After a couple of days of wildlife viewing in the Everglades and then a couple of days on Key Largo and Long Key, I finally have a few photos to share. The wildlife here has been scarce and very quiet—no singing, no flights, no great numbers of any one thing present.
Most common bird besides Osprey: Fish Crows are smaller than American Crows and seem to be tamer. They approach and offer a bystander a low, throaty warble that does not sound at all like a crow, sort of a soft “uh-huh’-uh”, while bending their head in a bow and fluffing out throat feathers.
A Fish Crow in shaded light has almost iridescent blue-purple feathers. Note the beautiful layering of back feathers that cover the wings.A Fish Crow bowing to give the soft, throaty “uh-huh’-uh” call. The bird did this continually while it walked a few steps, peered at me, and walked on another few steps. But I don’t speak crow, sorry!
The Everglades – the place where rivers of fresh water out of Lake Okeechobee run through marshlands and grasses toward the sea.
A typical landscape on the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park. A Tri-colored Heron showing off its richly hued plumage stalked one of the marshes on the Anhinga Trail.There were a few Double-crested Cormorants lined up on a branch, but these were the only cormorants we saw while walking the trail.The Anhingas were also few in number on Anhinga Trail. When we visited here last year, both anhingas and cormorants were numerous and actively building nests and hunting fish in the marshes.It almost seemed like American alligators were more plentiful than the birds on the Anhinga trail in the Everglades.A Florida softshell turtle surfaced briefly to look around in one of the marshes on the Anhinga Trail in the Everglades.
Long Key – one of a series of coral islands that form an arc around the tip of Florida.
A small sailboat had run aground just off Long Key beach. Boulders of coral along the shore of Long Key won’t stop surging waves from a tropical storm or hurricane like the mangroves do.We found a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron hiding in a thicket on the shore of Long Key. I poked the camera through branches and managed to get most of the bird in the shot.The bird stared intently at the water for a few minutes and then stabbed at some debris under the water. I’m not sure there is anything edible in there.Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, as tiny as a small warbler, move constantly and erratically through vegetation, and are almost impossible to photograph.But the much more sedate Eastern Phoebe posed very nicely in between darting flights to chase a bug.I asked a wildlife guide what the name of this lizard was — can you guess from looking at it? I felt like saying, “well duh”, when he told me. It’s a Curly-tailed Lizard, a member of a family that is restricted to the West Indies, making this an introduced species in Florida.This very dark brown, rather large (2-3 inch) butterfly is a Mangrove Skipper. Usually the dark brown scales are highlighted with a layer of blue on the hindwings, but it seems that most of the blue scales have worn off this individual. These are fast flying butterflies, but this one was happily foraging on sea lavender flowers for several minutes.
and lastly, some Nurse Sharks, seen while eating a fish dinner on Key Largo
Even though there weren’t many animals to admire, you can’t beat the warm weather and sunshine in Florida in the winter.
Once again, we’ve fled the icy cold northland for the warmth of sunny Florida, and we’re on the hunt for some birds to see. Where better than the Everglades National Park, right at the end of the road at Flamingo. And yes, there were raptors galore, more than there were small songbirds, which were in short supply.
Ospreys and Turkey Vultures dominated the raptor scene, almost always one or two of them in sight.
Those big feet, with rough scaly pads on the underside. Osprey in Florida don’t seem to be as shy as the ones I see in Minnesota in the summer. They sit quietly while we walk right under them.Quite a regal-looking Osprey, this presumed male was perched close to its nest, where it’s presumed mate was incubating eggs —as seen in the next photo.This nest was much bigger than the typical Osprey nest, and I wondered if it had been used by Bald Eagles in the past.Every few minutes an Osprey flew over at the campground area at Flamingo.Turkey Vultures were commonly seen flying overhead, but there were also a few at the campground, and this one perched nicely in a shaded spot.There were also a few Black Vultures hanging out at the marina at Flamingo. These birds are slightly larger (and better looking) than their cousins.Red-shouldered Hawks are probably the most commonly seen big hawk in Florida, because they like to sit and wait in roadside trees for some unsuspecting prey to wander by.This little female Kestrel preened itself for about 20 minutes, digging and scratching at its plumage, but every now and then, it would perk up and look around.We saw quite a few Northern Harriers flying over the coastal prairie and grassy areas, but most were too far away (and too fast-moving) to capture.
