🐾 Maybe the reason I love animals so much, is because the only time they have broken my heart is when theirs has stopped beating.
Showing posts with label springbok. Show all posts
Showing posts with label springbok. Show all posts

Saturday 17 December 2016

What does my South Africa look like?

 
My South Africa smells of rain, of dust, of sea spray as the waves pound the powdery beaches. My South Africa smells like fear as the antelope runs for his life. My South Africa is bright blue skies, warm sunshine and spring rains turning everything green. My South Africa is open spaces, an epic wilderness; a leopard tortoise ambling alongside the road, a go-away bird chirping its distinctive chant in the trees.







Image from Wildlife Den


My South Africa is all these things and more, so much more.




Wednesday 3 October 2012

Mating season sunset

"Mating Season" watercolour on Bockingford 150gsm watercolour paper - Maree© 

Here in South Africa, we are blessed with these lovely little buck called Springbok (Springbuck) and they differ from Impala in that their horns are shorter and they have a slightly different colouration. Spring and summer spawns many fights over females and I caught these two on camera during one of our visits to the Kruger National Park, sparring over the prettiest lady in the herd. 

The Springbok, Antidorcas marsupialis, is the Southern African representative of the gazelle group of animals. It is only found in Southern Africa on the central plains, where it flourishes on the grassveld, despite the aridity. Male and female springboks have horns, are handsomely marked and are particularly distinguished by a dorsal fan. 

Springbok are known to leap up to 4 m (13 ft) in the air in an activity known as pronking. While in the air their body is curved, and their legs are stiff, close together and point downwards. Upon landing they immediately leap upwards again and during this period the crest on their back is raised. It is unknown why they pronk but it is possible they do it to indicate to predators that they have been spotted. A bit of a stupid activity, as it actually slows them down and can make it easier for a predator to catch them. 

 ...................... Springboks 'pronking' ..................
 

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