This was a most unusual one and looked like eye-balls.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Mushrooms - Part 4
Todays post is going to be showing you more of the varity of mushrooms we have here. They are all wild ones and I do not know which are edible.
This was a most unusual one and looked like eye-balls.
This was a most unusual one and looked like eye-balls. 
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sterkfontein Caves - Part 6 Final
The caves form part of the Isaack Stegmann Nature Reserve and are owned by the University of the Witwatersrand.
They are open to the public from February to December each year, six days a week. Tours are conducted every half-hour.
Next to the caves is the Robert Broom site museum, housing exhibits of immensely ancient animal and bird life.
Bones and breccia in caves
Solution and roof collapses create entrances to the caves in the form of vertical shafts. Soil, rocks, bones and vegetation fell in from the surface – the animals and plants from which fossils formed did not actually live in the cave.
The bones which found their way into these shafts were often just fragments left by the activities of predators and scavengers around the shaft entrances. But sometimes – far less often – a whole animal would fall down a cavity to be fossilized in the infill. The famous australopithecine skeleton “Little Foot”, which was found deep inside a Sterkfontein grotto, is an example of this.
Over time, the material that fell into the shafts built up to form talus cones, which look like giant inverted ice-cream cones, on the cave floor. These formations were cemented by lime-charged water to form concrete-like breccia a type of rock. Bones within these talus cones were mineralized by calcium carbonate and stained with manganese and iron from the dolomite soil.
Sometimes floor collapses into lower caves or erosion by surface water disrupted the stratified layers, mixing deposits. This means that even if some deposits are deeper than others, they are not necessarily older than those nearer the surface.
The bulk of the Sterkfontein cave deposits were not disrupted in this way. The University of the Witwatersrand geologist Professor Tim Partridge classified the deposits from oldest to youngest as geological Members 1-6 from the Sterkfontein formation. The infills span a period from 4.2 million years ago to less than 200,000 years ago. The different infills have characteristic fossil and/or artifact (stone tool) content.
They are open to the public from February to December each year, six days a week. Tours are conducted every half-hour.
Next to the caves is the Robert Broom site museum, housing exhibits of immensely ancient animal and bird life.
Bones and breccia in cavesSolution and roof collapses create entrances to the caves in the form of vertical shafts. Soil, rocks, bones and vegetation fell in from the surface – the animals and plants from which fossils formed did not actually live in the cave.
The bones which found their way into these shafts were often just fragments left by the activities of predators and scavengers around the shaft entrances. But sometimes – far less often – a whole animal would fall down a cavity to be fossilized in the infill. The famous australopithecine skeleton “Little Foot”, which was found deep inside a Sterkfontein grotto, is an example of this.
Over time, the material that fell into the shafts built up to form talus cones, which look like giant inverted ice-cream cones, on the cave floor. These formations were cemented by lime-charged water to form concrete-like breccia a type of rock. Bones within these talus cones were mineralized by calcium carbonate and stained with manganese and iron from the dolomite soil.
Sometimes floor collapses into lower caves or erosion by surface water disrupted the stratified layers, mixing deposits. This means that even if some deposits are deeper than others, they are not necessarily older than those nearer the surface.
The bulk of the Sterkfontein cave deposits were not disrupted in this way. The University of the Witwatersrand geologist Professor Tim Partridge classified the deposits from oldest to youngest as geological Members 1-6 from the Sterkfontein formation. The infills span a period from 4.2 million years ago to less than 200,000 years ago. The different infills have characteristic fossil and/or artifact (stone tool) content. Saturday, July 18, 2009
Bugs and flowers
When I go out searching for bugs in the garden or the fields, my first choice is always to look at any flowers growing there.
A ladybug/bird and two ants on a rose.
A spider on bouganvilla.
Ants on a wild creeper of somekind.
Three aphids of a rose bud.
An assassin bug on a sunflower. (This is to show Craig how it is done. LOL!!)
A ladybug/bird, ants and aphids.
A Long-horned Beetle on a wild flower.
A ladybug/bird and two ants on a rose.
A spider on bouganvilla.
Ants on a wild creeper of somekind.
Three aphids of a rose bud.
An assassin bug on a sunflower. (This is to show Craig how it is done. LOL!!)
A ladybug/bird, ants and aphids.
The Courier - A short story
Africa!!! The name conjures up vivid pictures of dark mystery, desolate landscapes and blazing sunsets. A world of colour and excitement, where those of us who are privileged to live there, find peace and tranquillity.
The sun creeps over the low hills like a ball of orange fire. To the courier, it is a day of new beginnings, new experiences. No two days are the same, each one a full exciting twenty four hours. The excitement is contagious and instead of a groan at being woken up at 4:30am, everyone is bright eyed and hastily consumes the coffee and biscuits laid out for them, for who knows what today will bring.
Even when starting out, one is reminded of the peaceful surroundings. Birds twitter in the trees, Impala's jump around in sheer delight at the cool morning air which will turn to hot humidity before the sun rises much further.