What a great introduction to birding in Florida, and how nice to be out walking around in warm weather without worrying about tripping on the ice!
Traveling as much as we have the last few years, and shooting as many photos as I do on those trips, I accumulate many more images of what we saw than I am able to post on this blog. So this post is an opportunity to share some of those “other, almost forgotten” photo experiences from 2025. Use the links below to go back to the original posts about the places we visited.
Florida in January —an idyllic three weeks of non-stop gorgeous landscapes and birds, and a few unusual sightings.
The first successful SpaceX launch for the Starlink mission seen from Merritt Island FL, on Jan 6. Sunset at Palmer’s Resort, Little Torch Key, FLLooking into the Gulf in the Everglades at Flamingo Lodge, FL
Scroll down from this page to see the rest of January 2025
Morocco in April with mountains, desert, Sahara, and coastal landscapes and birds (and quite a few goats)
Public campground on the shore of one of many lakes in the Atlas Mountains near Marrakech.Much of the Moroccan landscape between metropolitan areas looks like this semi-desert landscape.A typical scene of goats in the desert, eking out an existence on minuscule blades of green vegetation.Camels are all domesticated animals now, although scenes like this must have been what it was like in the Sahara Desert before people tamed them.
Hiking in Oglala National Grassland, Toadstool Park, NebraskaRiding up to the top of the bluffs in Fort Robinson State Park, NEA trial run for the newly refurbished river boats on the Snake River in the Tetons. The weather was so clear that the Grand Tetons stood out from a great distance.
Click here to read more about our visit to the Grand Tetons
Six family members “braved” the unknown while floating down a section of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument (there were no rapids).The famous White Cliffs section of the Upper Missouri did not disappoint with its scenery and wildlife.Time at campsites was idyllic and relaxing after a few hours of floating on the river each day.
Click here and here to read more about our first-ever visit to the Upper Missouri River Breaks.
South Africa in late August (my favorite travel destination)
Winter rains in Namaqualand on the northwestern coast of South Africa produced a super-bloom of wildflowers in August and September this year. At other times of the year, this area is a dry, rocky, semi-desert with the only notable vegetation being the Quiver trees in the background.A rarely photographed landform called Boesmanskop (Bushman’s head) is clearly a man lying down at the top of this rocky ridge near the town of Kamieskrön. An internet search turned up only 1 other image of this formation!Bird Island Nature Reserve in Lambert’s Bay, northwest of Cape Town, is an important breeding site for endangered Cape Gannets, which gather here in the thousands, packing themselves tightly together on a spit of sand. The noise and the smell were overwhelming! The guano excreted by the birds was harvested for fertilizer here until 1990.We’re driving up the road to the gondola that will take us to the top of iconic Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Erosion-resistant sandstone (quartzite sandstone) makes up the top of the cliffs that dominate the southern coast of South Africa. From the top of Table Mountain, you can look down on Table Bay harbor and Cape Town with a 360-degree view.
Click here to see more of the Namaqualand wildflowers
Namibia in September
Whether you call this mountain of sand Big Mama or Big Daddy, it is the tallest sand dune (1200 feet) in this area called Dead Vlei, and is popular with climbers. The dunes were created by offshore winds that carried sand inland along the west coast of Namibia. In this particular area, the dunes cut off a river that fed a forested lake. The trees died and dried without deteriorating and remain as signs of the previous life here.Pre-dawn scene of our Dead Valley Lodge near the Sossusvlei area of Namibia. Dead trees make interesting images.Another example of dead tree art at Dead Valley Lodge — a mythical creature arising from the sand at sunset.There is more wildlife to see than just the Big 5 – elephants, giraffe, rhino, cheetah, etc. in Namibia. Banded Mongoose are curious animals that run around the camps exploring the leaf litter and cabin exteriors for insects or small vertebrates.Waterholes attract a great diversity of wildlife in the dry season, and also create opportunities for picturesque photos, like this reflection.Namibia is a major stronghold for white rhinos, boasting the world’s second-largest population, with conservation efforts focused on anti-poaching, community involvement, habitat protection, and innovative programs like the Rhino Momma Project. Programs were designed to combat escalating poaching threats, particularly for the illegal horn trade, with organizations like WWF and Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) partnering with the government to secure their future. Every rhino in this reserve has a “minder” (like the man standing next to the door of the truck) that follows the animal 24/7 to make sure it is safe. They carry radios to alert each other to the location of the animals.
