Brown-veinedwhite(Belenoisaurota)

WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAPAMUSHANA,ZIMBABWE

ForthemonthofFebruary,TwoThousandandSeventeen Temperature RainfallRecorded Sunrise&Sunset Averageminimum: 22,1˚C(71,7˚F) Forthemonth:108.6mm Sunrise: 05:55 Minimumrecorded: 19,8˚C(67,6˚F) Fortheyeartodate:459.0mm Sunset: 18:09 Averagemaximum: 31,6˚C(88,8˚F) Maximumrecorded:35,7˚C(96,2˚F) AsyouwalkalongthearchwayofLebomboironwoods(Androstachysjohnsonii)towardsthelodgeitsoundslikepopcornispopping…butit’stheseedcapsulesbursting,andtheseedsbeingshotfromthem,thatyou’rehearing.Ifyousmeltpopcornthatwouldbeanotherstory–theurineofamaleleopardmarkinghisterritorysmellsreminiscentofpopcorn,andonmanyoccasionssuddenlygettingthisfamiliarscentresultsinfindingaleopardnearby!WildlifeoverviewforFebruary:RhinosRhinosightingshavebeenscarcebyourprolificstandard,duetothebushbeingatitsthickestand

greenestinFebruary.Thatsaidnosafariwillgobywithoutseeingrhino,andwehavehadregularsightingsofbothblackandwhiterhinos.WilddogsWearedelightedthatthewholepackof27arestillontheproperty,preferringthewideopenplainswhichmakesidealviewing.ElephantsThebreedingherdsofelephantshavebeenhardtoview,forthesamereasonastherhinos,butyouwillseethemfromtimetotimecrossingtheroads,aswellaslonebullsfeedingheavilyonthevegetation.Justlookhowfatthebullinthesecondphotois,heevenhasbellyfatrolls!Lions

TheRiverPridehavebeenthestarsforthemonth,extendingtheirterritorywelleast,andgoingonazebrahuntingspree.Oneafternoonwenoticedazebra,closetothelodge,thatdidn’tlookwell–it’smanewasn’thelderectanditlookedbloatedandsickly.Thenextmorningitwasfoundkilledbytheprideandthecarcassalmostfinished.Thepridecomprisestwolions,twolionessesandfourcubs.Theyarestillquiteshyofthegameviewers,exceptwhenonakill-thentheyareonlyconcernedaboutfeedingthemselves.

Thismaleinhisprimeisoneofthedominantmalesofasoutherncoalitionofthree.LeopardsTheleopardsightingshavebeengoodasaresultofthethickvegetationbecausetheytendtoprefertousetheroadnetworkinbetweenhunts,thusavoidingtheparasitesandanyunwelcomesurpriseshidinginthegrass.HyenasAninterestinghyenasightingwasofonewalkingonthreelegs.Ithadprobablyinjuredorbrokenthelegduring

afight.Injuredhyenasareincrediblyadaptable–there’soneweknowofinBotswanathatwalksonhertwofrontlegsduetohindleginjuries,andshehasmanagedtosurviveforyearslikethis.CheetahWehaven’tseenthemorefar-rangingfemalesandcubsforawhile,butwe’vehadsightingsofthetwoterritorialmales,andoneotheradultmale.Buffalo

Buffaloareingreatsupply.Onedrivealonefoundthreeconsecutiveherdsofover200each.Therearealsoquiteafewchocolate-brownnewborncalvesabout,stillfumblingandstrugglingtocopewiththemovementoftherestoftheherd.Cowsfirstcalveatfiveyearsofage,afteragestationperiodof11.5months.Whenanewcalfisborn,thebondingendswiththepreviouscalfandthemotherkeepsitatbaywithhornjabs.Nevertheless,theyearlingfollowsitsmotherforanotheryearorso.Malesleavetheirmotherswhentheyaretwoyearsoldandjointhebachelorgroups.ThisoldbachelorthatweoftenseeatthefootofPamushanaHill,haspackedontheweightthisgreenseason.