In a hushed voice I say "Look over there at the bottom of that thorn tree." All eyes swivel in the direction I am pointing. The same eyes open wide in wonder as they notice a pair of young lions lying in the shade of a tree. Everyone is quiet, all hands automatically reach for cameras and binoculars.
"Notice" I say "how the mane of the male protects his neck so that if he gets into a fight, he will not be harmed so easily. These two lions are probably a mating pair and will stay together, mating approximately every twenty minutes, for the next two or three days."
The lions lay watching us lazily, the black-tipped tail shooing away flies. Not even the clicking of the camera shutters disturb them. After a while, the female gets up and slowly walks towards the male. Gently she begins to nibble his ear. Playfully she puts her paw on his front leg and then lays down next to him with her paws waving around in the air. She rolls half on top of him and he growls at her without taking much further notice. He looks away and she lightly scratches his side in order to attract his attention. He stands up and while they mate, he gently bites the thick skin at the back of her neck. So enthralled are the passengers on the bus, that they forget to take the all important picture. Only when the male lies down again, do they remember, but by then the action has passed and all sigh with pent-up breath at the sight of seeing their first lions which are not in the zoo, but in their natural habitat.
The sun is climbing steadily to it's zenith and already the heat is quite intense. A couple more photographs, then it is time to move on.
Because of the moisture which collects on the road at night and runs off to the side, the grass next to the road is usually higher than elsewhere, and rounding a corner, we stop at the sight of an old male elephant grazing. He is twice the size of our little bus, and only a close encounter like this allows one to see how gigantic the elephant really is. He takes very little notice of all the elbows and heads emerging from the windows to enable us to get that extra special photograph. Jokingly I whisper to the passengers "This elephant is named Sweetie Pie and if you call him by his name, he will stop eating and look up."
They are not sure whether to believe me or not, but after some coaxing, one brave gentleman decides to try out the name, he leans out the window and calls "Sweetie Pie." Sure enough, the elephant picks up his head at the sound and everyone laughs for they did not believe my story.
Someone asks if that really is his name, if he always responds to it and how did I teach it to him. I have to confess that Sweetie Pie is just the name I have given him because he is so gentle and allows one to get fairly close to him. I also explain that he is actually responding to the sound of the voice, not the name. Sweetie Pie can eat as much as three hundred kilograms of green food a day and spends much of his time eating. He cannot lie down, as the weight of his body will crush his ribs and in turn, puncture his lungs, so he spends short periods standing against a tree having catnaps.
The veld is alive with the sight of thousands of birds. During the summer months, one is liable to see most of the species recorded in that area. The vultures and Marabou Stork sit together high up in the trees and as soon as it gets light, they will start to circle high in the sky. They have fantastic eye-sight and as soon as a "kill" is spotted, it seems as if all the carrion eaters for miles around drop out of the sky and land as close as they can to the carcass. If and when the predators move away from their meal, they swoop down from the branches and a dozen fights break out in order for them to get close enough to get a bit to eat.
The smaller seed eating birds fly close to the ground in large swarms. They settle on a patch of grass to consume the seeds and then fly on to the next patch. The magnificent colour of the Woodland Kingfisher catches the eye and we watch it perch on a nearby branch waiting for an insect to come within reach. Then it dances in the sky and nimbly catches it in it's beak and flies back to a perch to have it's meal.
By this time our stomachs start to growl for food as well, so we head in the direction of the camp. The fresh air and early start makes us ravenously hungry. We pile our plates high with eggs, bacon, sausage and toast. To top it off, large cups of tea or coffee. The conversation is largely about what we had seen up to then and which route we will take after breakfast. Maps are taken out and certain roads suggested. After more coffee (and for some, a second helping of food) we are ready to climb into the bus and head into the veld again.
When the early settlers arrived in Cape Town, they saw many Springbuck in that area and hence, the Springbuck became our national animal. Personally, I think the Impala is a much more beautiful buck, and as they are found all over our game parks, I often hear the words "Oh no, not another Impala." But wait, what is that male Impala trying to do? It looks as if he is fighting with that bush! Whatever can he be up to?? Actually, he is using the gland on his head which to us looks like a patch of dark brown air between his horns to mark his territory. Has anyone ever wondered how the young new-born Impala calf finds his mother during the breeding season in-between hundreds of others all the same shape and colour?? The truth is that the female Impala also has a gland near the bottom of her legs and as she walks, leaves her own personal smell on the grass as she walks through, thus the baby is able to follow the scent until it finds her.
One of the questions I find most foreign tourists to this country ask is what is the difference between a buck and a deer. When a deer looses it's horn's or antler's at the end of winter, it will start to grow again, whereas if a buck looses or breaks a horn, it does not grow back. The most impressive of our buck has to be the male kudu. He has a most beautiful set of horns, and every time one is seen, many 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' can be heard by the gentlemen in the bus as they visualise them as a trophy on their walls.