There are numerous blog posts on our travels in Namibia, which can be found by just scrolling back from this post, or clicking on “Previous” at the top right of the blog page.
Temperance River State Park, MN, in October
Outflow of the Temperance River into Lake Superior in northern Minnesota. The river was supposedly named for the fact that its current is so strong that it prevented the formation of sand deposits at its mouth by the lake; hence, no (sand) bar was meant to be a play on words for no bar equals temperance.The Temperance River gorge, like those of the other rivers that empty into Lake Superior, is steep and narrow and made of billion-year-old rocks laid down during the Mid-Continent Rift.
And now it’s time to move on from this old, worn-out year of 2025, and hopefully move on to something much better in 2026. Happy New Year to all of you from BackYard Biology.
We saw over 200 species of birds on our trip to Namibia: some just once or twice, some almost every day, some as single individuals hidden in brush, some in large groups out in the open. Since I can’t show you everything we saw, I’m going to summarize some highlights of our bird watching by representing them in a Christmas song.
With apologies to Frederick Austin, the composer of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”…
On our trip to Southern Africa, we were very pleased to see… (are you singing the opening line?)
12 Rosy-faced Lovebirds
Lovebirds make cute noises and like to huddle together for warmth.
11 Ostrich chicks
Mother Ostrich casts a big shadow by fluffing out her feathers, and the chicks find the shade.
10 Red-billed Quelea
The MOST numerous non-domesticated bird in the world, and Africa’s biggest agricultural (grain) pest. This species holds the record for the highest body temperature tolerated by warm-blooded animals (up to 49 C or 120 F)!
9 Sacred Ibis
Sacred Ibis are known for their role in Egyptian religion (the earthly form of the god Thoth), but they are now extinct there.
8 (Greater) Flamingos flying
Greater Flamingos are the largest and most widespread of all flamingos, but are also the palest, with bright pink coloration only on the wings and legs.
7 Helmeted Guineafowl
Helmeted Guineafowl wander around in huge flocks, often in single file. They have been domesticated and are excellent watchdogs, sounding loud alarm calls when disturbed.
6 Hartlaub Gulls
Hartlaub’s Gull is endemic to Southern Africa and is the most common gull seen on the coast. It forms large, noisy breeding colonies and has adapted well to human presence along the coast.
5 Bare-faced Babblers (be sure to drag out the “five”)
Their name gives it away; these birds chatter continuously. They are highly social, live in tight family groups, and practice cooperative breeding with helpers from previous years tending the new chicks.
4 Blue Cranes
Blue Cranes are the national bird of South Africa. Their elegant, long tail feathers, stately appearance, and courtly dancing made them a favorite of indigenous people in South Africa.
3 Pied Avocets
They look like Black-necked Stilts, but they have upturned beaks that they use to sweep back and forth in the water to trap small invertebrate prey.
2 Namaqua Sandgrouse
They are so well camouflaged that you can’t see them unless they move. These birds can saturate their innermost breast feathers with water to carry it long distances back to their nestlings.
And a bevy of some brightly colored birds! (final line of the song OR substitute one of the brightly colored birds below into your song for the “partridge in a pear tree” part).
Green-winged Patillia in Acacia melliferaMarico Sunbird looking for some nectar (Photo by Debbie Reynolds)Swallow-tailed Bee-eater on a branch (Photo by Debbie Reynolds)Cape Starling walking in the grassCrimson-breasted Shrike upon a twig
The Secretarybird is unusual-looking for a raptor, but in fact, its closest relatives are the Accipiter hawks, those long-tailed, bird-eating avian predators often found in your backyard. Secretarybirds are widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, but not very common due to habitat loss. They prefer the grassy savannahs and semi-desert scrub to hunt for snakes, rodents, birds or bird eggs, insects, etc.