PlainsgameZebras,giraffesandwildebeestcanbeseeninhugenumbers,butmoredifficultatthistimeisplainsgamesuchaseland,sableandLichtensteinhartebeest.Thiselandwasveryobliging,andI’malwaysamazedathowhugetheyarewhenyouseethematclosequarters–anadultmalestandingatabout1.6metresattheshoulder,andweighingabout550kgs,althoughtheycanweighuptoalmostoneton!BirdingBirdingenthusiastsspenttwoweekswithus,reachingafinalbirdcountof198.Oneofthespecialsfortheareawasawhite-browedsparrowweaver(Plocepassermahali)thatmanyofushadnotseenintheareabefore.BoatcruisesandfishingThelightingonthewaterissobeautifulforphotographyatthemoment,andtheboatcruiseshavebeenidyllic.Nowthatthewaterhassettledabitthetigershavebeenbiting.

LittlejewelsFebruarycannotflybywithoutspecialmentionofthebutterfliesthatflutterabout,bringingtouchesofdelicatebeautyandcolourwherevertheygo.ForthisstoryIwantedtoresearchsomeinterestinglesserknownfactsabouttheselovelylittlecreatures,soIwasrathertakenabackwhenturningtopage20ofSteveWoodhall’sFieldGuidetoButterfliesandreadingtheopeninglineof,“Butterfliesareessentiallysexmachines.”Itgoesontosaythatamajorpartofabutterfly’sshortlifeasanadultisdevotedtosearchingforamateandsexualdisplays.Malebutterfliescanbeterritorialinordertoattracttheattentionofafemalewithwhichhecanmate.Butterflieshavecolourvisionandthepatternsofcolourontheirwingsplayalargepartinrecognisingpotentialmates.Somemaleshave‘hairpencils’extrudingfromtheirabdomensthatexudepheromonesthatstupefythefemaleandinducehertomate.(Ican’thelpthinkingthatthisseemstobelikesomesortofdaterapedrugtheygivethefemale!)Thispheromoneismadefromchemicalsthatthemalegetsfromimbibingplantswithpoisonousalkaloids.Inthephotoofthebushveldpurpletipbelowyoucanseeitdoingexactlythis–itisimbibingalkaloidsfromastring-of-stars(Heliotropium)flower.Thetoxinsalsohelpagainstdefenceofpredators,andincopulationthemaletransfersthesepoisonstothefemaleviahissperm,protectingherfrompredatorstoo.

Commonorangetip(Colotisevenina) Africancommonwhite(Belenoiscreona)

Bushveldpurpletip(Colotisione)

Natalacrea(Acraeanatalica)

Brown-veinedwhite(Belenoisaurota)andCommonorangetip(Colotisevenina)

Spottedjoker(Bybliailithyia)

Stripedpoliceman(Coeliadesforestan)

Brown-veinedwhite(Belenoisaurota)

Anartisticimpressionofbrown-veinedwhites(Belenoisaurota)mudpuddling–abehaviorofimbibingsaltsandaminoacidswhichalsoaidinamale’sreproductivesuccess,bytransferringthepreciousnutrientstothefemaleduringmating.Thisextranutritionhelpsensurethattheeggssurvive.

Ofcoursethetimeforbutterfliesisthetimeforflowers,andit’sespeciallybeautifultoseethemattheirbestafteralightdrizzle.Thisisapurplecleomeorpurplemousewhiskers(Cleomehirta),andsomeinterestingresearchwasdoneontheseplantsasbeingpowerfultickrepellents.Attractingmorethanbirds,beesandbutterflieswasaVachelliatortilis(widelyknownasAcaciatortilis)tree.Itseeminglycameintobloomovernightandwascoveredinclustersofcreamy,whiteballs.Intimethesewillbecomegoldbrown,curledandtwistedpods.Itwasbeingusedasaperchformanyvultureswhopatientlyawaitedtheirturnatanearbybuffalokill.