One incident concerning a buffalo comes to mind and I share it with the passengers: We were driving along when all of a sudden we found ourselves almost on top of a herd that was crossing the road to drink water at the river. One gentleman cried out 'Go! Go! They are going to chase us as the bus is red!!' Poor man!! It took quite a long time to convince him that buffalo cannot see colours and that they are very short sighted as well.
Zebra, Blue Wildebeest and giraffe are everywhere. It is fascinating to watch how a giraffe will stand and look down it's nose at one from it's superior height. They have the longest eyelashes which I am sure are were the envy of all women during the years when false eyelashes were popular. Zebra roll in the dust in order to make their white stripes look darker, and Blue Wildebeest stand dead still in a tiny anthill looking around for any signs of danger.
One of the gentlemen on this trip was here lecturing at universities. He told us that before he came here he asked his daughters what they would like him to bring back from Africa. The five year old said "Daddy, please bring me a giraffe to pick the coconuts off the trees." The three year old thought about it and said "Daddy, please bring me a hippopotamus to keep the dog out of the pool." And we could all just imagine him turning up at the international airport with a giraffe on one leash and a hippo on the other.
We stopped for lunch at a camp, after which we spent an hour watching game on the other side of the fence. In certain areas, the game is used to people moving about and some of the smaller animals, come begging for food. At one camp there is a whole flock of Masked Weavers, Buffalo Weavers, sparrows and doves that come to pick up the crumbs when one leaves from a table. One Masked Weaver had the strangest habit I have ever seen, instead of picking up the spilled crumbs, it would make it's way unhesitatingly to the milk jug. It is very unusual and I show this habit to the people with me who shake their heads in amazement.
The baboons sitting high up in the trees act as look-out for the animals feeding below. The baby baboon travels hanging under the belly of their mothers belly just after birth, and when they are older (about two to three months), they sit on her back propped against her tail. Baboons eat almost anything from insects to bird's eggs to berries. The full grown baboon has teeth which are longer than that of a cheetah.
Warthog wallow in the mud. When one looks at them and remembers that a mud baths are used as a beauty-aid, it is difficult to see the use of mud packs, as it certainly does nothing for THEIR appearance.!! They will forage for food during the early morning and late afternoon resting up in the heat of the day. When alarmed, their tails go straight up in the air, and when the grass is tall, this enables those behind to see where the rest of the family are going, and so stay together.
One of my favourite things is to find a place where there are no noticeable animals, switch the cars engine off, and let people listen to the sounds of the veld. It is amazing what one can hear when it is apparently silent. During the night drive, I do the same thing and let people out of the bus so that they can see the stars and hear the frogs and crickets with usually a lion in the distance. The night birds and creatures are fascinating.
Once we have reached camp, had a shower, supper and a drink or two, it is time to relax and discover how everyone relates to what he or she has seen during the day, The wood fire is the only light we have, and stories can now be told of previous happenings in the bush. A lot of visitors to our country have questions about our different tribes. For example, our camp attendant has two wives both living with him. The customs of our country are always of interest. Slowly the camp fire dies away and one by one the guests slip off to bed. Another day has ended, but tomorrow will be the beginning of new adventures.
The sun creeps over the low hills like a ball of orange fire. To the courier, it is a day of new beginnings, new experiences. No two days are the same, each one a full exciting twenty four hours. The excitement is contagious and instead of a groan at being woken up at 4:30am, everyone is bright eyed and hastily consumes the coffee and biscuits laid out for them, for who knows what today will bring.
Even when starting out, one is reminded of the peaceful surroundings. Birds twitter in the trees, Impala's jump around in sheer delight at the cool morning air which will turn to hot humidity before the sun rises much further.
In a hushed voice I say "Look over there at the bottom of that thorn tree." All eyes swivel in the direction I am pointing. The same eyes open wide in wonder as they notice a pair of young lions lying in the shade of a tree. Everyone is quiet, all hands automatically reach for cameras and binoculars."Notice" I say "how the mane of the male protects his neck so that if he gets into a fight, he will not be harmed so easily. These two lions are probably a mating pair and will stay together, mating approximately every twenty minutes, for the next two or three days."
The lions lay watching us lazily, the black-tipped tail shooing away flies. Not even the clicking of the camera shutters disturb them. After a while, the female gets up and slowly walks towards the male. Gently she begins to nibble his ear. Playfully she puts her paw on his front leg and then lays down next to him with her paws waving around in the air. She rolls half on top of him and he growls at her without taking much further notice. He looks away and she lightly scratches his side in order to attract his attention. He stands up and while they mate, he gently bites the thick skin at the back of her neck. So enthralled are the passengers on the bus, that they forget to take the all important picture. Only when the male lies down again, do they remember, but by then the action has passed and all sigh with pent-up breath at the sight of seeing their first lions which are not in the zoo, but in their natural habitat.
The sun is climbing steadily to it's zenith and already the heat is quite intense. A couple more photographs, then it is time to move on.
