And What Sex Will Your Baby Be?
In mammals and birds, the sex of the offspring is determined genetically: If the male mammal passes on its X chromosome, the offspring will be female; if it passes on its Y chromosome, the offspring will be male. In birds, the female passes on either her W chromosome (female offspring) or her Z chromosome (male offspring). However, in many reptile species, it is not genes that play a role in sex determination, but actually the weather – and thus meanwhile also climate change.
Plant Ghosts
As usual, I woke up early in the morning to the pink-golden light of sunrise shining through the mosquito screen of the door. I went outside and there I met – a stick insect. In South Africa there are different kinds of stick insects. The one sitting in the sink outside my chalet was about 15 cm long. Carefully, I slid my hand under it to put it in a bush. Because at least I think stick insects feed on leaves. Do they? Actually: What do I actually know about stick insects? Not much. So I started my research…
The Evolution of the Fastest
Cheetahs are known as the fastest animal on land, sprinting up to 120 km per hour and accelerating to 97 km per hour in mere 3 seconds. Not even most sports cars can do that. With this amazing ability that cheetahs have developed over thousands of years, they have found their own niche, their own hunting strategy. But evolution brought cheetahs not only unique abilities, but also genetic problems that can endanger the continuation of their species.
The Hunt of the Fastest
Cheetahs are known as the fastest animal on land, sprinting up to 120 km per hour and accelerating to 97 km per hour in mere 3 seconds. Not even most sports cars can do that. Cheetahs use this incredible ability for hunting. But this does not mean that every hunt is a success. Even cheetahs have to learn how to sneak up on their prey first. And that this can be quite tricky, something I was lucky enough to observe on a safari in Tanzania.
Who would have thought that?
No one surprises us, impresses us, enchants us as much as Mother Nature does. Over the course of millions of years, since the emergence of the very first cell, Mother Nature has created the truly strangest curiosities. You can marvel at some of these in this in round 2 of our bush quiz (while testing your knowledge of the flora and fauna of the African Savannah):
If you missed it, scroll down on the blog page to find round 1 of our bush quiz “Who would have thought that?”
Hide and Seek
A female kudu sneaks stealthily through the bushes. Again and again she looks around as if to make sure that no one is watching her. Carefully, she puts one hoof in front of the other, always twitching her nose to detect even the slightest scent, always turning her ears in different directions to pick up every sound, no matter how gentle. When she feels safe, she takes the last steps to a very specific place where she is already eagerly awaited.
Tracking Mother Nature: Fantastic Faeces And Where To Find Them
Tracking is not only concerned with the foot, hoof or paw prints left by wildlife. Scratches on a tree trunk, mud on a boulder or feeding marks on leaves and grasses are also tracks – and of course so are faeces. The size, shape, structure and location of the droppings can be used to draw conclusions about the creator.
If Chameleons Celebrated Easter…
The scent of spring is in the air (at least for everyone in the northern hemisphere), the days are finally a little longer and warmer again and all the spring flowers are delighting us with their colourful blooms. It’s the time of year when we arrange brightly coloured eggs prettily in baskets or hang them in the bushes, and chocolate bunnies smile at us in the shops and the smell of Easter bread wafts through the kitchen.
Tracking Mother Nature: My Neighbour, the Scorpion
Many of my family and friends often ask me if I am not afraid of scorpions and other venomous animals in South Africa. I can answer this question with a clear “no” – which always results in surprised looks. Because anyone who lives in nature (whether it’s the savannah of South Africa or the boreal forests of Canada or the tropical rainforest of Thailand) knows that it’s simply a matter of knowing the behaviour of the animals in the environment. And what better way to study scorpion behaviour than tracking?
Who would have thought that?
No one surprises us, impresses us, enchants us as much as Mother Nature does. Over the course of millions of years, since the emergence of the very first cell, Mother Nature has created the truly strangest curiosities. You can marvel at some of these in this quiz (while testing your knowledge of the flora and fauna of the African bush)
Stay in the know.
Be ready to act.
To keep up to date with our latest news, events, marches,
campaigns and fundraising activities.