Thisexquisiteleopard,easilyidentifiablebytheholeinhisnose,waswalkingjustofftheroadsideonemorning.Hehadaquickdrinkfromaroadsidepan,thensettleddowncurledupinthegrassabouttwometresfromtheroadandwascompletelyinvisible.Butthenanimpalaramcaughthiseye,andhesatupforamoment…

YoungstersTherearesomanyyoungstersaboutatthemoment–especiallyimpalas,buffalo,zebrasandgiraffes.Ifyoulookcloselyyou’llseethatthegiraffecalfstillhaspartofitsumbilicalcordattached.Giraffegestationlastsoverayearandthemothergivesbirthstandingup.Thecalfemergesheadandfrontlegsfirst,havingbrokenthroughthefoetalmembranes,andfallstotheground,severingtheumbilicalcord.Theossicones(horn-likeprotrusions),whichhavelainflatwhileitwasinthewomb,becomeerectwithinafewdays.Youcanseethisonesarestillabitwonkyandhavenotquitestraightenedoutyet.WildatheartThereisnothingbetterthanfinding27wilddogssprawledoutonflatopenterrainastheirsiestadrawstoanend.Wewatchedtheearlyrisersyawn,stretchtheirlegs,walkovertotheirpackmatesandstartmotivating

themtogetamoveon.Beforetheeveninghuntcommencedtheyneededtohaveadrink,sotrottedtoanearbystream,hadwhattheyneededandthenagameoftagandgeneralrompingaroundinthewatertookplace,beforethedisappearedintothethicketsfortheseriousbusinessofhunting.

AllatwitterIhopethisMeve’sstarlingwasdoingnestrenovations,ratherthanbuildinganestasitislateintheseasontobestartinganewfamily.ThesetwoVerreaux’seagle-owlssetupanearlyeveningwatchforanyhaplessrodentsthatmayhaveventuredout.Thisguineafowlchaperonedherenormousclutchof22chicksacrosstheroad.Atonestageitlookedlikethelittlelaughingdoveontherightwaswantingthisexcellentmothertotakeitunderherwingtoo.

SeeingisbelievingThisisanamazingstory!TwoyearsagoIwasecstatictocapturetheimageabove–malefoamnestfrogs(Chiromantisxerampelina)matingwithafemaleinthebranchesofatreethatoverhungapond.Shesecretesamucousfromheroviductsandwhipsitupintoafrothbybeatingherbacklegs.Malesgrappleforthematingpositionasthefemaledepositshereggsintothefoam,andtheyarefertilisedexternallybythemale.Theresultantfoamnestcontainsthefertilizedeggs.Thefoamdriesaroundtheeggstoprovideconstantincubationconditions-itprotectsthemfromdryingoutandisdistasteful,thusdiscouragingpredatorsfromseekingoutthetastyeggs.

Theeggsdevelopinthisfoamymassandthetadpoleshatch.Theyfeedofftherichyolksacandgrowtoonecentimetreinaboutfivedays,bywhichtimethenesthasbegundegeneratingandthetadpolesdropoutintothepoolofwaterbelow.ThistimeIcaughttheactualmomentwhenthetadpolesdropout.Icouldhardlybelievemyluck–buttheretheywere,tinylittletadpolesstillwiththeiryolksacs,wrigglingaboutatthebottomofthenest.Ileanedoutoverthepondandmanagedtocatchtheexactmomentabatchofthemwriggledenoughtocausegravitytoreleasethemintotheirwateryhomebelow.Astheyhitthewatertheydispersedinstantly.Theirnewwateryhomeisfraughtwithdanger,butatleasttheyhavehadtheadvantageoverothertadpolesbygrowinginatypeofincubatorforfivedays,andarethatmuchbiggerandstrongerasaresult.

WrittenandphotographedbyJennyHishinSingitaPamushana

MalilangweWildlifeReserveZimbabwe

Twenty-eightofFebruary2017