Because of the moisture which collects on the road at night and runs off to the side, the grass next to the road is usually higher than elsewhere, and rounding a corner, we stop at the sight of an old male elephant grazing. He is twice the size of our little bus, and only a close encounter like this allows one to see how gigantic the elephant really is. He takes very little notice of all the elbows and heads emerging from the windows to enable us to get that extra special photograph. Jokingly I whisper to the passengers "This elephant is named Sweetie Pie and if you call him by his name, he will stop eating and look up."
They are not sure whether to believe me or not, but after some coaxing, one brave gentleman decides to try out the name, he leans out the window and calls "Sweetie Pie." Sure enough, the elephant picks up his head at the sound and everyone laughs for they did not believe my story.
Someone asks if that really is his name, if he always responds to it and how did I teach it to him. I have to confess that Sweetie Pie is just the name I have given him because he is so gentle and allows one to get fairly close to him. I also explain that he is actually responding to the sound of the voice, not the name. Sweetie Pie can eat as much as three hundred kilograms of green food a day and spends much of his time eating. He cannot lie down, as the weight of his body will crush his ribs and in turn, puncture his lungs, so he spends short periods standing against a tree having catnaps.The veld is alive with the sight of thousands of birds. During the summer months, one is liable to see most of the species recorded in that area. The vultures and Marabou Stork sit together high up in the trees and as soon as it gets light, they will start to circle high in the sky. They have fantastic eye-sight and as soon as a "kill" is spotted, it seems as if all the carrion eaters for miles around drop out of the sky and land as close as they can to the carcass. If and when the predators move away from their meal, they swoop down from the branches and a dozen fights break out in order for them to get close enough to get a bit to eat.The smaller seed eating birds fly close to the ground in large swarms. They settle on a patch of grass to consume the seeds and then fly on to the next patch. The magnificent colour of the Woodland Kingfisher catches the eye and we watch it perch on a nearby branch waiting for an insect to come within reach. Then it dances in the sky and nimbly catches it in it's beak and flies back to a perch to have it's meal.
By this time our stomachs start to growl for food as well, so we head in the direction of the camp. The fresh air and early start makes us ravenously hungry. We pile our plates high with eggs, bacon, sausage and toast. To top it off, large cups of tea or coffee. The conversation is largely about what we had seen up to then and which route we will take after breakfast. Maps are taken out and certain roads suggested. After more coffee (and for some, a second helping of food) we are ready to climb into the bus and head into the veld again.
When the early settlers arrived in Cape Town, they saw many Springbuck in that area and hence, the Springbuck became our national animal. Personally, I think the Impala is a much more beautiful buck, and as they are found all over our game parks, I often hear the words "Oh no, not another Impala." But wait, what is that male Impala trying to do? It looks as if he is fighting with that bush! Whatever can he be up to?? Actually, he is using the gland on his head which to us looks like a patch of dark brown air between his horns to mark his territory. Has anyone ever wondered how the young new-born Impala calf finds his mother during the breeding season in-between hundreds of others all the same shape and colour?? The truth is that the female Impala also has a gland near the bottom of her legs and as she walks, leaves her own personal smell on the grass as she walks through, thus the baby is able to follow the scent until it finds her. One of the questions I find most foreign tourists to this country ask is what is the difference between a buck and a deer. When a deer looses it's horn's or antler's at the end of winter, it will start to grow again, whereas if a buck looses or breaks a horn, it does not grow back. The most impressive of our buck has to be the male kudu. He has a most beautiful set of horns, and every time one is seen, many 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' can be heard by the gentlemen in the bus as they visualise them as a trophy on their walls.
One incident concerning a buffalo comes to mind and I share it with the passengers: We were driving along when all of a sudden we found ourselves almost on top of a herd that was crossing the road to drink water at the river. One gentleman cried out 'Go! Go! They are going to chase us as the bus is red!!' Poor man!! It took quite a long time to convince him that buffalo cannot see colours and that they are very short sighted as well.
Zebra, Blue Wildebeest and giraffe are everywhere. It is fascinating to watch how a giraffe will stand and look down it's nose at one from it's superior height. They have the longest eyelashes which I am sure are were the envy of all women during the years when false eyelashes were popular. Zebra roll in the dust in order to make their white stripes look darker, and Blue Wildebeest stand dead still in a tiny anthill looking around for any signs of danger.
