tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35884642289396090712024-03-14T02:36:08.050-07:00Memórias de viagem - Charbel El-Hani e Carol SáEste é um blog que criamos para registrar memórias de nossas viagens, como um meio de mantê-las vivas e compartilhá-las com nossos amigosCharbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-58506480700152579112012-11-15T05:56:00.000-08:002012-12-27T12:15:32.991-08:00Arriving at Skukuza<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finalmente chegamos em Skukuza, um campo bastante diferente de Pretoriuskop, mas muito bonito, com uma bela vista do rio, até mesmo do restaurante. Foi um prazer inesperado comer ao som dos hipopótamos no rio. Hipopótamos parecem estar sempre reclamando uns com os outros...</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">E o que dizer dos morcegos frugívoros de dragona de Wahlberg (a tradução literal de </span></span>Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bats) sob o telhado da loja? Fantásticos!<br />
<br />
Esta é uma foto da entrada de Skukuza, o que já mostra o capricho!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuPVsU7m-N4UKHS1I0kkXl1QUuE5xaB4hVUtLciDWUhtivCMZ4YQtxjzb-NzL0QlyC0tsYz_UrBOWNzOyjswFO_9P8O3w0MGy2THn8gNJ5hfPFWCGwoJDTXEtW5X-GT5yV1QFXbHCk0Gx/s1600/Skukuza+-+port%C3%A3o+4_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuPVsU7m-N4UKHS1I0kkXl1QUuE5xaB4hVUtLciDWUhtivCMZ4YQtxjzb-NzL0QlyC0tsYz_UrBOWNzOyjswFO_9P8O3w0MGy2THn8gNJ5hfPFWCGwoJDTXEtW5X-GT5yV1QFXbHCk0Gx/s1600/Skukuza+-+port%C3%A3o+4_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Aqui está uma lista do que vimos em Skukuza: Hipopótamos (<i>Hippopotamus amphibius</i>), 1 Estorninho-grande-de-orelha-azul (<i>Lamprotornis chalybaeus</i>), 1 Rola-do-Senegal (<i>Streptopelia senegalensis</i>), Morcegos Frugívoros de Dragona de Wahlberg (<i>Epomophorus wahlbergi</i>), Macacos-verdes-africanos (<i>Chlorocebus pygerythrus</i>, anteriormente <i>Cercopithecus aethiops</i>), 1 Agama-arborícola-do-sul-de-cabeça-azul (<i>Acanthocercus atricollis</i>), 1 Skink-listrado (<i>Trachylepis striata</i>), 1 Gecko-anão-do-Cabo (<i>Lygodactylus capensis</i>).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Vale a pena começar mostrando fotos do bangalô em que ficamos em Skukuza, exterior e interior. Realmente confortáveis, com preço muito justo!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KBfxJx_3O4L_rYfwXFe40MCp7rq9k-XBc_9XWzGaH9FZ_3-nZ2RhJcXqGGBN5Cx-8MzgJw_ismKg3psNo5U4kq8oXlE24atHjJWmPmum0hsDRYTqjllqVpmpmfZODD7p8oo8frWp6TaB/s1600/Bungalow+-+Skukuza+3_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KBfxJx_3O4L_rYfwXFe40MCp7rq9k-XBc_9XWzGaH9FZ_3-nZ2RhJcXqGGBN5Cx-8MzgJw_ismKg3psNo5U4kq8oXlE24atHjJWmPmum0hsDRYTqjllqVpmpmfZODD7p8oo8frWp6TaB/s1600/Bungalow+-+Skukuza+3_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPY8xrabSwnZrn8edXsjnWjUesFMs4IUB0TkUC61l_kTm0esRy8Cl2-BXm4gG3qINSoaatIsj3vsdkqluRnrQX7uFCoh_37gtVfxpEZGyyvWJgFgoHBUV8zwxI0A3jnO9yMSXMLx9JVUJ/s1600/Bungalow+-+Skukuza+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPY8xrabSwnZrn8edXsjnWjUesFMs4IUB0TkUC61l_kTm0esRy8Cl2-BXm4gG3qINSoaatIsj3vsdkqluRnrQX7uFCoh_37gtVfxpEZGyyvWJgFgoHBUV8zwxI0A3jnO9yMSXMLx9JVUJ/s1600/Bungalow+-+Skukuza+1_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Em seguida, uma visão geral do campo.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7mY3k7SVrlAMtIhHwGG3IhhnHwA-Tqx_2jK-lsYg437d7Pb16cOnWkqR-D0eHeesRPYLg3QQwk6k6x-oKc_-DtObIo-SEi9V4KT-9KO9EtB8DVxIUvIllKkgD5k-0rSCqDBjPFDIq6ao/s1600/Skukuza+7_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7mY3k7SVrlAMtIhHwGG3IhhnHwA-Tqx_2jK-lsYg437d7Pb16cOnWkqR-D0eHeesRPYLg3QQwk6k6x-oKc_-DtObIo-SEi9V4KT-9KO9EtB8DVxIUvIllKkgD5k-0rSCqDBjPFDIq6ao/s1600/Skukuza+7_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
O rio Sabie em frente ao restaurante é outra coisa bonita de se ver!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-yRsOGsMUcLyMBPn0pxue6dfw-FE0lNEmffQWkGerFgRbZSzYdopm15_jh2iLN7KlbQphkbXSHFbL4WJCb65614325EeWtuMBzlt5GYBbJxLr3hLTDkbyNt4tdag6_-jCEfiz7r5xBUm/s1600/Rio+Sabie,+em+frente+ao+campo+de+Skukuza+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-yRsOGsMUcLyMBPn0pxue6dfw-FE0lNEmffQWkGerFgRbZSzYdopm15_jh2iLN7KlbQphkbXSHFbL4WJCb65614325EeWtuMBzlt5GYBbJxLr3hLTDkbyNt4tdag6_-jCEfiz7r5xBUm/s1600/Rio+Sabie,+em+frente+ao+campo+de+Skukuza+1_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Aqui está uma foto de um dos hipopótamos reclamões.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObC4d4q2YAIpGnAfvRHcHvMCoHcXE2LdQmFWgK9W-cAujEozGl1KIUO_TnqNSfOfm7lGmOtLTDCmYcAX65fwEbj2EnvFp0zcMVUr-HYPCLyLj2PPpI5iCv6macoz8G8AApeA_55i003MK/s1600/Hipop%C3%B3tamo+19_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObC4d4q2YAIpGnAfvRHcHvMCoHcXE2LdQmFWgK9W-cAujEozGl1KIUO_TnqNSfOfm7lGmOtLTDCmYcAX65fwEbj2EnvFp0zcMVUr-HYPCLyLj2PPpI5iCv6macoz8G8AApeA_55i003MK/s1600/Hipop%C3%B3tamo+19_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US">O animal mais perigoso na África! Mata mais pessoas do que todos os usuais suspeitos. Uma história que lemos foi a de um cara que saiu do carro próximo a Hippo pool, perto de Crocodile Bridge. Ali as pessoas podem sair do carro se um guarda estiver presente. Mas esse cara saiu do carro sem qualquer guarda à vista. Quando um guarda apareceu e lhe perguntou o que ele estava fazendo, avisando do perigo representado pelos hipopótamos, ele apenas disse que eles pareciam animais tão simpáticos. Há realmente algumas pessoas que não sabem onde estão quando visitam o Kruger.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Sempre penso que é notável quando eles abrem suas grandes bocas dessa maneira. Realmente mostra quão poderosos eles são. Quando fecham suas bocas, são mais de uma tonelada de peso. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB93E7j5SzKF82mD6K4hF1vDJg9lt8Eca80QXBxkAD01hOUwgHKBscV_Y5sXiMJuNBwTDZAeSorCKa4x812zDBa6G6E1bG0wXDM6Cq1EAOLlVCJso2uCO-xem2E7KsxwDpIimvAKDuVUc8/s1600/Hipop%C3%B3tamo+12_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB93E7j5SzKF82mD6K4hF1vDJg9lt8Eca80QXBxkAD01hOUwgHKBscV_Y5sXiMJuNBwTDZAeSorCKa4x812zDBa6G6E1bG0wXDM6Cq1EAOLlVCJso2uCO-xem2E7KsxwDpIimvAKDuVUc8/s1600/Hipop%C3%B3tamo+12_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Finalmente, a colaboração do hipopótamo para o calendário de bundinhas. Vejam a ferida recentemente curada em seu flanco. Provavelmente, resultado de um outro hipopótamo. Embora vegetarianos, hipopótamos podem apelar para o canibalismo, como foi recentemente descoberto. Mas não é o caso aqui. Mais provável que tenha sido uma briga.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDNrGVMzBiPuOgXoIHbg0r2-WiemUWonobsC6Y8oW_Ax_2bLdlbtsNMnttAyUDmLZ-hPVl0ZehgmrCyen4FRauOmrxA1i3UtcoFtKoTqkaBXT3KJ6qeJodyhvYn_P0IwAz9prZmJH5WCu/s1600/Hipop%C3%B3tamo+16_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDNrGVMzBiPuOgXoIHbg0r2-WiemUWonobsC6Y8oW_Ax_2bLdlbtsNMnttAyUDmLZ-hPVl0ZehgmrCyen4FRauOmrxA1i3UtcoFtKoTqkaBXT3KJ6qeJodyhvYn_P0IwAz9prZmJH5WCu/s1600/Hipop%C3%B3tamo+16_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Infelizmente, esses fantásticos animais são vulneráveis de acordo com a Lista Vermelha da IUCN, com populações decrescendo.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Também foi muito bom ver mais uma espécie de estorninho no restaurante de Skukuza, um </span></span>Estorninho-grande-de-orelha-azul<span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhzfBiLul8EzpfgTjPzy-B5TFxubK92If5Ii5IfyUKGZA0Ti4VYo_RmCK3TBhipyR6tzsreHzUsyFn_wI49DVv7Raer_1WyYSkueUjn801sHBjHfxadNoH-Fnoe2Vhx5bgHtHZ6emqTzG/s1600/Greater+Blue-eared+Starling+4_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhzfBiLul8EzpfgTjPzy-B5TFxubK92If5Ii5IfyUKGZA0Ti4VYo_RmCK3TBhipyR6tzsreHzUsyFn_wI49DVv7Raer_1WyYSkueUjn801sHBjHfxadNoH-Fnoe2Vhx5bgHtHZ6emqTzG/s1600/Greater+Blue-eared+Starling+4_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As populações desta ave são estáveis e, por essa razão, sua classificação na Lista Vermelha da IUCN é de menor preocupação quanto à extinção (</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Least Concern).