[WPRESTO]

Another image of a matamata turtle. Crocodilians, turtles and most birds have similar survivorship curves: high predation when very young, then as adults a near random death rate (the slope of % survivors goes down at a uniform slope). Mammal survivorship curves are more diversified, but almost never have a random death rate as adults.

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Last edited by WPRESTO; 01-29-2016 at 12:16 PM.

[noelcmn]

What an interesting looking creature.
Something that also peaked my interest were these baboons licking the freshly fallen rain on the road. The first rains of the season, and they utilised the opportunity, and would not need to make the trek to the waterholes with its attendant risks of predation. They stayed a long time on this road, licking regularly. It'll probably make an appearance on the Alphabet Thread for Quench. Incidently, the big fella has an injury to his left hind leg.

[WPRESTO]

Baboons? I LOVE baboons!
Wonder if the water somehow tastes better than - well - - "swamp water."

[noelcmn]

A yellow billed kite

[WPRESTO]

An AMERICAN BALD EAGLE. Quick, cue the "Stars & Stripes Forever,"

[noelcmn]

I'll match you eye to eye

[WPRESTO]

Don't try "first blink loses" with this one (Wagler's viper)

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Last edited by WPRESTO; 01-29-2016 at 12:17 PM.

[noelcmn]

We know it as a Whitel lipped tree viper. And still going eye to eye

[WPRESTO]

I'm not playing this game.

[noelcmn]

Oh yes you are!

[WPRESTO]

If you insist

[noelcmn]

Life is so much more fun when we co-operate . A little pearl spotted owl I spotted on one of my many trips to Kruger. i remember this one well, as a few people stopped, asking what I was looking at and photographing, and one lady asked me- however did you see that? Well even I did not know. I think it may have just flown onto this branch as I passed.

[WPRESTO]

I sit and envy you with so much wildlife all about. Seeing an owl locally, much less close enough to photograph, or even a white-tailed deer, the most common large wild mammal, is a once in several months event. Spotting one of the more rare large mammals that are here - fox, coyote, black bear, much less bobcat, mink, fisher - is a once in several years blind-luck event. In fact, for bobcat, I've only ever seen one when M and I were driving to the western part of the state for a dance performance (Jacob's Pillow) - a young bobcat crossed the road just ahead of us.
BTW: My last post until late in the day - after your bedtime.

[noelcmn]

Envy is not good . I'm just blessed to be living in a country that is blessed with so much wild life, and due honor must surely be given to Oom Paul Kruger, the president of the then Transvaal Republic, who realised the danger of over hunting and set aside some land for a reserve. Which of course grew to present day Kruher National Park, and influenced so many other countries and of course SA, so that today there is not one single province,(we have 9) that does not have a game or nature reserve within easy reach of all major cities and usually well stocked with game. Pilansberg (2nd only to Kruger in South Africa but which has unique fauna and flora, being on the edge of the arid west and which boast all of the big 5 as well as Wild dog, and the only place I have seen the Brown Hyena) is a mere 2 hours away, and easy enough to plan for a day's visit, which I have done on several occasions. Kruger is 4 hours away. Enjoy your day!
Here's a bird that I will always stop to photograph- teh Brown headed Kingfisher, which I mentioned before, doeslittle fishing, but is more partial to insects.

[Scorpio71GR]

American Eagle-Capitve