One of the gentlemen on this trip was here lecturing at universities. He told us that before he came here he asked his daughters what they would like him to bring back from Africa. The five year old said "Daddy, please bring me a giraffe to pick the coconuts off the trees." The three year old thought about it and said "Daddy, please bring me a hippopotamus to keep the dog out of the pool." And we could all just imagine him turning up at the international airport with a giraffe on one leash and a hippo on the other. We stopped for lunch at a camp, after which we spent an hour watching game on the other side of the fence. In certain areas, the game is used to people moving about and some of the smaller animals, come begging for food. At one camp there is a whole flock of Masked Weavers, Buffalo Weavers, sparrows and doves that come to pick up the crumbs when one leaves from a table. One Masked Weaver had the strangest habit I have ever seen, instead of picking up the spilled crumbs, it would make it's way unhesitatingly to the milk jug. It is very unusual and I show this habit to the people with me who shake their heads in amazement.The baboons sitting high up in the trees act as look-out for the animals feeding below. The baby baboon travels hanging under the belly of their mothers belly just after birth, and when they are older (about two to three months), they sit on her back propped against her tail. Baboons eat almost anything from insects to bird's eggs to berries. The full grown baboon has teeth which are longer than that of a cheetah.
Warthog wallow in the mud. When one looks at them and remembers that a mud baths are used as a beauty-aid, it is difficult to see the use of mud packs, as it certainly does nothing for THEIR appearance.!! They will forage for food during the early morning and late afternoon resting up in the heat of the day. When alarmed, their tails go straight up in the air, and when the grass is tall, this enables those behind to see where the rest of the family are going, and so stay together.
One of my favourite things is to find a place where there are no noticeable animals, switch the cars engine off, and let people listen to the sounds of the veld. It is amazing what one can hear when it is apparently silent. During the night drive, I do the same thing and let people out of the bus so that they can see the stars and hear the frogs and crickets with usually a lion in the distance. The night birds and creatures are fascinating.
Once we have reached camp, had a shower, supper and a drink or two, it is time to relax and discover how everyone relates to what he or she has seen during the day, The wood fire is the only light we have, and stories can now be told of previous happenings in the bush. A lot of visitors to our country have questions about our different tribes. For example, our camp attendant has two wives both living with him. The customs of our country are always of interest. Slowly the camp fire dies away and one by one the guests slip off to bed. Another day has ended, but tomorrow will be the beginning of new adventures. Friday, July 17, 2009
Common green mantis emerges
I have included this first picture to give you an idea of the size of this baby mantis.
He was looking for a place to hide in order to moult.......
and soon found one anongst the leaves of a shrub.
I have put in black arrows in the picture above to show you the skin he left behind.
He blended in very well with the shadows and look like of spiffy in this new skin. :)
He was looking for a place to hide in order to moult.......
and soon found one anongst the leaves of a shrub.
I have put in black arrows in the picture above to show you the skin he left behind.
He blended in very well with the shadows and look like of spiffy in this new skin. :)
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Life cycle of a moth
I am not at all sure about this but I think this is a lappet or tussock moth. This is the empty shell of the caterpillar.
It built is cocoon amongst the leaves and seems to have a lot of silk strands around it.
After the moth emerges, this is all that is left of it.
For some reason, I was not able to get better pictures of the moth itself but I am sure you can get and idea of what it looks like from these two photographs.
It does have nice colors in it.
It built is cocoon amongst the leaves and seems to have a lot of silk strands around it.
After the moth emerges, this is all that is left of it.
For some reason, I was not able to get better pictures of the moth itself but I am sure you can get and idea of what it looks like from these two photographs.
It does have nice colors in it.
Winter garden birds - Part 1
A lot of our birds have gone north for the winter and some which are still here, are not in their breeding plumage which leaves them looking very uninteresting such as the Weaver.
I do not have a proper lens with which to capture these birds so these pictures are very heavily cropped which makes the quality poor. At least it will give you an idea of what they look like.
I do not have a proper lens with which to capture these birds so these pictures are very heavily cropped which makes the quality poor. At least it will give you an idea of what they look like.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
White Bengal Tiger
Sreddy Yen is a young student from my home town, Pretoria. You might be interested to find out what he did during his school vacation. Please check out his blog by clicking here. We can all learn something from students like him. Thank you Sreddy!!
I found this information so interesting, I copied all of it from Wikipedia. Thanks to them for this wonderful article. This picture was taken of the one in our local zoo.
A white tiger is a tiger with a recessive gene that creates the pale coloration. Another genetic characteristic makes the stripes of the tiger very pale; white tigers of this type are called snow-white or "pure white". This occurs when a tiger inherits two copies of the recessive gene for the paler coloration, which is rare. White tigers have a pink nose, pink paw pads, grey-mottled skin, ice-blue eyes, and white to cream-colored fur with black, ash grey, or chocolate-colored stripes. Mr. H.E. Scott of the Indian police gave this description of a captive white tiger's eyes: "The colorings of the eyes are very distinct. There is no well defined division between the yellow of the comex and the blue of the iris. The eyes in some lights are practically colorless merely showing the black pupil on a light yellow background."