Secretarybirds have the head and body of an eagle and the long legs of a crane, which make them about 4 feet in height. They stalk their prey, rather than soar or perch looking for them, and those long legs are useful to see into the surrounding vegetation, as well as protect them from the bites of the snakes they love to eat. Long legs are also useful to enable them to walk long distances each day searching for their next meal.Walking near a Springbok antelope illustrates the unusual height of the Secretarybird a little better. But why is it called a Secretarybird? The answer lies in the strange set of head feathers that stick out like the pencils that secretaries supposedly stored behind their ears or in their hair, in case they broke the one they were using. (This is a folk tale, I’m sure.)The frontal view is imposing with all the head feathers erected. Image by an unknown photographer.The typical posture of a Secretarybird hunting for a meal. Once they find a prey item, they attack it by stomping it to death. This is especially useful in immobilizing snakes before they can bite.
Although they spend most of the day walking and hunting, Secretarybirds are able flyers with 7-foot wingspans to propel their 8-9 pound bodies through the air. They roost at night and nest in trees, especially thorny acacias. They are not migratory, but may be nomadic, moving location when food becomes scarce.
A beautiful bird in flight that might resemble a crane with its long wings and legs. But the raptorial beak and long tail distinguish Secretarybirds from cranes. From Wikipedia, photo by Stephen Temple.
When looking for new birds in the foreign countries we visit, we sometimes come across entire families of birds we have not seen before. We discovered that Namibia is a great place to see several species of the Bustard family. The name Bustard translates from Latin to Old French to Anglo-Saxon French as “slow bird”, which really doesn’t describe these fast-running, ground-foraging birds at all well.
To give some context to this discussion, think of Bustards as the European/African ecological counterparts of North American grouse, or chickens, or turkeys.
The male Kori Bustard (left) is about the same weight as the male American Turkey (right). In both species, males attract females by erecting their tail and breast feathers in an ostentatious display. Turkeys gobble and Kori Bustards emit a deep booming call to attract females.
The Kori Bustard is the largest flying bird native to Africa, and male Kori Bustards may be the heaviest living animal capable of flight at an average of 30 pounds (maximum recorded weight of 40 pounds), ahead of other large-bodied avian species like American Turkeys, Whooper and Mute Swans, Andean Condors, and Wandering Albatross.
Kori Bustards are found throughout southern Africa, except dense woodlands, but they especially favor the open plains and savanna grasslands, where they walk slowly while looking for insects, small vertebrates (lizards and snakes), small mammals, bird eggs, seeds, berries, and roots.
In size and behavior, Kori Bustards are similar to North American turkeys in their ground-feeding habits, the male displays of raised tail feathers for females, and polygamous breeding behavior, in which the male attracts and inseminates females, but does nothing else to rear the chicks.
The Bustard family also includes smaller ground-feeding and fast-running species called Korhaans, a name derived from the Afrikaans language to describe the grunting sound these birds make.
Ruppell’s Korhaan is a much smaller bustard than the Kori Bustard, only measuring about two feet in length. These birds prefer the more arid grasslands and savannahs, where their camouflaged plumage and quick darting escape actions help them survive predation. Unlike the Kori Bustard, this species is monogamous and can often be found in small family groups.The Northern Black Korhaan is about the same size as Ruppell’s Korhaan, and is also found in open plains, semi-desert scrub, and grasslands. The male is a boldly patterned black and white bird, while the female is well camouflaged with gray-brown plumage that blends so well into the yellow-brown grasses that she is rarely seen. Males run when chased, but then burst into flight to escape, much like the Sage Grouse of the American plains do.
We happened to drive by a male Red-crested Korhaan in pursuit of a female. These quick-darting birds are a little smaller than the other two Korhaan species and weigh just over a pound. Unfortunately, this male’s many attempts to show off his red crest and pursue her through thick brush were unsuccessful, but highly entertaining.