</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Este estorninho come uma variedade de insetos, frutos e pequenos invertebrados, forrageando em árvores e no solo, mas certamente aproveita comida de graça fornecida pelos humanos. É por isso que nós o encontramos nos campos, tentando roubar o pão que deixamos inadvertidamente sobre a mesa!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Tiramos apenas uma foto dessa bela Rola-do-Senegal, no chão de madeira do restaurante de<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Skukuza, enquanto nos divertíamos olhando os hipopótamos. Esta é de fato uma bela ave.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJekIQtpkH2dLyt2H_PrVkai66dB4jZFD5JPtBExP9_u3VjuPoYaLJmCKNlEIJWXhoJuU-hHHzVWevaloOAdVevaAJKpcqXM2RXFCz4skjm1sU0ufVRj2rJuN2ESrXEZpxDHa49sqGnBNr/s1600/Laughing+Dove+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJekIQtpkH2dLyt2H_PrVkai66dB4jZFD5JPtBExP9_u3VjuPoYaLJmCKNlEIJWXhoJuU-hHHzVWevaloOAdVevaAJKpcqXM2RXFCz4skjm1sU0ufVRj2rJuN2ESrXEZpxDHa49sqGnBNr/s1600/Laughing+Dove+1_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Esta pequena rola tem ampla distribuição, sendo residente e procriando na África tropical sub-Saariana, no Oriente Médio e até mesmo alcançando o subcontinente Indiano. Ela também chegou a uma parte específica da Austrália Ocidental, ao redor de Perth e Freemantle, como aves introduzidas, provavelmente viajando em navios ou algo similar. Elas são abundantes no sul da África, onde são encontradas em todos os lugares exceto na costa de Moçambique.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">É difícil diferenciar machos e fêmeas em termos morfológicos. Eles são muito similares.É possível distinguir juvenis de adultos, contudo, porque os primeiros são mais castanho-avermelhados e têm manchas mais reduzidas na garganta.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Por que em língua inglesa são chamadas de <span style="font-family: inherit;">Laughing Doves? Escutem aqui:</span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:S-senegalensis.ogg"><span lang="EN-US">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:S-senegalensis.ogg</span></a><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Talvez estejam gozando de nossa cara! Brincadeira, claro...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Estava ave não está ameaçada. Suas populações são estáveis e podem estar até mesmo aumentando, devido ao fato de que se beneficiou bastante da perturbação do habitat pelos seres humanos e das mudanças no uso da terra. É um animal extremamente comum, encontrando em todos os tipos de florestas, bem como em parques e jardins. É um dos animais afortunados que se beneficiaram de nossos ambientes antropizados.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nós havíamos lido sobre os </span></span>Morcegos Frugívoros de Dragona de Wahlberg (W<span style="font-family: inherit;">ahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bats) que ficam na loja em Skukuza. Então, quando chegamos na loja, estávamos ansiosos para vê-los. Valeu a pena! Eles são incríveis dormindo sob o telhado do lado de fora da loja, como essas imagens mostram.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMpcvLh_OgnMiuLaCCWX3gbOMAKAW_I4enPvI05m1lkdVSN59b3tvAmzmf0a8hb8fDmKKiASdhwB9DfWMYUbcH5a0XWso7oT7C93agAvWjN7rZ9hU3Y5ZkMeIcnueDHjukR5TaRxRFPkJ/s1600/Wahlberg's+Epauletted+Fruit+Bats+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMpcvLh_OgnMiuLaCCWX3gbOMAKAW_I4enPvI05m1lkdVSN59b3tvAmzmf0a8hb8fDmKKiASdhwB9DfWMYUbcH5a0XWso7oT7C93agAvWjN7rZ9hU3Y5ZkMeIcnueDHjukR5TaRxRFPkJ/s1600/Wahlberg's+Epauletted+Fruit+Bats+1_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxATf5ksMoGl5G0NgDs6jNJKF2sMz40JI_NlOvzGEenTVufc2CaPzl_uFr1BGG5qnhBE68rx8ciyfUg64QRRnCurb_9l0BOZICY5fzlEKDinJeTJ7NjYJqWb3l-d9arX8hmM0yRm4wVx2/s1600/Wahlberg's+Epauletted+Fruit+Bats+25_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxATf5ksMoGl5G0NgDs6jNJKF2sMz40JI_NlOvzGEenTVufc2CaPzl_uFr1BGG5qnhBE68rx8ciyfUg64QRRnCurb_9l0BOZICY5fzlEKDinJeTJ7NjYJqWb3l-d9arX8hmM0yRm4wVx2/s1600/Wahlberg's+Epauletted+Fruit+Bats+25_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Este morcego não está ameaçando, possuindo populações estáveis, de acordo com a Lista Vermelha da IUCN. É uma espécie de megamorcego classificado na família </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pteropodidae. O nome da espécie deriva das estruturas formadas por pêlos eréteis que se assemelham a dragonas e se formam ao redor das grandes glândulas de cheiro dos machos. Podemos vê-las claramente na segunda foto. Olhem as estruturas brancas em frente das orelhas.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Também é possível diferenciar machos e fêmeas examinando os sacos aéreos no pescoço dos machos, que podem aumentar o volume dos chamados de corte.</span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Eles são encontrados através do sul da África em habitats de floresta, arbustivos e de savana. A distribuição se estende do nível do mar até 2.000 m. Também podemos encontrar populações em áreas urbanas vegetadas e formando ninhos em estruturas construídas por nós. Temos aqui, desse modo, outra espécie que pode ajustar-se a nosso ambiente modificados e tem, portanto, maior probabilidade de sobreviver às nossas perturbações.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
Este é um morcego frugívoro (não surpreende, isso é dito em seu nome vulgar), comendo figos, goiabas e vários frutos de espécies de <i style="font-family: inherit;">Diospyros</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Eles também comem folhas de espécies de </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Balanites</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> e vários insetos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finalmente, uma coisa curiosa sobre esse morcego é que seu voo é relativamente lento e meio desajeitado. Eles frequentemente se batem em outros indivíduos e em obstáculos.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We finally arrived in Skukuza, quite
a different camp from Pretoriuskop, but very nice, with the nice view of the
river, even from the restaurant. It was an unexpected pleasure to eat while
listening to hippos down in the river. Hippos are always complaining with each
other...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And what about the Wahlberg's
Epauletted Fruit Bats under the roof of the store? Fantastic!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
This is a picture of the entrance of Skukuza, which already shows how it is well looked for!<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is the list of what we saw in
Skukuza: Hippos (<i>Hippopotamus amphibius</i>),
1 Greater Blue-eared Starling (<i>Lamprotornis
chalybaeus</i>), 1 Laughing Dove (<i>Streptopelia
senegalensis</i>), Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bats (<i>Epomophorus wahlbergi</i>), Vervet monkeys (<i>Chlorocebus pygerythrus</i>, previously <i>Cercopithecus aethiops</i>), 1 Blue Headed Southern Tree Agama (<i>Acanthocercus atricollis</i>), 1 Striped
Skink (<i>Trachylepis striata</i>), 1 Cape
Dwarf Gecko (<i>Lygodactylus capensis</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
The two first pictures are of the bungalow where we stayed in Skukuza, exterior and interior. Really confortable, for a fair price!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Next a general view of the camp.</div>
<div>
<br />
The Sabie river in front of the restaurant is another beautiful thing to see.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first picture is of one of the
complaining hippos.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The most dangerous animal in Africa!