White tigers are not albinos and do not constitute a separate subspecies of their own and can breed with orange ones, although all of the resulting offspring will be heterozygous for the recessive white gene, and their fur will be orange. The only exception would be if the orange parent was itself already a heterozygous tiger, which would give each cub a 50% chance of being either double-recessive white or heterozygous orange. If two heterozygous tigers, or heterozygotes, breed on average 25% of their offspring will be white, 50% will be heterozygous orange (white gene carriers) and 25% will be homozygous orange, with no white genes. In the 1970s a pair of heterozygous orange tigers named Sashi and Ravi produced 13 cubs in Alipore Zoo, of which 3 were white. If two white tigers breed, 100% of their cubs will be homozygous white tigers. A tiger which is homozygous for the white gene may also be heterozygous or homozygous for many different genes. The question of whether a tiger is heterozygous (a heterozygote) or homozygous (a homozygote) depends on the context of which gene is being discussed. Inbreeding promotes homozygosity and has been used as a strategy to produce white tigers.
White tigers in the wild
An article appeared in the Miscellaneous Notes of the Journal Of The Bombay Natural History Society on Nov. 15, 1909 which reported that a white tigress was shot in the Mulin Sub-Division Forest of the Dhenkanal State in Orissa. The report originally appeared in the Indian Forester in May 1909, and was made by Mr. Bavis Singh, Forest Officer. The ground color of the white tigress was described as pure white and the stripes as deep reddish black. It was shot over a buffalo kill and "was in good condition not showing any signs of disease." Col. F.T. Pollock wrote in Wild Sports of Burma and Assam, "Occasionally white tigers are met with. I saw a magnificent skin of one at Edwin Wards in Wimpole Street, and Mr. Shadwall, Assistant Commissioner in Cossyah and Jynteah hills, also has two skins quite white." Mr. Lydekker wrote in Game Animals of India (1907) about five more white tiger skins: "A white tiger was exhibited alive at Exeter Change about 1820; a second was killed in Poona about 1892; in March 1899 a white tiger was shot in Upper Assam and the skin sent to Calcutta, where a fourth specimen was received about the same time. The Maharaja of Kuch-Behar also possesses a white tiger-skin." (The white tiger exhibited at Exeter Change in London in 1820 was the first white tiger in Europe.)
S.H. Prater wrote in The book of Indian Animals (1948) that "White or partially white tigers are not uncommon in some of the dry open jungles of central India." It is a myth that white tigers did not thrive in the wild. India planned to reintroduce captive-bred white tigers to the wild to a special reserve near Rewa. In the wild white tigers reproduced and bred white for generations. A.A. Dunbar wrote in Wild Animals Of Central India (1923) that "White tigers occasionally occur. There is a regular breed of these animals in the neighborhood of Amarkantak at the junction of the Rewa state and the Mandla and Bilaspur districts. When I was last in Mandla in 1919, a white tigress and two three parts grown white cubs existed. In 1915 a male was trapped by the Rewa state and confined. An excellent description of the animal, by Mr. Scott of the Indian police, has been published in Vol. XXVII No. 47 of the Bombay Natural History Society's journal." The previously mentioned article from The Journal Of The Bombay Natural History Society "Miscellaneous Notes: No. 1-A WHITE TIGER IN CAPTIVITY (with a photo)" states "The white tiger in captivity in Rewa was caught in December 1915 in the jungles of the State near Sohagpur. He was about two years of age at the time. There were two more white tigers in Southern Rewa related to this tiger but it was believed that the mother of this animal was not white." "These white tigers roam in the neighboring British Districts of the Central Provinces and seem to be living in the Maikal ranges of mountains." There is ample evidence that white tigers survived as adults in the wild. Victor H. Cahalane reported white tigers in northern China in 1943: "...north China has produced a number of albinos, with the inevitable faint brown stripe. Very rare melanistic (black) tigers are known." White tigers are not albinos. These would have been white individuals of the Amur tiger subspecies (Panthera tigris altaica), also known as the Siberian tiger. White tigers were reported from northern China and Korea. White tigers have cultural significance in both countries. White tigers were also part of the folklore on Sumatra and Java.
Jim Corbett filmed a white tigress in the wild which had two orange cubs. This film footage was used in the 1984 National Geographic movie Man Eaters Of India, which is based on Jim Corbett's 1957 book by the same title. This is further proof that white tigers survived and reproduced in the wild. The website of the Bandhavgarh National Park, in the former princely state of Rewa, in Madhya Pradesh, features pictures of white tigers, and states "The forests of Bandhavgarh are the white tiger jungles of yesteryears." Today there are 46 to 52 orange tigers living in Bandhavgarh, the largest population of tigers in any national park in India. The tiger is an endangered species.
I found this information so interesting, I copied all of it from Wikipedia. Thanks to them for this wonderful article. This picture was taken of the one in our local zoo.
A white tiger is a tiger with a recessive gene that creates the pale coloration. Another genetic characteristic makes the stripes of the tiger very pale; white tigers of this type are called snow-white or "pure white". This occurs when a tiger inherits two copies of the recessive gene for the paler coloration, which is rare. White tigers have a pink nose, pink paw pads, grey-mottled skin, ice-blue eyes, and white to cream-colored fur with black, ash grey, or chocolate-colored stripes. Mr. H.E. Scott of the Indian police gave this description of a captive white tiger's eyes: "The colorings of the eyes are very distinct. There is no well defined division between the yellow of the comex and the blue of the iris. The eyes in some lights are practically colorless merely showing the black pupil on a light yellow background."