The male poked his head up from the dense grasses to check on the female’s location. When he is at rest and not actively displaying, his red crest is well hidden at the nape of his neck.Sexual advances include a stooped posture and fluffing the salmon-colored feathers at the back of his head, which unfurl like a collar around his head.The male in the lower part of the image is giving her his best display, but she (upper part of the image) was not overly interested, and the chase ultimately ended with both birds running off.
As if the display of a ruffled neck feather collar weren’t enough, Male Red-crested Korhaans also engage in what is called a “suicide flight”, in which they fly up over the female and then drop to the ground, catching themselves just before they hit. Obviously, the males that don’t survive this reproductive display don’t reproduce!
Such interesting bird life histories in the dry Namib savannah environment!
This year I’m especially thankful for great doctors as I’m recovering from knee replacement surgery, my tolerant husband, and a wonderful family that brings me such delight every time we get together.
I’m re-posting something from 2015, as a reminder that I am thankful for more than just the people in my life.
And I’m thankful to you, dear blog readers, for your dedication to reading my nerdy musings and for your insightful, interesting comments. Blessings to all!
Cheetahs are one of the most amazing animals on the planet (in my opinion). The Namibian savannah is an ideal environment for them to live because of its open, grassy areas and the relative lack of other, larger, and more dominant competitors that might steal their kills (e.g., lions and leopards). To appreciate just how unique and well-suited they are as hunters of the savannah’s antelope, watch the video below. You won’t be able to view the video in your email unless you click on the bolded title of the post to go directly to the blog URL (https://bybio.wordpress.com) .
Smithsonian Channel, 2012.
We were fortunate to see Cheetahs on two occasions in Etosha National Park, which has a large cheetah population. In both cases, the cheetahs were resting under trees in the shade in midday. Although they are primarily diurnal hunters, their high-intensity chases leave them both breathless and overheated, and they must rest for a while to recover.
Our guide spotted a group of White-backed and Lappet-faced Vultures sitting out in the open and knew there was probably a recent kill near them.And then, he spotted this Cheetah sitting in the shade under a Mopane tree, panting.Panting and salivation are one of the ways Cheetahs can cool off after the chase. You can see the slightly blood-tinged fur on its right cheek that indicates it has recently fed. Cheetahs eat immediately after they kill their prey and gulp food quickly before other predators find the kill. They eat an average of 6 pounds of meat a day but can consume as much as 22 pounds of meat at one time, if left undisturbed.We may have bothered the Cheetah enough that it finally got up and walked back to its kill, offering us a wonderful view of its spectacular anatomy: barrel chest with big lungs and heart, very large forelimb and hindlimb musculature, elongated back, and long legs, and a long, muscular tail used as a rudder for quick turns during a full-out sprint. These anatomical gifts are what give the cheetah its incredibly long stride and its ability to rapidly recycle its limb flexion and extension so that it can get up to maximal speed in just three seconds!Making its way back to its kill for another snack. Spots on the cheetah’s body really make its form stand out as it walks through the sea of dead grass stems. But look at the next image below.But those same spots ensure that cheetahs are hidden in the long grass and shade, and may be difficult for prey to spot when the cheetahs are low down in the vegetation, waiting for the opportunity to attack.
On another occasion, we found these two cheetahs lying in the shade of an acacia tree right next to the gravel road we were driving. Our guide guessed these were probably two brothers who were hunting together. It is common among male littermates to form this hunting bond, and occasionally also between two unrelated males. Females are usually solitary, except when they have youngsters in tow, who may participate in the hunt and the kill as they get older and stronger.
If the spots are for camouflage while hunting, what is the purpose of those black teardrop streaks alongside their nose? Since cheetahs are diurnal hunters that use their keen eyesight to spot and track prey, some people speculate that the teardrops function like the black cream that football players put beneath their eyes to reduce sun glare.
At home in the Namibian savannah — what an incredible experience seeing these magnificent animals!
[An unrelated note about Cheetahs: have you ever wondered why American Pronghorn can run so fast (up to 60 mph) when there is no American predator that can match that speed?