It kills more people than all the usual suspects. We read this story about a guy that got off his car near hippo pool, near Crocodile Bridge
camp. People are allowed to leave the car there when a ranger is present. But
this guy left the car with no ranger in sight. When a ranger appeared and asked him what
was he doing, warning him about the danger posed by hippos, he just said that
they looked such sympathetic animals. There are really some people that do not
know what they are into when in Kruger.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I always think it is amazing when
they open their big mouths like that. It really shows how powerful they are.
When they close their mouths, it is more than 1 ton in weight. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the last hippo picture, the hippo’s collaboration
to the butt calendar. Look at the recently cured wound in his side. Probably,
it is the result of another hippo. Although vegetarians, hippos can also resort
to cannibalism, as recently discovered. But it is not the case here. It is more
likely that this was a fight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Unfortunately, these fantastic
animals are vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List, with decreasing
populations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was also nice to see one more
starling species in the Skukuza restaurant, a Greater Blue-eared Starling.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The populations of this bird are
stable and, for this reason, its classification in the IUCN Red List is Least
Concern. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This starling eats a variety of
insects, fruit and small invertebrates, foraging in trees and on the ground,
but it certainly enjoys some free food provided by humans. That’s why we find
it in the camps, trying to steal the bread we leave unattended in our table!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You took only one picture of this
gorgeous Laughing Dove, in the wooden floor of Skukuza restaurant, while we
were having fun watching the hippos. This is indeed a beautiful bird.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">This small </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;">pigeon</span><span lang="EN-US"> has a wide distribution, being a resident breeder in </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;">Sub-Saharan</span><span lang="EN-US"> tropical </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa" title="Africa"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;">Africa</span></a><span lang="EN-US">, the </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;">Middle East</span><span lang="EN-US">, even reaching the </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;">Indian
Subcontinent</span><span lang="EN-US">. They
also reached a specific part of Western Australia, around Perth and Freemantle,
as introduced birds, probably traveling with ships or alike. They are abundant
in southern Africa, where they are found everywhere except coastal Mozambique.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is difficult to differentiate
males and females morphologically. They are very similar. It is possible to
tell juveniles from adults, however, because the former are more rufous and
have reduced throat spotting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Why are they called Laughing Doves? Just listen here:</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:S-senegalensis.ogg"><span lang="EN-US">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:S-senegalensis.ogg</span></a><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Maybe they are mocking us! Just
kidding...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This bird is not threatened. Their
populations are stable and may be even increasing, due to the fact that it has
benefited greatly from habitat disturbance by humans and changes in land use.
It is an extremely common animal, found in all types of woodlands, as well as
suburban parks and gardens, one of the fortunate ones that benefit from our
humanly impacted environments.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We have read about the Wahlberg's
Epauletted Fruit Bats at the Skukuza shop. So, when we got to the shop, we eagerly
looked for them. It is worth doing so. They look incredible sleeping at the
roof outside the shop, as the pictures show.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This bat is not threatened, showing
stable populations, according to the IUCN Red List. It is a species of megabat
classified in the family Pteropodidae. The name of the species comes from the
erectable hair structures that look like epaulettes and form around the large
scent glands in the males. We can see them clearly in the second picture. Look
at the white structures in front of the ears.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We can also tell males from females
by looking at the air sacs in the neck that may increase the volume of
courtship calls.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They are found across southern
Africa in forest, shrubland, and savanna habitats. The range of distribution
goes from the sea level up to 2,000 m. We can also find populations in wooded
urban areas and roosting in man-made structures. So, here we have another
species that can adjust to our modified environment and is, thus, more likely
to survive our disturbances.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a frugivorous bat (really
not surprising, it is a fruit bat), eating figs, guava and various fruits of <i>Diospyros</i> species. They also eat leaves
from <i>Balanites</i> species and several
insects.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, a curious thing about this
bat is that its flight is relatively slow and somewhat clumsy. They often bump
into other individuals and obstacles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Vervet monkeys are also abundant in
Skukuza. They are always a guarantee of a good time. In the first picture
below, we can see my wife, Carol, looking at one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was astonished with the color of
their genitals. This blue even looked human-made. I had never read before about
that and was really surprised to see.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And, finally, one of the guys
eating.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Vervet monkeys are not in danger of
extinction. When I discover this of a primate, I am always happy. Their
populations are stable and, thus, they are classified as Least Concern in the
IUCN Red List.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was just recently that the
classification of vervet monkeys was updated, with all of the species being
moved from the genus <i>Cercopithecus</i> to
a new genus, <i>Chlorocebus</i> (See Cawthon
Lang KA. 2006 January 3. Primate Factsheets: Vervet (Chlorocebus) Taxonomy,
Morphology, & Ecology . <http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/vervet>.
Accessed 2012 October 12.).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a sexually dimorphic
species, with males being larger than females. They are equally comfortable on
the ground and in the trees, being regarded as semi-terrestrial and
semi-arboreal. During the day, they feed and travel on the ground and at night
they retreat to the trees in order to sleep. Finally, I’d like to mention that
their lifespan has not been conclusively ascertained due to the high rates of
predation in the long-term study areas. However, between 11 and 12 years,
serious health problems are seen in captive vervets, what can make us think
that this is probably the upper limit of their lifespan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The picture is not good, but, as far
as I remember, this was the only time we saw a Blue Headed Southern Tree Agama.