White tigers are not albinos and do not constitute a separate subspecies of their own and can breed with orange ones, although all of the resulting offspring will be heterozygous for the recessive white gene, and their fur will be orange. The only exception would be if the orange parent was itself already a heterozygous tiger, which would give each cub a 50% chance of being either double-recessive white or heterozygous orange. If two heterozygous tigers, or heterozygotes, breed on average 25% of their offspring will be white, 50% will be heterozygous orange (white gene carriers) and 25% will be homozygous orange, with no white genes. In the 1970s a pair of heterozygous orange tigers named Sashi and Ravi produced 13 cubs in Alipore Zoo, of which 3 were white. If two white tigers breed, 100% of their cubs will be homozygous white tigers. A tiger which is homozygous for the white gene may also be heterozygous or homozygous for many different genes. The question of whether a tiger is heterozygous (a heterozygote) or homozygous (a homozygote) depends on the context of which gene is being discussed. Inbreeding promotes homozygosity and has been used as a strategy to produce white tigers.
White tigers in the wildAn article appeared in the Miscellaneous Notes of the Journal Of The Bombay Natural History Society on Nov. 15, 1909 which reported that a white tigress was shot in the Mulin Sub-Division Forest of the Dhenkanal State in Orissa. The report originally appeared in the Indian Forester in May 1909, and was made by Mr. Bavis Singh, Forest Officer. The ground color of the white tigress was described as pure white and the stripes as deep reddish black. It was shot over a buffalo kill and "was in good condition not showing any signs of disease." Col. F.T. Pollock wrote in Wild Sports of Burma and Assam, "Occasionally white tigers are met with. I saw a magnificent skin of one at Edwin Wards in Wimpole Street, and Mr. Shadwall, Assistant Commissioner in Cossyah and Jynteah hills, also has two skins quite white." Mr. Lydekker wrote in Game Animals of India (1907) about five more white tiger skins: "A white tiger was exhibited alive at Exeter Change about 1820; a second was killed in Poona about 1892; in March 1899 a white tiger was shot in Upper Assam and the skin sent to Calcutta, where a fourth specimen was received about the same time. The Maharaja of Kuch-Behar also possesses a white tiger-skin." (The white tiger exhibited at Exeter Change in London in 1820 was the first white tiger in Europe.)
S.H. Prater wrote in The book of Indian Animals (1948) that "White or partially white tigers are not uncommon in some of the dry open jungles of central India." It is a myth that white tigers did not thrive in the wild. India planned to reintroduce captive-bred white tigers to the wild to a special reserve near Rewa. In the wild white tigers reproduced and bred white for generations. A.A. Dunbar wrote in Wild Animals Of Central India (1923) that "White tigers occasionally occur. There is a regular breed of these animals in the neighborhood of Amarkantak at the junction of the Rewa state and the Mandla and Bilaspur districts. When I was last in Mandla in 1919, a white tigress and two three parts grown white cubs existed. In 1915 a male was trapped by the Rewa state and confined. An excellent description of the animal, by Mr. Scott of the Indian police, has been published in Vol. XXVII No. 47 of the Bombay Natural History Society's journal." The previously mentioned article from The Journal Of The Bombay Natural History Society "Miscellaneous Notes: No. 1-A WHITE TIGER IN CAPTIVITY (with a photo)" states "The white tiger in captivity in Rewa was caught in December 1915 in the jungles of the State near Sohagpur. He was about two years of age at the time. There were two more white tigers in Southern Rewa related to this tiger but it was believed that the mother of this animal was not white." "These white tigers roam in the neighboring British Districts of the Central Provinces and seem to be living in the Maikal ranges of mountains." There is ample evidence that white tigers survived as adults in the wild. Victor H. Cahalane reported white tigers in northern China in 1943: "...north China has produced a number of albinos, with the inevitable faint brown stripe. Very rare melanistic (black) tigers are known." White tigers are not albinos. These would have been white individuals of the Amur tiger subspecies (Panthera tigris altaica), also known as the Siberian tiger. White tigers were reported from northern China and Korea. White tigers have cultural significance in both countries. White tigers were also part of the folklore on Sumatra and Java.
Jim Corbett filmed a white tigress in the wild which had two orange cubs. This film footage was used in the 1984 National Geographic movie Man Eaters Of India, which is based on Jim Corbett's 1957 book by the same title. This is further proof that white tigers survived and reproduced in the wild. The website of the Bandhavgarh National Park, in the former princely state of Rewa, in Madhya Pradesh, features pictures of white tigers, and states "The forests of Bandhavgarh are the white tiger jungles of yesteryears." Today there are 46 to 52 orange tigers living in Bandhavgarh, the largest population of tigers in any national park in India. The tiger is an endangered species.
