispersed from a subtropical origin and distributed throughout the southern Palearctic, Ethiopic, Oriental, and Australian regions. In Europe, it is present in the southern half on the continent from Iberia to the Caucasus, with the largest populations found in the warmer Mediterranean area. The common and scientific names honor Carl Franz Anton Ritter von Schreibers. Taxonomy There are 13 recognised subspecies of the common bent-winged bat. * ''Miniopterus schreibersii schreibersii'' * ''Miniopterus schreibersii bassanii'' (southern bent-wing bat): Found in southeastern Australia, this subspecies is critically endangered.Department of the Environment (2017). ''Miniopterus orianae bassanii'' in Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of the Environment, Canberra. Available from: http://www.e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bat Roost
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out digits covered with a thin membrane or patagium. The smallest bat, and arguably the smallest extant mammal, is Kitti's hog-nosed bat, which is in length, across the wings and in mass. The largest bats are the flying foxes, with the giant golden-crowned flying fox, ''Acerodon jubatus'', reaching a weight of and having a wingspan of . The second largest order of mammals after rodents, bats comprise about 20% of all classified mammal species worldwide, with over 1,400 species. These were traditionally divided into two suborders: the largely fruit-eating megabats, and the echolocating microbats. But more recent evidence has supported dividing the order into Yinpterochiroptera and Yangochiroptera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barn Owl RWD2
A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G. Noble, ''Traditional Buildings: A Global Survey of Structural Forms and Cultural Functions'' (New York: Tauris, 2007), 30. As a result, the term barn is often qualified e.g. tobacco barn, dairy barn, cow house, sheep barn, potato barn. In the British Isles, the term barn is restricted mainly to storage structures for unthreshed cereals and fodder, the terms byre or shippon being applied to cow shelters, whereas horses are kept in buildings known as stables. In mainland Europe, however, barns were often part of integrated structures known as byre-dwellings (or housebarns in US literature). In addition, barns may be used for equipment storage, as a covered workplace, and for activities such as threshing. Etymology The word ''barn'' comes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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