In many areas of the biggest Cambodian lake, its tributary river, and the Mekong flood plains, permanent bamboo fence fish traps, or, more appropriately, catching structures, are erected and operated. The leader fence, which guides fish into the trap’s inner…

Grass trees (Xanthorrhoea sp.) and grass tree stalks are endemic to Australia. They are locally called ‘Black Boys’ due to their appearance after bushfires. They need a certain number of regular fires for their survival and are well protected against…

The common name ‘Spinifex grass’ is not entirely correct as a botanical term for discussed grasses, as commonly named ‘Spinifex’ grasses belong to the genus ‘Triodia’, whereas the genus ‘Spinifex’ itself contains mainly coastal grasses. Whatever it is, the common…

Description of Goannas The Australian sand monitor (Varanus gouldii) is also called Gould’s monitor or colloquially ‘Goanna’. There are two subspecies: Varanus gouldii gouldii and Varanus gouldii flavirufus (smaller subspecies). V. gouldii gouldii is distributed nearly all over Australia except…

In the former article, I described seeing a majestic sand monitor lizard close by on my drive from Menzies to Sandstone on a side road. Driving further on, I was surprised to see many more Goannas left and right on…

Although they are commonly referred to as “Ant beds,” particularly in Australia, the structures are actually “Termite mound.” Despite their physical similarities to ants, termites are related to cockroaches rather than ants. However, like ants, they are small and numerous….

Danger of buffaloes is overrated. The ‘Cape buffalo’ (Syncerus caffer caffer) as a subspecies of the ‘African buffalo’ (Syncerus caffer) is the typical Southern African savannah biome buffalo species. The denomination of ‘African Black Death’ was coined by trophy hunters,…

The general behavior of lions African Lions (Panthera leo) are sometimes overrated in their danger for people hiking in Big-5 game areas. Lion behavior is such that they usually sleep and rest for 20 hours a day to replenish their…

Musth is a condition of elevated testosterone levels in the blood of elephants. African elephant (Loxodonta africana) bulls come into their first musth when they are between 15 – 17 years old. The length of the musth depends on the…

Purslane (Portulacaria Afra), or ‘spekboom’ in the Afrikaans language, is a succulent plant, endemic to South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. It has light-green soft leaves and red-colored stems. The leaves can be eaten raw, as pickles, chutney, or jam, or…

Aposematic coloration The ‘Elegant Grasshopper’ (Zonocerus elegans) occurs commonly throughout Southern Africa and is mentioned due to its aposematic coloration, typical for animals that want to announce that they are poisonous. And he is a poisonous grasshopper. In the case…

Elephants are a kind of dung-producing machines In the wild, African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are foraging about 150 – 180 kg of plant material per day. And they also drink about 350 liters of water. Consequently, they excrete about 10 –…

Many national parks, private game reserves, and game farms in Southern Africa are under heavy pressure from snares for poaching—not only rhino horn poaching but also indiscriminate poaching for meat. Internationally acting gangs from certain countries mainly organize rhino horn…

Where to dig One of the most essential techniques for finding drinkable water in Southern African natural environments is digging for water in areas that are holding water underground. These water-holding structures can be situated next to an open water…

The type of wood for fire hand drills changed over time Fire starting with friction hand drills was traditionally common among Khoi-san (Ju//hoansi) people in their distribution area, which was once over Southern Africa and became increasingly confined by invading…

The energy received by the earth from the sun is called the Solar Constant, which describes the effect that every 1 m2 of planet Earth facing the sun’s rays at a 90-degree angle (directly overhead) will receive 1375 Watts (Joules/sec)….