Elephants
As their blood vessels are near to the surface of their skin, they can be seen flapping their ears in order to keep themselves cool.
Their trunks can hold up to 16 pints of water at a time, but they do not drink through them. Once the trunk is full, it is then squirted into their mouths.
Elephants continue to grow throughout their lives, although the extent of this does slow down with age, even their eyes.
Elephants actually walk on their toes. They have a thick layer of cartilage between their bones and the earth which acts as a shock absorber.
They are excellent swimmers and are recorded in Zimbabwe of swimming up to 50 miles from one island to the mainland. An ordeal which took them 5 days and they came out with pinkish looking skin.
Females have sharp, square foreheads, while the male has a round forehead.
During their lifetime, their teeth are replaced six times. When the last set wears down, they are unable to eat and so die of starvation.
Of all the mammals, they have the longest gestation period (pregnancy), twenty two months. The females stand to give birth where after a single young is born in the sack in which it was developed. If it does not break, the female will kick it against a sharp stone or abject until it burst open and enables the baby to come out.
A baby elephant weights about 260 lbs at birth and can walk under its mothers belly for its first year.
Each elephant footprint is as different as our fingerprints. This allows people to track them in the wild.
The main difference between the African and Asiatic elephant are: (1) The African elephant has much larger ears (2) The trunk of the Asiatic elephant does not have the lower prehensile (usable) tip. (3) The Asiatic elephant has a hump back whereas the African elephant has a concave or ‘hollow” back.
The earliest known species of Proboscidea stood 60cm in height and evolved into Moeritherium. These split up over the years and became elephants and hyrax on the one side and dugongs and manatees on the other.
Their trunks can hold up to 16 pints of water at a time, but they do not drink through them. Once the trunk is full, it is then squirted into their mouths.
Elephants continue to grow throughout their lives, although the extent of this does slow down with age, even their eyes.
Elephants actually walk on their toes. They have a thick layer of cartilage between their bones and the earth which acts as a shock absorber.
They are excellent swimmers and are recorded in Zimbabwe of swimming up to 50 miles from one island to the mainland. An ordeal which took them 5 days and they came out with pinkish looking skin.
Females have sharp, square foreheads, while the male has a round forehead.
During their lifetime, their teeth are replaced six times. When the last set wears down, they are unable to eat and so die of starvation.
Of all the mammals, they have the longest gestation period (pregnancy), twenty two months. The females stand to give birth where after a single young is born in the sack in which it was developed. If it does not break, the female will kick it against a sharp stone or abject until it burst open and enables the baby to come out.
A baby elephant weights about 260 lbs at birth and can walk under its mothers belly for its first year.
Each elephant footprint is as different as our fingerprints. This allows people to track them in the wild.
The main difference between the African and Asiatic elephant are: (1) The African elephant has much larger ears (2) The trunk of the Asiatic elephant does not have the lower prehensile (usable) tip. (3) The Asiatic elephant has a hump back whereas the African elephant has a concave or ‘hollow” back.
The earliest known species of Proboscidea stood 60cm in height and evolved into Moeritherium. These split up over the years and became elephants and hyrax on the one side and dugongs and manatees on the other.
Both males and females have tusk although those of the females tend to be lighter and smaller.
Their brain is the size of a walnut.
As their eyes are situated on the side of their heads, they cannot see directly in front of them and this was put to good use by hunters.
The skin is crinkly or creased and because this, it gives it a larger surface area, allows for more cooling by whatever breeze may be around.
In certain areas such as the legs, and trunk the skin may reach a thickness of 1-2 inches.
Elephants have extremely long eyelashes.
Their tails are flattened on the end and can be covered with hairs up to 16 inches long and are used in the making of bangles.
Because they cannot sleep lying down as their weight on their diaphragm prevents them from breathing, they can be seen leaning against a tree trunk fast asleep. But usually they catnap where they are standing for about ten minutes at a time.
When fully grown, their daily consumption can be up to 650 lbs of green food and 280 pints of water per day. This is what the local zoo feeds each elephant per day.
Their brain is the size of a walnut.
As their eyes are situated on the side of their heads, they cannot see directly in front of them and this was put to good use by hunters.The skin is crinkly or creased and because this, it gives it a larger surface area, allows for more cooling by whatever breeze may be around.
In certain areas such as the legs, and trunk the skin may reach a thickness of 1-2 inches.Elephants have extremely long eyelashes.
Their tails are flattened on the end and can be covered with hairs up to 16 inches long and are used in the making of bangles.Because they cannot sleep lying down as their weight on their diaphragm prevents them from breathing, they can be seen leaning against a tree trunk fast asleep. But usually they catnap where they are standing for about ten minutes at a time.
When fully grown, their daily consumption can be up to 650 lbs of green food and 280 pints of water per day. This is what the local zoo feeds each elephant per day.
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