Lions in Kruger

Lions are social animals and touching is very important aspect of their daily lives. Mothers can be seen licking and grooming their off-spring which strengthens the bond between them.
This cub is about 16-18 months old and almost ready to start taking its place in the pride.

This male has seen many, many battles, probably with younger males trying to take over his females.

His brother looks almost as bad. Both these males will mate with the dominant female but will not allow outsiders the chance.

Being born in the Park, they are very comfortable with vehicles around them. When the weather starts to turn cooler, they will come and lay on the tarmac during the late afternoon and spend the night there for its warmth.

Every species of wild cat has different markings behind their ears.......

and the tip of their tails by which they can be identified.

Granadilla / Passion Fruit

We have two kinds of granadilla (passionfruit) species here. One is an orange/yellow thick skin variety which grows wild in our tropical climates and the other is cultivated for everyday use, is purple and has a thinner skin.

It is used in many ways, as an addition to cakes and icing, a flavoring in ice cream, yoghurt and soft drinks or fresh over fruit salad.
If conditions are right, flowering may occur throughout the year. Individual flowers bloom for just 12-24 hours before closing. They will self-pollinate and are followed by green fruit, turning purple when ripe. Fruits usually ripen within 80 days of flowering. They grow on vines which love full sun except in climates where the temperature frequently surpasses 100F, then should be given shade. Plants are short-lived, usually maintaining good productivity for 4-6 years. Harvest fruits when they fall from the plant and are best eaten when wrinkles appear on the surface. When propagated from seed or cuttings, they will flower within their first year.

The information below is from http://www.vitamins-supplements.org/herbal-supplements/passion-flower.php

Medicinal uses and health benefits of the passion flower
Passion flower has a long history of use among Native Americans. Today, passion flower is mainly used in the United States and Europe to relieve anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia. It is also recommended for the relief of nausea caused by nervousness or anxiety. It works by slowing the pulse, decreasing arterial tension, and quieting respiration and pulmonary blood pressure. Passion flower is anxiolytic and analgesic. It decreases motor activity that can contribute to stress-related myospasms. Passionflower has been used traditionally for menstrual pain, diarrhoea and dysentery. An extract containing passionflower and hawthorn has been studied in people with congestive heart failure for the treatment of shortness of breath and difficulty exercising. When combined with hawthorn berries, passionflower is effective in reducing stress-related digestive spasms such as gastritis and colitis. Fruit juice as an eyewash for sore eyes. A tincture or infusion from dried leaves is an insomnia remedy. Homeopathic practitioners prescribe it for asthma and whooping cough. Applied externally, it has been used for hemorrhoids. Passionflower may also relieve anxiety in people who are recovering from heroin addiction.
Dosage and administration
Passion flower preparations are made from fresh or dried flowers and other above-ground parts of the plant. Recommended dosages of passion flower generally range from 4-8 g of dried herb per day. To make tea, pour 150 ml (about two-thirds of a cup) of hot water over 1 teaspoonful of passion flower, steep for 10 minutes, then strain. Two or three cups of tea a day. Alternatively, 5-10 ml (1:8) of passion flower tincture can be taken three to four times per day.
Side effects, precautions

In general, passionflower is considered to be safe and nontoxic. Possible side effects include nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and rapid heartbeat. Pregnant women should not take passion flower, because passionflower contains substances that can stimulate contractions of the uterus. Passion flower may increase the effects of drugs and herbals that promote sleepiness. It may also enhance the blood-thinning effects of anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents.

Granadilla Fridge Tart
Ingredients
1 tin Carnation Milk (unsweetened)
1 pack Lemon Jelly
½ cup Icing Sugar
1 tin (110g) Granadilla Pulp
1 pack Nice or Tennis Biscuits

Method
Freeze tin of Carnation Milk.Dissolve jelly in 1 cup boiling water.Line pie dish with biscuits.When jelly begins to set, beat slightly defrosted milk with icing sugar very stiffly.Add granadilla and nearly set jelly, and beat well.Put 1/2 mixture on base, add another layer biscuits, then the rest of the mixture.Set in fridge overnight.

Leopard in Kruger Park

Leopard are very hard to spot especially at this distance which is usual. See if you can find him first before going on.....
....there he is, having an afternoon nap.

For more information on them, please follow this link: Leopard

He was so far away, I am surprised that I managed to get any pictures to show you.

Gaelyn and I were happy to see this one on the first day in Kruger National Park. What luck!!

Don't disturb me.....

...I'm eating!!

Rhino beetle and mites

We seem to have a few species of Rhino Beetle here.
This one was covered by some kind of mite and I did not realize it until I hade these pictures on the screen and naturally, I had been handling it.

With all these things about, it is a wonder that I have not pick up some rare and exotic disease by now, keeled over and died.

I guess it is true what they say "Only the good die young" so must be pretty evil. :)

As soon as I let him go, he made a dive into the lawn and probably thought he was invisible.

Art of disguise - Part 9

Another master of disguise.....
The True Leaf Katydid (Tettigoniidae zabalius aridus) is so well hidden I almost walked past him.

They are very large, this specimen being about 4 inches (60mm) in body length.

They feed on leaves of trees and shrubs.

In defense, they kick with their spined hind legs.

Here is an interesting one!!

Update: Thanks for guessing everyone.

This is actually a beetle of the Cerambycidae (Longhorn) family - Orange Coffee Longhorn (Dirphya nigrcornis). It is about 1/2 an inch in body length.
They can be pests in coffee plantations. The antenae are swept back and they lay their eggs in the crack of wood or in dead timber. The larvae feed as it burrows in.

Now what do you think this is? I will insert the name tomorrow..... :)

Cycads 2 - Eastern Cape Cycad Encephalartos altensteinii Zamiaceae

The cycads were very pretty this year and always remind me of someone very special. When the seed pod starts to develope it seems to be protected by the small shoots around it.
The pods of this particular species are low on the ground and surrounded by leaves.

It gets to be a tall pod and at the bottom of each seed are what look like spores. Maybe someone knows and can tell me what they actually are.

At first I thought they might be bug eggs but I watched them carefully and never saw anything crawling on them.

The summer progressed and the pods became dry and eventaully died off. I have taken a few home to see if I can cultivate them.

For more information on cycads, please click on this link.

Warmbaths - Part 4

This is a big lizard about 1' in length and has the most wonderful colors. I caught sight of him climbing up a wall looking for some dinner (insects).
What a lovely grasshopper. Even though the has the same shades as the grass, he was still easy to spot.

The eyes are amazing.

Red roses for a blue lady? Yes!!

The stinkbug was trying to hide under a flower but I know their tricks and where to look for them. :)

In a hole of a tree the millipedes had mad a breeding site for themselves and were crammed into the small space available.

A bagworm had made its home of the handiest material around and that was the thorns of a tree. How neatly it all fitted together.

What a catch!! This hunting spider had caught himself something to eat and was holding onto it for dear life. He had made his nest across the corner of the swimming pool which I think was a great place to catch water insects.

Another millipede in search of dinner. I liked the color of the leaf next to him.

If all else fails....

... go out into the rain soaked garden and see what you can find to take pictures of. This poor earthworm was trying to get out of the mud and find a drier spot.
A very pretty leaf still with raindrops on it.

A Canna with two lovely contrasting colors.

A Sparrow looking to see if there was any dry seed still available.

Gorgeous Hibiscus in yellow....

.... and red.

The flowers of a tree.

A pretty moth clinging to a wall.

And an Inch Worn doing stretches......

....and bends. So you see, even on the dullest day, there is always something to take pictures of. :)