So, it is worth including it here.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This lizard is listed in the IUCN
Red List as Least Concern due to its large distribution across eastern and
southern Africa, its tolerance of anthropogenic environments, and the absence
of any major widespread threat. They live in a wide range of habitats, from
forest to savannah, including human-modified areas. It can often be found
scaling the sides of plants, as we saw this one. Normally a male displaying his
colors, as the one we saw, won’t be far away from several females. These
lizards tend to live in colonies with one dominant male and a group of females
and other subordinate males. However, we did not see other individuals, just
this one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another nice lizard we saw in
Skukuza was this Striped Skink.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a Scincidae lizard widespread
in southern Africa. Their tails are often missing due to predators. It feeds on
small insects and other small invertebrates. This lizard is a great exception
in the world fauna: it has not been assessed in the IUCN Red List. But, as it
is able to explore human environment, I would guess it is not threatened.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-67912962889305208112012-11-08T18:00:00.001-08:002012-11-08T18:00:30.178-08:00A última parte da Napi Road<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Na última parte da Napi Road, antes de chegar a Skukuza, não vimos muita coisa: um grupo de Impalas machos, probavelmente jovens, mais 6 girafas, o que é em si muito bom, e 1 Águia-cobreira-castanha juvenil (<i>Circaetus cinereus</i>). Nosso plano inicial era parar em Matekenyane Koppies, mas decidimos fazer isso no dia seguinte, indo direto para Skukuza, para fazer check-in e ter tempo de percorrer o Sabie loop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Entre as fotos de Impalas, gostamos dessas, que mostram um deles comendo.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHwSiHtJyxwBsYKrlN-4jARYT44h3HfFtUidlPhI1h-sLTFJHoZ6UlUaClgtWzDwijbzgqQVfnR5CVmuvvYQOF3hkPgvJNT8wFrABGDgfm08mor4HWBfyxmoGPSJJYvbw1Rfq7xPimpL6/s1600/Impalas+9_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHwSiHtJyxwBsYKrlN-4jARYT44h3HfFtUidlPhI1h-sLTFJHoZ6UlUaClgtWzDwijbzgqQVfnR5CVmuvvYQOF3hkPgvJNT8wFrABGDgfm08mor4HWBfyxmoGPSJJYvbw1Rfq7xPimpL6/s1600/Impalas+9_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwWJSb_Tim7APtf2hUHXrPgxlAjDZgMdqnz3S_AvKRAhpxcaZTVw8iw-TJG1mbxpZ23hnusTX-Ghnq1pjyct4Pz0yn7k2DbuJTF5v4OQM2lho_SD6iA9ycXwTtw_tbGzdi6YJcIVDj-Wc/s1600/Impalas+5_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwWJSb_Tim7APtf2hUHXrPgxlAjDZgMdqnz3S_AvKRAhpxcaZTVw8iw-TJG1mbxpZ23hnusTX-Ghnq1pjyct4Pz0yn7k2DbuJTF5v4OQM2lho_SD6iA9ycXwTtw_tbGzdi6YJcIVDj-Wc/s1600/Impalas+5_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the last section of Napi Road, before arriving at
Skukuza, we did not see much: one group of male Impalas, probably young dudes, more
6 giraffes, what is in itself great, and 1 juvenile Brown-Snake Eagle (<i>Circaetus cinereus</i>). Our initial plan was to stop at Matekenyane
Koppies, but we decided to do this the next day, going directly to Skukuza, to
check-in and take our time to make the Sabie loop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Among the impala pictures, we like
the pictures showing one of them eating.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our second encounter with giraffes
in KNP was still magical. We couldn’t cease getting astonished about these
animals, 5-6 meters in height, an average weight of 1,200 kg in the case
of the larger males, while the females weight around 830 kg. It was great
to see a couple with a cute young giraffe. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Evidently the necks are most
amazing, over 2 m in length, nearly half of the animals’ height.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is interesting that the length of
the neck is due to the size of the cervical vertebrae, not to the addition of
more vertebrae. The giraffe pays physiological costs for its long neck, which
is associated with several adaptations that evolved in these animals, for
instance, in their circulatory system. The role of these adaptations becomes
clear when we consider that their hearts are 2 m above their hooves and 3 m
below their brains. The size of the brain is relatively small – it has only
just 680 g of weight –, probably due to the length of the neck, since too much
energy would be needed to furnish oxygen for a larger brain at the end of that
long neck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When feeding on twigs, leaves,
fruits and, rarely, grasses, the giraffes use their tongues, lips and palates,
which are tough enough to deal with the thorns of trees like the acacias. Their
highly mobile muscular lips help in efficiently stripping the leaves from the
spiny branches. Their blue gray tongues are about 45 cm long and are prehensile
and powerful, facilitating that they aptly grasp the leaves and pull them into
the mouth. In the picture below, we can see a giraffe using the tongue for
other purposes, probably to clean its fur. It is a funny thing to see as the
picture may translate.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although they are commonly found
together, they do not stay together for more than a few hours, with the group
composition being more fluid than in other social ungulates. In Napi Road that
day we saw 6 giraffes together, one of them the juvenile mentioned above. In one of the pictures we see three of them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The animals tend to move freely from
one group to another, and the only more stable associations are between females
and their calves. Adult males tend to be solitary and nomadic, moving between
female groups in order to verify the reproductive receptivity of females in the
different groups. This happens all the time, since there is no fixed breeding
season. Subadult males can be found along with the females, or can form groups
of males, which can be seen engaged in non-combative necking behavior, as a way
of learning for future combats for the females.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, we show the contribution of
a giraffe to the but calendar, with the extra charm of the tail swinging to
shoo flies or mosquitoes away<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In one picture, not so good, the Brown Snake Eagle we saw in the last portion of Napi Road before
arriving at Skukuza. It was the first time we photographed this animal we would
see other times in KNP. This was a juvenile and this is the reason why we put
the picture here, despite its quality. How can we know it is a juvenile?
Although the bird is similar to an adult, it is slightly paler, showing a faint
scaled effect.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a widely distributed eagle,
being found across much of the sub-Saharan Africa, with the exception of the
lowland forest of West Africa. As the name indicates, it mainly eats snakes. It
stay perched, as this one we saw, and dropping onto prey from above, smashing
its spine with its feet. If the prey is a snake, the eagle tries to crush the
head to discharge any venom. Its legs are thickly scaled as an adaptation to
protect it from snake bites. The eagle is not immune, however, to the snake venom,
and is in fact sometimes blinded by spitting cobras.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Brown Snake Eagle is not
threatened, being classified in the IUCN Red List as Least Concern, with a
stable population trend.</span></span></div>
Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-79943692770640578742012-10-24T15:46:00.000-07:002012-10-29T10:21:59.638-07:00Tecelões-pequenos-de-mascarilhas e Águia Pescadora Africana na Transport Dam<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Uma coisa maravilhosa de se ver no reservatório foi a árvore no meio dele com uma grande colônia de Tecelões-pequenos-de-mascarilhas. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Nas duas imagens abaixo podemos ver a colônia inteira e um detalhe. Na primeira imagem, há uma outra ave na árvore. Eu só a vi agora, ao preparar a postagem do blog. É realmente excitante descobrir que fotografamos uma ave que nós nem havíamos notado. É um Drongo-de-cauda-forcada. Além disso, vocês certamente podem ver as estruturas enormes acima dos ninhos dos tecelões. São provavelmente ninhos de Hamerkops.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOCWrFB4kUlwLOUUabQA1az1kQ2WeEWz4QvJ2eqhnEMyk6A3CZ3M3c-GWzLVTIJswiBMSZJQKi-xSrFpN70GMm8Pjyhqt0AebFJKJrnxhqvZ954Ro12v7trrZsDAgNM0pAbX8TM17xVtC/s1600/Lesser+Masked-Weaver+-+Col%C3%B4nia+6_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOCWrFB4kUlwLOUUabQA1az1kQ2WeEWz4QvJ2eqhnEMyk6A3CZ3M3c-GWzLVTIJswiBMSZJQKi-xSrFpN70GMm8Pjyhqt0AebFJKJrnxhqvZ954Ro12v7trrZsDAgNM0pAbX8TM17xVtC/s1600/Lesser+Masked-Weaver+-+Col%C3%B4nia+6_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhba9XpFq2fEOpEG-jwcxlJ9QDoE01Yr1tccZBY838jfKs_HaSSWDw5CeW_SNGiFHLM2MmCbW0XDVl7BGxMVduN0PKlxAw6cU1N25bXN6SqqIVrxgO5UfYHJWTQ-RLi0uuDKyYGq2RxVp8X/s1600/Lesser+Masked-Weaver+-+Col%C3%B4nia+3_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhba9XpFq2fEOpEG-jwcxlJ9QDoE01Yr1tccZBY838jfKs_HaSSWDw5CeW_SNGiFHLM2MmCbW0XDVl7BGxMVduN0PKlxAw6cU1N25bXN6SqqIVrxgO5UfYHJWTQ-RLi0uuDKyYGq2RxVp8X/s1600/Lesser+Masked-Weaver+-+Col%C3%B4nia+3_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tecelões-pequenos-de-mascarilhas são aves charmosas, não?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1Qcz6umkqGj2pxXUdBt1OVJeODIKyE2zUP4KrIapBXB0_YlLcEL73biOdq6EStqPfI2om3hFtD2RxFbyJPKegn0FnG5-jbfHraPm7K9GPR-rSjTButGcE2zIhLfxPjjvv6n3irNWOjwR/s1600/Lesser+Masked-Weaver+2_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1Qcz6umkqGj2pxXUdBt1OVJeODIKyE2zUP4KrIapBXB0_YlLcEL73biOdq6EStqPfI2om3hFtD2RxFbyJPKegn0FnG5-jbfHraPm7K9GPR-rSjTButGcE2zIhLfxPjjvv6n3irNWOjwR/s1600/Lesser+Masked-Weaver+2_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Uma coisa incrível foi lembrar, quando estava lá observando os teceções, como eu era fascinado com os tecelões (que eu conhecia apenas de meus livros) quando eu era criança. Eu havia esquecido dessas memórias antigas da infância e foi realmente sensacional lembrar subitamente delas, ali naquele ponto, observando essas aves que eu havia esquecido de que gostava tanto. É muito bom saber, então, que elas não estão ameaçadas: Least Concern ma Lista Vermelha da IUCN, com populações estáveis.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;">O que me fascinava nessas aves (e provavelmente irá fascinar muitos de vocês) é a delicada arquitetura de seus ninhos, lado a lado com o tamanho da colônia. Esta é uma espécie polígina, com machos procriando com múltiplas fêmeas durante a estação reprodutiva. Eles vivem juntos em colônias com 20-30, raramente até 200 ninhos. Neste caso, contamos 35 ninhos. É o macho que constrói o ninho e é um trabalho duro. Eles ficaram todo o tempo reparando os ninhos enquanto estávamos ali. Eu adoro o formato de rim do ninho e o túnel de entrada voltado para baixo!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">Tecelões-pequenos-de-mascarilhas também são caçados por Águias Pescadoras Africanas. Mas o que a águia estava caçando? A resposta é Patos-assobiadores-de-faces-brancas. Nós quase obtivemos uma foto das águias caçando os patos, mas eles desceram exatamente no momento da foto e capturamos apenas a parte superior de seus corpos. De qualquer modo, foi demais seguir a ação.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vXbays6sUWTMvkC4xLOqR2psmLOz3skcSqtC2Fv-uOK_jphGF7nf84gWPe5_LR7S52q0ewpZ9EOiX-YBRsnc3lD_DhGshav64_e3r39JuOiwFyVuQJAv7p5__9DWJgfaijRRSkd89Cn2/s1600/%C3%81guia+Pescadora+Africana+2_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vXbays6sUWTMvkC4xLOqR2psmLOz3skcSqtC2Fv-uOK_jphGF7nf84gWPe5_LR7S52q0ewpZ9EOiX-YBRsnc3lD_DhGshav64_e3r39JuOiwFyVuQJAv7p5__9DWJgfaijRRSkd89Cn2/s400/%C3%81guia+Pescadora+Africana+2_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbl-QkUVLf7Id3Frer5eEx9s-Jcdss4a2cWJIYcMsRWEjPNalkY091Zd4ShwQVV0cVrzW0BoR_Ky12P2EzwKgndavjI_H1ai8qHxdXen65xA_eEMDYcKU3Y693eBXY7I_i0PkX2JR1W1Z/s1600/%C3%81guia+Pescadora+Africana+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbl-QkUVLf7Id3Frer5eEx9s-Jcdss4a2cWJIYcMsRWEjPNalkY091Zd4ShwQVV0cVrzW0BoR_Ky12P2EzwKgndavjI_H1ai8qHxdXen65xA_eEMDYcKU3Y693eBXY7I_i0PkX2JR1W1Z/s400/%C3%81guia+Pescadora+Africana+1_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmJYsdyKgWDgCCijjct-OXn5wX3ArO09yxv4A7w0jgNGy6Hbqu6UJTE7l57IE_1HRxToOV6lsx9ZBsg2ZtbBkU44eYqHRkOFbfrYcbygYumOQHTRLQUCatTK7nA0M4iBDW_YlOkzSG5DH/s1600/%C3%81guia+Pescadora+Africana+11_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmJYsdyKgWDgCCijjct-OXn5wX3ArO09yxv4A7w0jgNGy6Hbqu6UJTE7l57IE_1HRxToOV6lsx9ZBsg2ZtbBkU44eYqHRkOFbfrYcbygYumOQHTRLQUCatTK7nA0M4iBDW_YlOkzSG5DH/s400/%C3%81guia+Pescadora+Africana+11_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">Que bela ave é a Águia Pescadora Africana. Elegância ao máximo!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LrdUlsRgJFsd_lBpYpjV3O1lXzKJ9OmHdGin7LVAzwwlsU3tX7IV0u3OdtdpSep4V7Szy2svxxuAvdiEypajYrOaayZPibYdj6__qaY6YZcF3AVUa9XG4HPecYHbafFSfkSmnGJPs9K6/s1600/%C3%81guia+Pescadora+Africana+16_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LrdUlsRgJFsd_lBpYpjV3O1lXzKJ9OmHdGin7LVAzwwlsU3tX7IV0u3OdtdpSep4V7Szy2svxxuAvdiEypajYrOaayZPibYdj6__qaY6YZcF3AVUa9XG4HPecYHbafFSfkSmnGJPs9K6/s400/%C3%81guia+Pescadora+Africana+16_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Também Least Concern na Lista Vermelha da IUCN, com população estável, esta águia foi observada por nós várias vezes durante a viagem. Mas esse encontro na Transport Dam foi o mais impressionado, com a ação de caça.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Mitos sobre a Águia Pescadora Africana são muitos. Na herança cultural Shona, esta águia era um mensageiro sagrado, usado pelo Rei para comunicar-se com os ancestrais. Ela é também o totem do clã Hungwe e se tornou símbolo do estado de Zimbabwe, aparecendo na bandeira nacional e em notas e moedas, desde que Zimbabwe se tornou independente em Abril de 1980.</span></span></div>
<div>
<br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;">Para terminar, os waterbucks nos propiciaram algumas imagens comportamentalmente interessantes,embora estivessem distantes, do outro lado do reservatório. Vejam como uma das fêmeas, que estava deitada com as outras duas, se levantou e emitiu um chamado.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4a_6aRTqjaZZEqOsbqUi2H3FbEal_m2GkUrhc9izo4MS37sDoeaHbHGdbt4fMGwuXBvBYKQ6LeNmmBRtihZTM6A5AXswOzZV294js7Bhp-01vNPVUB9LEKyAAzv9mkX-ESO3dF69heJuO/s1600/Waterbucks+12_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4a_6aRTqjaZZEqOsbqUi2H3FbEal_m2GkUrhc9izo4MS37sDoeaHbHGdbt4fMGwuXBvBYKQ6LeNmmBRtihZTM6A5AXswOzZV294js7Bhp-01vNPVUB9LEKyAAzv9mkX-ESO3dF69heJuO/s400/Waterbucks+12_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 18px;">Então ela se moveu na direção de um arbusto próximo…</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeNbCi-4hGKNe6IabeL5S6cTt4a_Z9E5AD4H3oki8NeCFIaqUKtD7Ksf7Blji6zorFIgHHzl9Rk2OGbq4Volwpo8O3wNOQgu3Eax835tLjprdDZbtelCABkiNk3lR-gUkiObWEbca0mCN/s1600/Waterbucks+15_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeNbCi-4hGKNe6IabeL5S6cTt4a_Z9E5AD4H3oki8NeCFIaqUKtD7Ksf7Blji6zorFIgHHzl9Rk2OGbq4Volwpo8O3wNOQgu3Eax835tLjprdDZbtelCABkiNk3lR-gUkiObWEbca0mCN/s400/Waterbucks+15_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 18px;">E encontrou um outro waterbuck. Notem como ela é menor. Provavelmente, mãe e filha.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3R1u4rKmYVnHFWWY0x5A8H5HIJ2tHiDQQGtT0mnp9TVlIiLM0djsYJjHJeGzImJ8i7Zoo0oSLHgWZV5f-INyQ3zwSJ0z_Ed7R_6B93fonzuTgSE7URqXgNcjEQrWiAjCPcZxCcnXV4O3y/s1600/Waterbucks+18_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3R1u4rKmYVnHFWWY0x5A8H5HIJ2tHiDQQGtT0mnp9TVlIiLM0djsYJjHJeGzImJ8i7Zoo0oSLHgWZV5f-INyQ3zwSJ0z_Ed7R_6B93fonzuTgSE7URqXgNcjEQrWiAjCPcZxCcnXV4O3y/s400/Waterbucks+18_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A marvelous thing to see in the dam
was the tree in the middle of it with a large colony of Lesser Masked Weaver. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the first two pictures we can see
the whole colony and a detail of it. In the first picture, there is another
bird in the tree. I just saw it now, when preparing the posting. It is really
exciting to discover we photographed a bird we did not even notice back then.
It is a Fork-Tailed Drongo. Moreover, we certainly see the huge structures
about the weaver’s nests. They are probably hamerkop’s nests.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lesser Masked Weavers are charming
birds, aren’t they?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One incredible thing was to
remember, when I was there watching the weavers, how fascinated I was with
weavers (which I knew only from my books) as a small child. I had forgotten
these remote childhood memories, and it was really something to suddenly
remember it on the spot, watching these birds I had forgotten I loved so much.
It is great to know, then, that they are not threatened: Least Concern in the
IUCN Red List, with stable populations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What fascinated me about this bird (and probably will fascinate many of you) is the delicate architecture of their nests, alongside
with the size of the colony. This is a polygynous species, with males mating
with multiple females during the breeding season. They live together then in
colonies of 20-30, rarely up to 200 nests. In this case, we counted 35 nests.
