Today’s photos are from Susan Hoffman, an evolutionary geneticist who went to South Africa (see previous photos here and here). Her captions are indented:
Impala (Aepyceros melampus). In one picture there are two female impala (optical illusion, there really are 2!) are shown with Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus).
More photos from various locations near Port Elizabeth.
Rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis)—in the first picture, you can clearly see their unique dorsal scent gland.
Just for Jerry—lovely South African shelducks (Tadorna cana)—the female is the one with the partly white head, the male has the plain grey head and lighter breast.
Hadada ibis (Bostrychia hagedash), the world’s noisiest bird.
African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus)
Super pix. Thank you.
The rock hyrax is a most interesting animal. I had not heard of it, so I had to read up. It was, apparently, a pet in Born Free. Hyraxes are also mentioned in the Bible as “conies” so two must have been on the Ark. /s I wonder if Ham has two on his ark?
I also seem to remember that rock hyraxes are particularly intelligent and have complex group behavior. Wikipedia says it has 20 different vocal signals and …
Most intelligently, they rest 95% of their lives.
I wonder how that unusual dorsal scent gland is used in social interactions.
Best not to think about it. 🦨👃
If they rest that much, then why are they so grumpy? Did they get woken up from their naps?
They probably can’t stand each other’s smell from those dorsal scent glands. That would make me grumpy.
They probably can’t stand each other’s smell from those dorsal scent glands. That would make me grumpy.
The shield duck has a rather goose-like appearance. The beak is not as wide as a mallard’s.
The rock hyrax have resting evil face.
I think of it as resting cranky face.
That “Sacred” Ibis looks suspiciously like what we call a “Bin Chicken” in Australia