The top speed of American wolves is about 35 mph; the maximum speed of American pumas (cougars) is about 50 mph. Neither would be able to catch Pronghorn in an open field chase. But, after the last Ice Age and up until about 10-15,000 years ago, there was a diverse ecosystem of herbivores and carnivores in the American grasslands that rivalled those in Africa, and the chief predator of the Pronghorn in that ecosystem was the American Cheetah. If only time machines were a real thing…sigh.]
What do you think about when you see something like this?
Large herbivores coming to a waterhole in the arid savannah of Namibia
The first thing that strikes me about this scene is: how can all these different herbivores coexist in the same place in the Namibian savannah, especially in the dry season?
The Etosha Savannah, with its mixture of open grassy fields and woody shrubs and trees, supports a variety of grass-eating grazers and leaf and fruit-eating browsers. That diversity is essential to the maintenance of the savannah habitat. In fact, if just one group dominates (grazers or browsers), the Savannah ecosystem collapses into a different system with far less species diversity.
Grazers like zebra, wildebeest, and white rhino specialize in consuming the grasses and have unique adaptations for harvesting and digesting their cellulose-rich diet.
The front incisor teeth of zebras are specialized for cropping the grass from its stem, and their back molars are specialized for grinding the grass into smaller pieces. The molars are high-crowned and continue to grow, so they resist wear from continual grinding.Zebras prefer the short, nutritious grass that appears during the rainy season, but they will eat and can digest the dried stems of tall grasses during the dry season, and in this way, prepare the savannah for other grazers that prefer shorter grasses.White Rhinos act like mowing machines when they graze the savannah and are especially good at cropping short grasses. Although these rhinos lack incisors, they grab grasses with their broad, square-shaped upper lip and pull them into their mouth. Large, serrated molars grind the grass before swallowing. Blue Wildebeest occur in large herds, occasionally with zebras, and are most often found in short grass areas of the savannah. They are mobile grazers and are quick to move to new areas when there is insufficient grass.
Browsers like Giraffe, Greater Kudu, and Steenbok feed primarily on the leaves, seeds, fruits, shoots, and roots of shrubs and trees year-round, but they divide the browsing niche by height.
Giraffes are browsers that eat the seeds, pods, flowers, leaves, and bark of more than 100 different plant species. They can extract the most nutritious leaves from the tallest vegetation by using their muscular and highly flexible tongue. You can read more about giraffes in the savannah by clicking here.Greater Kudu are large, majestic-looking antelope with spiral horns that can reach 6 feet in length. They are strict browsers, selecting leaves and shoots, fruits and flowers, tubers and seed pods at a middle height in the brushy vegetation of the savannah, lower than where giraffes browse, but not usually at ground level.Steenbok are small antelopes that can be found in a variety of desert to savannah habitats, where they look for low-lying herbaceous flowering plants, seedling trees, tubers, and roots. They are typically solitary or occur in pairs of female and young, or male and female, during the breeding season. Steenbok are so small, they can often just lie low in the vegetation to avoid predators. But they are adept jumpers as well, bounding away in a zig-zag pattern to elude the predator. This image is a composite of the evasive action taken by the young steenbok in the previous photo.
A few mammalian species, like the Gemsbok (oryx), Springbok, and Impala, switch between grazing and browsing in the savannah depending on the time of year (wet vs dry season).
Gemsbok are grazers during the wet season when there is ample, nutritious grass, and depend more on browsing leaves and shoots during the dry season.Springbok feed on a mix of grass, herbaceous vegetation, succulents, tubers, and roots, but vary their diet by season.Black-faced Impalas are a subspecies of Impala found in more arid savannahs, and were introduced to Etosha National Park 50 years ago. They possess incredible speed and jumping ability, and can run more than 50 mph, leap more than 30 feet, and jump more than 10 feet. Even with all that agility, impalas are a favorite target of lions.Impalas have a narrow muzzle, which helps them reach into thorny bushes to extract leaves, and a split upper lip that helps them pick up leafy vegetation from the ground. They prefer to feed in the border of woodlands and savannah, which gives them access to both grass and leaves, but also some physical protection from predation.
Savannahs need a variety of both grazers and browsers to remain a savannah. Heavy grazing of grassy rangeland by herbivores like cattle usually results in dominance of unpalatable shrubs and increases in woody plants, which the cattle avoid. It also favors the production of annual grasses at the expense of perennial species.
