Grasslands:Grasslands occupy 25% of the earth’s surface. They are the home of the largest terrestrial mammal Elephant, the fastest runner Cheetah, the largest bird Ostrich and the heaviest snake Anaconda. The vegetation type in grassland is mainly dominated by grass and small plants. Dry climate prevails in grasslands throughout the year. The annual rainfall is less and comparableContinue reading “Grasslands and Forests”
Tag Archives: isimangaliso
The File Snake
This docile, inoffensive snake is active at night when it hunts for prey, especially other snakes. It is completely harmless yet eats venomous snakes like the Black Mamba and Puff Adder. If a venomous snake is bitten by another venomous snake of the same species, (for example during a fight or mating), then it willContinue reading “The File Snake”
Propolis
Did you know that honey isn’t the only thing that bees make? Bees also produce a compound called propolis from the sap on needle-leaved trees or evergreens. When they combine the sap with their own discharges and beeswax, they create a sticky, greenish-brown product used as a coating to build their hives. This is propolis.Continue reading “Propolis”
Low Frequency Call System from Elephants
With their trumpet-like calls, elephants may seem like some of the loudest animals on Earth. But we can’t hear most of the sounds they make. The elephants produce low-frequency noises are as low as the lowest notes of a pipe organ. These infrasounds between 1 to 20 Hertz help them keep in touch over distancesContinue reading “Low Frequency Call System from Elephants”
Photo Toxins in Nature
Natural toxins can cause a variety of health effects and pose a serious health threat to both humans and livestock. Some of these toxins are extremely potent. Health effects can be acute poisoning ranging from allergic reactions to severe stomach-ache and diarrhoea, and even death. Long-term health consequences include effects on the immune, reproductive, orContinue reading “Photo Toxins in Nature”
The New Calcium Crystal That Makes Sea Urchin Spines So Strong
Many beach trips have been spoiled by stepping on the sharp and strong spines of sea urchins. The urchin uses those spines for moving around and protection against predators. Each spine is a single crystal of calcite. This is normally a soft and brittle mineral, but it is highly strengthened in several ways. It isContinue reading “The New Calcium Crystal That Makes Sea Urchin Spines So Strong”
The Mechanical Benefits of Mangroves Protecting A Shoreline
Mangroves protect shorelines from damaging storm and hurricane winds, waves, and floods. Mangroves also help prevent erosion by stabilizing sediments with their tangled root systems. They maintain water quality and clarity, filtering pollutants and trapping sediments originating from land. This lab experiment shows clearly how mangroves work: Wind and swell waves are rapidly reduced asContinue reading “The Mechanical Benefits of Mangroves Protecting A Shoreline”
Spirals and Swirls
A spiral is a shape that curves and gradually widens around a central point. There are many examples of spirals in nature. In fact, nature does not use straight lines very often, with the exception perhaps of crystal structures in minerals. A snuggling shape – including when animals such as a bull snake, a harvestContinue reading “Spirals and Swirls”
The Purpose of Different Shaped Horns
Thorns, spines, and prickles represent growths from the stem, leaf, fruit, or root that are sharp and woody at maturity. Thorns and spines are modification of existing organs such as stems, leaves or stipules. Prickles or emergences are outgrowths derived from epidermal and sub epidermal layers in locations other than nodes (where stems, leaves orContinue reading “The Purpose of Different Shaped Horns”
Magellanic Clouds
The Magellanic Clouds are irregular galaxies that share a gaseous envelope and lie about 22° apart in the sky near the south celestial pole. The Magellanic Clouds are visible to the naked eye in the Southern Hemisphere, but they cannot be seen from most northern latitudes. The Magellanic Clouds were formed at the same timeContinue reading “Magellanic Clouds”
Tourism Tails 