Brown-veinedwhite(Belenoisaurota)
WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAPAMUSHANA,ZIMBABWE
ForthemonthofFebruary,TwoThousandandSeventeen Temperature RainfallRecorded Sunrise&Sunset Averageminimum: 22,1˚C(71,7˚F) Forthemonth:108.6mm Sunrise: 05:55 Minimumrecorded: 19,8˚C(67,6˚F) Fortheyeartodate:459.0mm Sunset: 18:09 Averagemaximum: 31,6˚C(88,8˚F) Maximumrecorded:35,7˚C(96,2˚F) AsyouwalkalongthearchwayofLebomboironwoods(Androstachysjohnsonii)towardsthelodgeitsoundslikepopcornispopping…butit’stheseedcapsulesbursting,andtheseedsbeingshotfromthem,thatyou’rehearing.Ifyousmeltpopcornthatwouldbeanotherstory–theurineofamaleleopardmarkinghisterritorysmellsreminiscentofpopcorn,andonmanyoccasionssuddenlygettingthisfamiliarscentresultsinfindingaleopardnearby!WildlifeoverviewforFebruary:RhinosRhinosightingshavebeenscarcebyourprolificstandard,duetothebushbeingatitsthickestand
greenestinFebruary.Thatsaidnosafariwillgobywithoutseeingrhino,andwehavehadregularsightingsofbothblackandwhiterhinos.WilddogsWearedelightedthatthewholepackof27arestillontheproperty,preferringthewideopenplainswhichmakesidealviewing.ElephantsThebreedingherdsofelephantshavebeenhardtoview,forthesamereasonastherhinos,butyouwillseethemfromtimetotimecrossingtheroads,aswellaslonebullsfeedingheavilyonthevegetation.Justlookhowfatthebullinthesecondphotois,heevenhasbellyfatrolls!Lions
TheRiverPridehavebeenthestarsforthemonth,extendingtheirterritorywelleast,andgoingonazebrahuntingspree.Oneafternoonwenoticedazebra,closetothelodge,thatdidn’tlookwell–it’smanewasn’thelderectanditlookedbloatedandsickly.Thenextmorningitwasfoundkilledbytheprideandthecarcassalmostfinished.Thepridecomprisestwolions,twolionessesandfourcubs.Theyarestillquiteshyofthegameviewers,exceptwhenonakill-thentheyareonlyconcernedaboutfeedingthemselves.
Thismaleinhisprimeisoneofthedominantmalesofasoutherncoalitionofthree.LeopardsTheleopardsightingshavebeengoodasaresultofthethickvegetationbecausetheytendtoprefertousetheroadnetworkinbetweenhunts,thusavoidingtheparasitesandanyunwelcomesurpriseshidinginthegrass.HyenasAninterestinghyenasightingwasofonewalkingonthreelegs.Ithadprobablyinjuredorbrokenthelegduring
afight.Injuredhyenasareincrediblyadaptable–there’soneweknowofinBotswanathatwalksonhertwofrontlegsduetohindleginjuries,andshehasmanagedtosurviveforyearslikethis.CheetahWehaven’tseenthemorefar-rangingfemalesandcubsforawhile,butwe’vehadsightingsofthetwoterritorialmales,andoneotheradultmale.Buffalo
Buffaloareingreatsupply.Onedrivealonefoundthreeconsecutiveherdsofover200each.Therearealsoquiteafewchocolate-brownnewborncalvesabout,stillfumblingandstrugglingtocopewiththemovementoftherestoftheherd.Cowsfirstcalveatfiveyearsofage,afteragestationperiodof11.5months.Whenanewcalfisborn,thebondingendswiththepreviouscalfandthemotherkeepsitatbaywithhornjabs.Nevertheless,theyearlingfollowsitsmotherforanotheryearorso.Malesleavetheirmotherswhentheyaretwoyearsoldandjointhebachelorgroups.ThisoldbachelorthatweoftenseeatthefootofPamushanaHill,haspackedontheweightthisgreenseason.