A savannah needs more than just grazers to maintain its integrity.
A variety of browsers can control the encroachment of woody plants into the savannah by preventing the establishment of their seedlings and limiting the growth of young trees with the removal of their leaves. Thus, browsers greatly reduce the likelihood that seedlings will develop into mature trees in the savannah.
Browsers like the Greater Kudu and Steenbok that feed at the border of woodland and savannah keep those woody species in check and prevent them from colonizing the savannah grasses.
Thus, a combination of both grazing and browsing herbivores is the key to maintaining the diverse structure and vegetation composition of the savannah ecosystem, which in turn answers my question posed above: how can all these different herbivores coexist in the same place in the Namibian savannah, especially in the dry season?
Etosha National Park in Namibia is one of the largest parks in Africa. It has been a game reserve since the early 1900s and has an astounding variety and abundance of mammals, including elephants, rhinos, lions, cheetahs, kudu, impala, springbok, eland, zebra, dik-dik, etc, within its 8600 square mile park boundaries. The arid-adapted elephants of Etosha are the largest land mammals in the world, and the largest of all the elephants in the world.
It’s an intimidating sight when four bull elephants come marching right at you (on their way to a waterhole).
Etosha has a distinct dry season from May to October when animals can only find water at specific waterholes (which coincidentally is the best time for tourists to see Namibian wildlife). The arid-adapted elephants of Etosha are larger-bodied than other elephants, lose less water because of their advantageous surface to volume ratio, can travel longer distances to find food and water with their long legs, and can withstand some dehydration so that they only have to find water about every three days. In addition, they can even utilize brackish water if necessary.
African elephants have larger ears than Asian elephants, and Etosha elephants wave their ears back and forth to radiate and dissipate heat carried to their ears by large blood vessels.Blood vessels in the back of the elephant’s ears are dilated and engorged with blood when the animal needs to unload heat.This looks like a really bad solution to seeking shade from midday heat. Not only are the elephants too big and too many, but the tree has no leaves to cast any shade. Oh well, good try, as a behavioral solution to staying cool.No, the best solution to cool off is to trot? to the nearest water hole and take a plunge.Ah….cool water definitely feels good in midday heat.If it’s not deep enough for whole body immersion, then elephants throw cool watery mud on their heads and backs.And the bathing experience is capped off with a dusting to coat their slick skin. Dust and mud are a kind of sunscreen for elephants.Elephant herds are primarily made up of females and their youngsters of varying ages. The maternal-child bond is so strong, the mother will support and protect her offspring throughout their life (or her life). Youngsters are taught where waterholes are, how to protect themselves with mud, what food to eat and where to find it, and defense against predators when they need it.Young elephants nurse for about two years, but start consuming vegetation at six months.Newborn and younger elephants will also consume their mother’s feces in order to get the right gut bacteria to digest vegetation and to obtain vitamins produced by bacteria in the mother’s large intestine (colon).Elephants browse vegetation or graze grasses 18 hours a day, traveling 40-90 miles as they move around in the savannah. Their prodigious appetite cannot be satisfied on just leaves alone, and so they also consume fruit, seeds, bark, roots, dead grass, etc. But unlike ruminant animals like cows, elephants only utilize about 25 % of the food energy they consume.
Elephants in Etosha are considered to be “ecosystem engineers” of their desert/savannah environment, in the same way that beavers engineer their wetland ecosystem by building dams. Because they require so much food daily, they often have to push over trees to get at the top vegetation which has not been browsed.
This seems like destructive behavior, but it keeps the savannah environment open and grassy, rather than letting acacia trees, for example, turn the savannah into a thorn forest. Felling trees for vegetation allows other animals to harvest leaves, fruits, seeds, bark, roots, etc., and provides additional food for other herbivores, and it increases seed dispersal of the trees.
Because their ecosystem engineering makes it possible for more animals to coexist in Etosha National Park, elephants indirectly benefit the economy of Namibia by increasing tourism, and attracting wildlife lovers like all of you that read this blog!
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