Thornicroft’s Giraffes – a species only found in South Luangwa, Zambia
There are currently nine different species / subspecies of Giraffes recognized to exist in Africa.
This is the Thornicroft’s Giraffe (formerly called the Rhodesian Giraffe), which can only be seen in the South Luangwa Valley in Zambia. This isolated species, G. c. thornicrofti, is believed to have fewer than 1500 individuals in existence.
As with other species of Giraffe, you can differentiate the Thornicroft’s Giraffe by it’s colouration and shape / location of it’s spots. This species has an almost cream coloured skin with ragged dark spots that extend all the way down from it’s neck to it’s legs. Compared to the Masai Giraffe, it’s spots are relatively light and spread apart.
Did you know that all Giraffes, both females and males, have what look like horns atop their heads? It is actually just built up cartilage, not a horn, and the males can use them as weapons while fighting for females during mating season.
A Large Bengal Monitor Lizard photographed in Uda Walawe National Park, Sri Lanka
This large land monitor is among the largest lizards in the world. Widely foudn throughout South Asia, the Bengal Monitor, or Varanus bengalensis, hunts small animals such as fish, birds, beetles and other creatures.
They are surprisingly quick and agile, being able to climb trees and swim with ease. In Sri Lanka, where this land monitor was photographed, they are sometimes killed for their meat, thus listing them as a ‘Commercially Threatened’ species in that country.
The Bengal Monitor can grow to lengths of almost 2m and weigh more than 7kg. They have sharp claws and are considered to be carnivores. This is one of two monitor species found in Sri Lanka, the other being a water monitor, Varanus salvator.
An Australasian Gannet close-up picture taken at Cape Kidnappers in New Zealand
A close-up of the colourful and picturesque Australasian Gannet, photographed at the Cape Kidnappers colony in New Zealand.
These are large seabirds similar to the booby birds. Mostly white, the Gannets have a bit of yellow head colouring as well as the blue eye and beak colourations seen in this photo.
While breeding pairs are usually inaccessible, the Cape Kidnappers colony near Hawkes Bay in NZ numbers around 3000 breeding pairs and can be reached by road or by beach. It has been declared an Important Birding Area by Birdlife International.
The most commonly seen and well-known subspecies of the African Buffalo is the Cape Buffalo.
They’re common in Eastern and Southern Africa and have garnered a reputation as being fierce, unpredictable and aggressive. They live up to this reputation as Buffalo attacks are responsible for killing as many as 200 people a year in Africa.
The Buffalo is also one of the famous ‘Big Five’ animals in Africa.
A Lesser Anteater, also called a Southern Tamandua, Brazil
Southern what?
Well, some people call it an Antbear. Still confused?
How about an Anteater! Ah ha, this here is most commonly known as the Lesser Anteater, being much smaller than it’s giant relative.
The Southern Tamandua ranges from the northern tip of South America all the way down through most of Brazil and into the northern parts of Argentina.
At home in dry or wet areas, this particular Collared Anteater (just another name…more confusion!) was spotted in the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil.
While it isn’t a remarkably great photo, it was the only anteater I saw in Brazil as they can be elusive. This photo shows the long, pointy head of the anteater, which gives it it’s name. The anteater uses a long tongue to slurp up ants and termites after it breaks open a nest or mound with it’s big front claws.