PlainsgameZebras,giraffesandwildebeestcanbeseeninhugenumbers,butmoredifficultatthistimeisplainsgamesuchaseland,sableandLichtensteinhartebeest.Thiselandwasveryobliging,andI’malwaysamazedathowhugetheyarewhenyouseethematclosequarters–anadultmalestandingatabout1.6metresattheshoulder,andweighingabout550kgs,althoughtheycanweighuptoalmostoneton!BirdingBirdingenthusiastsspenttwoweekswithus,reachingafinalbirdcountof198.Oneofthespecialsfortheareawasawhite-browedsparrowweaver(Plocepassermahali)thatmanyofushadnotseenintheareabefore.BoatcruisesandfishingThelightingonthewaterissobeautifulforphotographyatthemoment,andtheboatcruiseshavebeenidyllic.Nowthatthewaterhassettledabitthetigershavebeenbiting.
LittlejewelsFebruarycannotflybywithoutspecialmentionofthebutterfliesthatflutterabout,bringingtouchesofdelicatebeautyandcolourwherevertheygo.ForthisstoryIwantedtoresearchsomeinterestinglesserknownfactsabouttheselovelylittlecreatures,soIwasrathertakenabackwhenturningtopage20ofSteveWoodhall’sFieldGuidetoButterfliesandreadingtheopeninglineof,“Butterfliesareessentiallysexmachines.”Itgoesontosaythatamajorpartofabutterfly’sshortlifeasanadultisdevotedtosearchingforamateandsexualdisplays.Malebutterfliescanbeterritorialinordertoattracttheattentionofafemalewithwhichhecanmate.Butterflieshavecolourvisionandthepatternsofcolourontheirwingsplayalargepartinrecognisingpotentialmates.Somemaleshave‘hairpencils’extrudingfromtheirabdomensthatexudepheromonesthatstupefythefemaleandinducehertomate.(Ican’thelpthinkingthatthisseemstobelikesomesortofdaterapedrugtheygivethefemale!)Thispheromoneismadefromchemicalsthatthemalegetsfromimbibingplantswithpoisonousalkaloids.Inthephotoofthebushveldpurpletipbelowyoucanseeitdoingexactlythis–itisimbibingalkaloidsfromastring-of-stars(Heliotropium)flower.Thetoxinsalsohelpagainstdefenceofpredators,andincopulationthemaletransfersthesepoisonstothefemaleviahissperm,protectingherfrompredatorstoo.
Commonorangetip(Colotisevenina) Africancommonwhite(Belenoiscreona)
Bushveldpurpletip(Colotisione)
Natalacrea(Acraeanatalica)
Brown-veinedwhite(Belenoisaurota)andCommonorangetip(Colotisevenina)
Spottedjoker(Bybliailithyia)
Stripedpoliceman(Coeliadesforestan)
Brown-veinedwhite(Belenoisaurota)
Anartisticimpressionofbrown-veinedwhites(Belenoisaurota)mudpuddling–abehaviorofimbibingsaltsandaminoacidswhichalsoaidinamale’sreproductivesuccess,bytransferringthepreciousnutrientstothefemaleduringmating.Thisextranutritionhelpsensurethattheeggssurvive.
Ofcoursethetimeforbutterfliesisthetimeforflowers,andit’sespeciallybeautifultoseethemattheirbestafteralightdrizzle.Thisisapurplecleomeorpurplemousewhiskers(Cleomehirta),andsomeinterestingresearchwasdoneontheseplantsasbeingpowerfultickrepellents.Attractingmorethanbirds,beesandbutterflieswasaVachelliatortilis(widelyknownasAcaciatortilis)tree.Itseeminglycameintobloomovernightandwascoveredinclustersofcreamy,whiteballs.Intimethesewillbecomegoldbrown,curledandtwistedpods.Itwasbeingusedasaperchformanyvultureswhopatientlyawaitedtheirturnatanearbybuffalokill.