It is the male that builds the nest, and it is a hard job. They kept repairing
the nests while we were there. I love the kidney shape of the nest and the
entrance tunnel facing downward!</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lesser Masked Weavers are also hunted by African-Fish Eagles. But what was the eagle hunting? White-faced
ducks, that’s the answer. We almost got a picture of the eagles hunting the ducks, but they went down exactly when we were taking the picture and
we captured only the upper part of their bodies. Anyway, it was great to
follow the action. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What a beautiful bird the
African-Fish Eagle is. Elegance at its outmost!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Also Least Concern in the IUCN Red
List, with stable population, this eagle was observed by us several times
during the trip. But this encounter in Transport Dam was the most impressive
one, with the hunting action.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Myths also surround the African-Fish
Eagle. In the Shona cultural heritage, this eagle was a sacred messenger, used
by the King to communicate with the ancestors. It is also the totem of the
Hungwe clan and has been the symbol of the Zimbabwe state, appearing on the
national flag and on bank notes and coins, since Zimbabwe became independent in
April 1980.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The waterbucks, to finish, gave us
some behaviorally interesting pictures, even though they were far away, at the
other side of the dam. Look how one of the females, which was laying down with
the other two, raised up and called.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then she moved to a nearby shrub…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And found another waterbuck. Notice how she is smaller. Mother and daughter, probably.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</span>Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-33781412376791327202012-10-22T08:34:00.000-07:002012-10-22T08:34:07.715-07:00Picanço-rabilongo e Patos-assobiadores-de-faces-brancas na Transport Dam<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US">Foi muito legal ver mais um Picanço-rabilongo, nesse caso muito mais próximo do que o que vimos anteriores, cantando a plenos pulmões.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86WL4RGJbHkVMwbrwqjgit6rLKjUJkuXk9RFBv83BTA_q8BnadNQYDcCWFJHTK_eCNbs3E7axlEGJDJMlrzG4zn7jcf-d7CeY6xZNypBJELLFPowZ-WdrZXn7t_74iahnVZbxw_eMURo2/s1600/Magpie+Shrike+9_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86WL4RGJbHkVMwbrwqjgit6rLKjUJkuXk9RFBv83BTA_q8BnadNQYDcCWFJHTK_eCNbs3E7axlEGJDJMlrzG4zn7jcf-d7CeY6xZNypBJELLFPowZ-WdrZXn7t_74iahnVZbxw_eMURo2/s1600/Magpie+Shrike+9_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwFxlyz0lHsG0vowniyx4WIiKAwGJh8hebU9PA12DnCaKtpC1UnDJIBcbjb5I3bfoq2zjfNPUrkGfcR7res8Ti0Bg3_Sgv09jSLJfzJzG06rmZ04uuN8FD7q4nI7hxVeXw5LLfkjuH_Z_/s1600/Magpie+Shrike+15_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwFxlyz0lHsG0vowniyx4WIiKAwGJh8hebU9PA12DnCaKtpC1UnDJIBcbjb5I3bfoq2zjfNPUrkGfcR7res8Ti0Bg3_Sgv09jSLJfzJzG06rmZ04uuN8FD7q4nI7hxVeXw5LLfkjuH_Z_/s1600/Magpie+Shrike+15_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US">Quando chegamos no reservatório, foi bom ver esses Patos-assobiadores-de-faces-brancas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBp0BM9CnaeIOOmJAH1MxZzS0YkAGnAHFvlSfNavV-pl7oemx4imwLsldBz7xutUFeW96hwRS8pvLJBn7oqmzB_xDO3KC82BG2RYegP_FrUXzKjgfUiSLxNZjvWHdyMkRx-2RgxWHIKkJN/s1600/White-Faced+Ducks+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBp0BM9CnaeIOOmJAH1MxZzS0YkAGnAHFvlSfNavV-pl7oemx4imwLsldBz7xutUFeW96hwRS8pvLJBn7oqmzB_xDO3KC82BG2RYegP_FrUXzKjgfUiSLxNZjvWHdyMkRx-2RgxWHIKkJN/s1600/White-Faced+Ducks+1_named.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Estes belos patos são classificados como </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Least Concern na Lista Vermelha da IUCN, mostrando de fato uma tendência de aumento populacional, em decorrência da criação de corpos de água artificiais (e.g. reservatórios de fazendas) e do aumento do cultivo de grãos, que eles usam como alimento. Entretanto, algumas populações estão diminuindo. Sua população global estimada varia de 1.700.000 a 2.800.000 indivíduos. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;">Um fato curioso sobre esta espécie é que ela apresenta movimentos nômades locais imprevisíveis</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> (Johnsgard, P. A. 1978. Ducks, geese and swans of the World. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London), relacionados à variação na disponibilidade de água e alimentos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US">Eles são predados por Águias Pescadoras Africanas. Havia uma caçando na </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Transport Dam quando estávamos lá. Adivinha o que a águia estava caçando?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US">Este pato é caçado para consumo e comércio local em </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Malawi (Bhima, R. 2006. Subsistence use of waterbirds at Lake Chilwa, Malawi. In: Boere, G.; Galbraith, C., Stroud, D. (ed.), Waterbirds around the world, pp. 255-256. The Stationary Office, Edinburgh, UK) e Botswana (Herremans, M. 1998. Conservation status of birds in Botswana in relation to land use. Biological Conservation 86: 139-160). Ele também é caçado e comercializado em mercados de medicina tradicional na Nigéria (Nikolaus, G. 2001. Bird exploitation for traditional medicine in Nigeria. Malimbus 23: 45-55).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;">Por fim, esta é uma ave que une a América do Sul e a África! Ele procria nos dois continentes. Também é encontrado em Madagascar e nas Ilhas Comoro. No sul da África, é um dos patos mais comuns.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US">It was also great to see one more
Magpie Shrike, in this case much closer than the previous one we saw, in full
singing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US">When we arrived at the dam, it was
great to see these White-faced ducks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These
beautiful ducks are classified as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List, showing
in fact a trend of population increase, as a result of the creation of artificial
water bodies (e.g. farm dams) and the growing of grain crops, which are used by
them as food. However, some populations are decreasing. Its estimated global population
ranges from 1,700,000 to 2,800,000 individuals. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A
curious fact about this species is that it shows unpredictable local nomadic
movements (Johnsgard, P. A. 1978. Ducks, geese and swans of the World.
University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London) related to variations in
water and food availability.</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It
is predated by African-Fish Eagles. There was one hunting at Transport Dam when
we were there. What was the eagle hunting? Guess…</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This
duck is hunted for local consumption and trade in Malawi (Bhima, R. 2006.
Subsistence use of waterbirds at Lake Chilwa, Malawi. In: Boere, G.; Galbraith,
C., Stroud, D. (ed.), Waterbirds around the world, pp. 255-256. The Stationary
Office, Edinburgh, UK) and Botswana (Herremans, M. 1998. Conservation status of
birds in Botswana in relation to land use. Biological Conservation 86: 139-160).
It is also hunted and traded at traditional medicine markets in Nigeria
(Nikolaus, G. 2001. Bird exploitation for traditional medicine in Nigeria.