Thisexquisiteleopard,easilyidentifiablebytheholeinhisnose,waswalkingjustofftheroadsideonemorning.Hehadaquickdrinkfromaroadsidepan,thensettleddowncurledupinthegrassabouttwometresfromtheroadandwascompletelyinvisible.Butthenanimpalaramcaughthiseye,andhesatupforamoment…
YoungstersTherearesomanyyoungstersaboutatthemoment–especiallyimpalas,buffalo,zebrasandgiraffes.Ifyoulookcloselyyou’llseethatthegiraffecalfstillhaspartofitsumbilicalcordattached.Giraffegestationlastsoverayearandthemothergivesbirthstandingup.Thecalfemergesheadandfrontlegsfirst,havingbrokenthroughthefoetalmembranes,andfallstotheground,severingtheumbilicalcord.Theossicones(horn-likeprotrusions),whichhavelainflatwhileitwasinthewomb,becomeerectwithinafewdays.Youcanseethisonesarestillabitwonkyandhavenotquitestraightenedoutyet.WildatheartThereisnothingbetterthanfinding27wilddogssprawledoutonflatopenterrainastheirsiestadrawstoanend.Wewatchedtheearlyrisersyawn,stretchtheirlegs,walkovertotheirpackmatesandstartmotivating
themtogetamoveon.Beforetheeveninghuntcommencedtheyneededtohaveadrink,sotrottedtoanearbystream,hadwhattheyneededandthenagameoftagandgeneralrompingaroundinthewatertookplace,beforethedisappearedintothethicketsfortheseriousbusinessofhunting.
AllatwitterIhopethisMeve’sstarlingwasdoingnestrenovations,ratherthanbuildinganestasitislateintheseasontobestartinganewfamily.ThesetwoVerreaux’seagle-owlssetupanearlyeveningwatchforanyhaplessrodentsthatmayhaveventuredout.Thisguineafowlchaperonedherenormousclutchof22chicksacrosstheroad.Atonestageitlookedlikethelittlelaughingdoveontherightwaswantingthisexcellentmothertotakeitunderherwingtoo.
SeeingisbelievingThisisanamazingstory!TwoyearsagoIwasecstatictocapturetheimageabove–malefoamnestfrogs(Chiromantisxerampelina)matingwithafemaleinthebranchesofatreethatoverhungapond.Shesecretesamucousfromheroviductsandwhipsitupintoafrothbybeatingherbacklegs.Malesgrappleforthematingpositionasthefemaledepositshereggsintothefoam,andtheyarefertilisedexternallybythemale.Theresultantfoamnestcontainsthefertilizedeggs.Thefoamdriesaroundtheeggstoprovideconstantincubationconditions-itprotectsthemfromdryingoutandisdistasteful,thusdiscouragingpredatorsfromseekingoutthetastyeggs.
Theeggsdevelopinthisfoamymassandthetadpoleshatch.Theyfeedofftherichyolksacandgrowtoonecentimetreinaboutfivedays,bywhichtimethenesthasbegundegeneratingandthetadpolesdropoutintothepoolofwaterbelow.ThistimeIcaughttheactualmomentwhenthetadpolesdropout.Icouldhardlybelievemyluck–buttheretheywere,tinylittletadpolesstillwiththeiryolksacs,wrigglingaboutatthebottomofthenest.Ileanedoutoverthepondandmanagedtocatchtheexactmomentabatchofthemwriggledenoughtocausegravitytoreleasethemintotheirwateryhomebelow.Astheyhitthewatertheydispersedinstantly.Theirnewwateryhomeisfraughtwithdanger,butatleasttheyhavehadtheadvantageoverothertadpolesbygrowinginatypeofincubatorforfivedays,andarethatmuchbiggerandstrongerasaresult.
WrittenandphotographedbyJennyHishinSingitaPamushana
MalilangweWildlifeReserveZimbabwe
Twenty-eightofFebruary2017