Malimbus 23: 45-55).</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally,
this is a bird that unites South America and Africa! It breeds both here and
there. It is also found in Madagascar and Comoro Islands. In Southern Africa,
it is one of the most common ducks.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-20204046960438682052012-10-11T22:23:00.000-07:002012-10-22T08:34:47.564-07:00Transport Dam<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">5 de Janeiro de 2011, a caminho de Skukuza, uma parada na Transport Dam. Na estrada de terra até o reservatório, vimos 1 Rolieiro-de-peito-lilás </span></span>(<i>Coracias caudatus</i>), 1 Cob-grande-dos-juncais (<i>Redunca arundinum</i>), 1 Abibe-preto-e-branco (<i>Vanellus armatus</i>), 1 Estorninho de Burchell (<i>Lamprotornis australis</i>), 1 Rola do Cabo (<i>Streptopelia capicola</i>) e 1 Picanço-rabilongo <span style="line-height: 18px;">(</span><i style="line-height: 18px;">Corvinella melanoleuca</i><span style="line-height: 18px;">).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
No reservatório, por sua vez, vimos <span style="line-height: 18px;">5 Patos-assobiadores-de-faces-brancas (</span><i style="line-height: 18px;">Dendrocygna viduata</i><span style="line-height: 18px;">), 1 colônia de Tecelões-pequenos-de-mascarilhas (</span><i style="line-height: 18px;">Ploceus intermedius</i><span style="line-height: 18px;">), 1 Águia Pescadora Africana (</span><i style="line-height: 18px;">Haliaeetus vocifer</i><span style="line-height: 18px;">), um grupo de Impalas próximo ao lado do reservatório onde estávamos e 4 Waterbucks fêmeas (</span><i style="line-height: 18px;">Kobus ellipsiprymnus</i><span style="line-height: 18px;">) do outro lado do reservatório.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;">Nesta imagem, vemos o Abibe-preto-e-branco que encontramos ao lado da estrada a caminho de Transport Dam. Esta é uma ave endêmica da Àfrica sub-Saariana, presente não apenas em ambientes selvagens, mas também em estádios, aeroportos e até mesmo em áreas de pasto. Este é o tipo de animal que tem mais probabilidade de sobreviver aos nossos impactos sobre o ambiente, uma vez que pode explorar nossas próprias paisagens modificadas. É o mesmo que ocorre com os saguis que vemos todos os dias andando sobre os fios elétricos em frente à nossa casa. Animais encantadores!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6D-iPdtEwLl7CuDfbtNWTrSknbIIO9rK42uJo1LeQpitqXBcQTsv9q0CiQWbWz7JAc75e9_FRheuNvMlm9qOJHcZmEq12GWMp-DXqu-KbZD4qu0WTD30gbDL_IDuKwSnZF6cmLKVB0oE/s1600/Blacksmith+Lapwing+2_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6D-iPdtEwLl7CuDfbtNWTrSknbIIO9rK42uJo1LeQpitqXBcQTsv9q0CiQWbWz7JAc75e9_FRheuNvMlm9qOJHcZmEq12GWMp-DXqu-KbZD4qu0WTD30gbDL_IDuKwSnZF6cmLKVB0oE/s400/Blacksmith+Lapwing+2_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;">Voltando ao Abibe-preto-e-branco, ele pode ser sedentário, nômade ou migratório, a depender das condições ambientais. Por exemplo, em anos secos ele pode mover-se de áreas áridas para áreas mais úmidas. Quando está procriado, no entanto, ele é principalmente sedentário.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;">Esta ave não está ameaçada. Ao contrário, sua distribuição e tamanhos populacionais aumentaram significativamente no século XX. A razão reside em sua capacidade de explorar áreas antropizadas</span><span style="line-height: 18px;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;">Como Abibes-pretos-e-brancos buscam larvas de insetos em fezes, esta era provavelmente a razão pela qual nós o encontramos na estrada.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;">Isso é certamente verdadeiro para muitas espécies de aves. Nas duas fotos seguintes, podemos ver um Estorninho de Burchell dedicando-se à mesma tarefa.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHLGYc6FC4zSK2RmTkTryNvRD5T0ECWj25t15Jjv9QDXkLV7o15e0LfnebYku_I6Kbry1MwJFSMZTCfGnV0VC9Q42qkIoZhd1vx8qpsfwMmkkVFF9zQelI6IyHi0cmVXTbAOveu9k0Pea/s1600/Burchell's+Starling+6_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHLGYc6FC4zSK2RmTkTryNvRD5T0ECWj25t15Jjv9QDXkLV7o15e0LfnebYku_I6Kbry1MwJFSMZTCfGnV0VC9Q42qkIoZhd1vx8qpsfwMmkkVFF9zQelI6IyHi0cmVXTbAOveu9k0Pea/s400/Burchell's+Starling+6_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYWfAC74VuEHqmIrRc-n97T60VG1bYZeJmW6AIAwAwLTEn89B-n5tJmoCdka2PnJJ7MmDYQW7JEZy7S5p3gHq69Cx6p8fDqY35Tkw-stw_c78dby5RMa10usAhrZHdXr-ZB-iRe9gLOCD/s1600/Burchell's+Starling+9_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYWfAC74VuEHqmIrRc-n97T60VG1bYZeJmW6AIAwAwLTEn89B-n5tJmoCdka2PnJJ7MmDYQW7JEZy7S5p3gHq69Cx6p8fDqY35Tkw-stw_c78dby5RMa10usAhrZHdXr-ZB-iRe9gLOCD/s400/Burchell's+Starling+9_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">January 5<sup>th</sup> 2011, on the
way to Skukuza, a stop at Transport Dam. In the gravel road to the dam, we saw 1
Lilac-Breasted Roller (<i>Coracias caudatus</i>),
1 Southern Reedbuck (<i>Redunca arundinum</i>),
1 Blacksmith Lapwing (Plover) (<i>Vanellus
armatus</i>), 1 Burchell's Starling (<i>Lamprotornis
australis</i>), 1 Cape Turtle-Dove (<i>Streptopelia
capicola</i>) and 1</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Magpie
(African Longtailed) Shrike (</span><i style="line-height: 115%;">Corvinella
melanoleuca</i><span style="line-height: 115%;">).</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
the dam, in turn, we saw 5 White-Faced Ducks (<i>Dendrocygna viduata</i>), 1 colony of Lesser Masked-Weaver (<i>Ploceus intermedius</i>), 1 African
Fish-Eagle (<i>Haliaeetus vocifer</i>), a
group of Impalas nearby the side of the dam where we were, and 4 female
Waterbucks (<i>Kobus ellipsiprymnus</i>) on
the other side of the dam.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
the first picture we see the Blacksmith Lapwing we found by the road in the way to
Transport Dam. It is an endemic bird in sub-Saharan Africa, present not only in
the wild but also in sports fields, airports, and even heavily grazed areas.
This is the kind of animal most likely to survive our impacts in the
environment, since it can explore our own modified landscapes. It is the same
with the Tamarins that we see everyday walking over the electrical wires in
front of our flat. Lovely animals!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Returning to the Blacksmith Lapwing,
it can be sedentary, nomadic or migratory depending on the environmental
conditions. For instance, in dry years they can move from arid to more humid
areas. When breeding, however, it is mainly sedentary. </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This
bird not only is not threatened, but its range and population significantly
increased in the 20<sup>th</sup> century. The reason lies in its ability to
explore human-modified areas.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As
Blacksmith Lapwings search for insect larvae in dung, that was probably the
reason why he was found in the road.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This
is certainly true of many bird species. In the next two pictures, we can see a
Burchell’s Starling dedicated to the same task.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-65079930073019324922012-09-26T17:58:00.001-07:002012-09-26T18:15:11.865-07:00Waterbucks na Napi Road<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US">Antes de entrar na estrada para Transport Dam nós vimos três fêmeas de waterbuck ao lado da estrada, em meio ao capim. Uma delas pode ser vista na imagem abaixo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGYg8kGza1GnjCE1m3jWAEL-39FUIVNxOcUZQ1zXNv4ybCoMxrCGv7xZL1W1o33x7P0TmfKwarv5Tg6yeXEAc8SabJA5Q30vpBbRuV1Dh79dyQL48AKHKZuADEB7FULRxADQmJDUFWpIM/s1600/Waterbucks+4_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGYg8kGza1GnjCE1m3jWAEL-39FUIVNxOcUZQ1zXNv4ybCoMxrCGv7xZL1W1o33x7P0TmfKwarv5Tg6yeXEAc8SabJA5Q30vpBbRuV1Dh79dyQL48AKHKZuADEB7FULRxADQmJDUFWpIM/s400/Waterbucks+4_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Como os Búfalos Africanos, waterbucks não estão ameaçados, mas suas populações estão em declínio. Embora tenham “water” como sufixo em seu nome vulgar em inglês, estes grandes antílopes não são realmente aquáticos, e nem estão tão confortáveis assim na água. Eles têm esse nome porque se refugiam na água para escapar de predadores. No entanto, este uso da água pode ter levado a adaptações, se interpretarmos a secreção oleosa e de cheiro forte que cobre sua pelagem como desempenhando a função de impermeabilização.</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> Waterbucks mais velhos são evitados por predadores porque sua carne tem um odor desagradável</span><span style="line-height: 18px;">, resultante da secreção impermeabilizadora de suas glândulas sudoríparas. Predadores tendem a preferir, então, outras presas. Provavelmente porque cheiro ruim usualmente significa comida desagradável, até venenosa, tóxica, ou algo similar, comumente se pensa que a carne de waterbuck não é comestível. Isso não é verdade, sua carne é segura para se comer. Não encontramos para comê-la nos restaurantes do Kruger, mas na Wikipedia, alguém informa que não é especialmente saborosa.</span>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Waterbucks habitam áreas próximas à água em campos savânicos, florestas de galeria e florestas ribeirinhas. Nestes habitats, eles têm comida suficiente, propiciada pelas longas gramíneas, e também encontram locais alagados para escapar de predadores. É interessante o fato de que eles consomem espécies de gramíneas ásperas, raramente comidas por outros pastadores, e ocasionalmente comem folhas de certas árvores e arbustos.</span>
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Eles são animais principalmente sedentários e territoriais. Jovens machos formam manadas, mas à medida que amadurecem, assumem comportamento mais territorial. No entanto, eles não marcam com odores seus territórios. Fêmeas são encontradas em manadas, mas de formação tão frouxa que não são realmente grupos sociais, mas somente grupos de indivíduos com áreas domiciliares superpostas. É fácil diferenciar machos de fêmeas, porque estas são menores e não têm cornos.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Nesta segunda foto, uma grande contribuição para o calendário de bundinhas animais.
</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvXT2Dc30i3wX9OO7SXsxFtCFn8kkODmiDAT76TvSOaDSQ63BavyKSuQIgen6x30Zgg2GNR4e-mQVRm1YPVEjEAWbXGKi9pdeUw8rml67JTDoKXsekLhUmecUyjzE_BeQE8KSMrR1-E7B/s1600/Waterbucks+14_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvXT2Dc30i3wX9OO7SXsxFtCFn8kkODmiDAT76TvSOaDSQ63BavyKSuQIgen6x30Zgg2GNR4e-mQVRm1YPVEjEAWbXGKi9pdeUw8rml67JTDoKXsekLhUmecUyjzE_BeQE8KSMrR1-E7B/s400/Waterbucks+14_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 18px;">O traseiro do waterbuck é um alvo! Apenas um animal com tantas estratégias de evitação de predadores poderia ter um alvo no traseiro! Brincadeira. Aqui está uma lenda africana bem legal sobre como waterbuck obteve seu círculo branco</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">: </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=5272">http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=5272</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Temos esta lenda num livro de lendas africanas que compramos no Kruger. Livro fantástico! Minha filha tem agora apenas 4 meses de idade. Tão logo ela possa compreender mais, estou ansioso para ler as lendas para ela.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Na lenda, curiosamente encontramos uma explicação funcional para o anel branco: ele é útil porque se destaca no escuro e os animais jovens podem seguir sua mãe até a segurança da floresta! Esta é de fato uma explicação aceita para a função do anel branco. Ele é uma marcação "me siga" (</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">“follow me” marking), encontrado regularmente entre mamíferos, que permite que os animais sigam uns aos outros, em particular, que animais jovens sigam suas mães. Este é, então, um belo exemplo do conhecimento tradicional e do conhecimento científico em concordância!</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Em termos evolutivos, temos de imaginar populações de waterbucks variantes, alguns mostrando marcas, outros não, e a vantagem seletiva dos animais que exibiam marcas levando a maiores chances de sobrevivência e reprodução bem sucedidas. Certamente, não podemos imaginar uma marca tão simétrica aparecendo de uma só tacada, mas seu gradual estabelecimento através de várias gerações de waterbucks. É sempre bom pensar em evolução na frente de animais tão diversos e belos!</span>
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before entering the road to
Transport Dam we saw 3 female waterbucks by the road, in between the grass. We
can see one of them in the first picture. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">As
African Buffalos, waterbucks are not threatened, but their populations are declining.
Even though they have “water” as a suffix, these big antelopes neither are
really aquatic nor are at home in water. They have this name because they take
refuge in water to escape predators. However, this use of water may have led to
adaptations, if we interpret the smelly, oily secretion that covers their fur
as playing the function of waterproofing.
Older waterbucks are also avoided by predators because their meat has an
unpleasant odor, resulting from the waterproofing secretions of its sweat
glands. Predators tend to prefer, then, other preys. Probably because bad smell
usually means unpleasant food, poisonous, toxic, or something like that, it is
commonly thought that waterbuck meat is not edible. This is not true, the meat
is safe to eat. We didn’t find it to eat in the Kruger restaurants, but in Wikipedia, one says that it is not especially tasty. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Waterbucks
do inhabit areas close to water in savannah grasslands, gallery forests and
riverine woodlands. In these habitats, they have enough food, provided by long
grasses, but also find watery places to flee from predators. It is interesting
that they consume coarse grass species seldom eaten by other grazers, and
occasionally browse leaves from certain trees and bushes.</span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">They
are mostly sedentary and territorial animals. Young males form herds, but as
they mature, they turn into more territorial behavior. However, they do not
scent-mark their territories. Females are found in herds, but so loosely formed
that they are not really social groups, but just groups of individuals with
overlapping home ranges. It is easy to differentiate females from males,
because they are smaller and exhibit no horns.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">In the second picture, we see another great contribution to the animal butts calendar. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">The
waterbuck back is a target! Well, only an animal with so many predator
avoidance strategies could have a target at its back! Just kidding. Here is a
very nice African tale about how the waterbuck got its white circle: </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=5272">http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=5272</a></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">We
have this tale in a book of African tales we bought in the Kruger. Fantastic
book! My daughter has now just 4 months. As soon as she can understand more, I am eager to read the tales to her.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
the tale, we curiously find a functional explanation for the white ring: it is
useful because it shows up in the dark and the young ones are able to follow their mother to the safety of the forest! It is indeed an accepted explanation for the
function of the white ring. It is a “follow me” marking, regularly found in
mammals, which allows animals to follow each other, particularly young animals
following their mothers. This is, then, a nice example of traditional and
scientific knowledge in agreement!</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">Evolutionarily,
we have to figure out populations of variant waterbucks, some showing markings,
other not showing, and the selective advantage of the animals showing markings
leading to greater chances of successful survival and reproduction. Surely, we
cannot figure out such a symmetrical marking appeared at once, but its gradual
building up through several generations of waterbucks. It is always nice to
think of evolution in front of diverse and beautiful animals!</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-34510997382006499722012-09-16T16:41:00.000-07:002012-09-17T21:47:55.398-07:00Loop Napi (S11) e mamíferos na Napi Road<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ainda em 5 de Janeiro de 2011, nosso segundo dia completo no Kruger, indo de Pretoriuskop para Skukuza pela Napi Road.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">S11, o loop Napi, é apenas um desvio curto da Napi Road, mas é legal deixar o asfalto por um tempo e seguir por uma estrada de terra. Ali vimos apenas 2 </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Estorninhos-metálicos, 1 Rola do Cabo e</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> 1 Drongo-de-cauda forcada (</span><i style="line-height: 18px;">Dicrurus adsimilis</i><span style="line-height: 18px;">). O melhor foi ver o afloramento surpreendente de Na</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">pi Boulders, com as duas rochas acima. Perguntei a Haroldo Sá a este respeito e ele me disse que são provavelmente resultado de erosão. Eu li que corujas podem ser vistas ali no crepúsculo, mas passamos por ali longe desse horário. Há uma placa no local como um memorial a Justice J. F. Ludorf, que foi Presidente do Conselho dos Parques, que morreu em 1978. Seguem duas fotos de Napi Boulders. Gosto muito da foto com as duas rochas suspensas e a ave voando entre elas.</span>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg432aFGXdiJkdaNM9_lHnP8Ce3Ol25IqVJERbrB_YQxotSejcHYfgKQNrowmd9QMw7Q78PpkWDLcf8oGsd5WnQ672NLygr2rIlp0pwiqgvVIXMUx6-EYck1Azrk5QRofeW9C9qngDo8nij/s1600/Napi+Boulders+2_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg432aFGXdiJkdaNM9_lHnP8Ce3Ol25IqVJERbrB_YQxotSejcHYfgKQNrowmd9QMw7Q78PpkWDLcf8oGsd5WnQ672NLygr2rIlp0pwiqgvVIXMUx6-EYck1Azrk5QRofeW9C9qngDo8nij/s400/Napi+Boulders+2_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWXrVbMR7b9t-kjrusbZ7JlkLmbxiKhFiUSEctNB40FUFW3gDfpR7YOYe5xa-S-mkkr0my5f4p9RlyOLQ1cMWDJzFkzX2haaMmwR0gHzy031nr84mLge_i_22fosbJWxLjgQmuStsIo4w/s1600/Napi+Boulders+10_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWXrVbMR7b9t-kjrusbZ7JlkLmbxiKhFiUSEctNB40FUFW3gDfpR7YOYe5xa-S-mkkr0my5f4p9RlyOLQ1cMWDJzFkzX2haaMmwR0gHzy031nr84mLge_i_22fosbJWxLjgQmuStsIo4w/s400/Napi+Boulders+10_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Voltamos então a Napi Road, a caminho do Reservatório Transport. Até a entrada da estrada de terra que leva ao reservatório, nós vimos mais 3 Estorninhos-metálicos, 1 Escrevedeira-de-peito-dourado (<i>Emberiza flaviventris</i>), 2 Picanço-rabilongo (<i>Corvinella melanoleuca</i>), 2 Búfalos Africanos, 1 Drongo-de-cauda-forcada, 1 Tartaruga Leopardo (<i>Stigmochelys pardalis</i>) e </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">3 fêmeas de Waterbucks (</span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Kobus ellipsiprymnus</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">).</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Nesta imagem, vemos a Escrevedeira-de-peito-dourado em pleno canto. Esta ave tem uma população estável, sendo classificada como Least Concern na Lista Vermelha da IUCN. No entanto, ela é regularmente capturada ilegalmente pelo tráfico de animais.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid84dIU6Ykqz2XW7dNQXvKYcNkhfCPjraGdmhqL9SGo3tFz2SpqsVN5quSxxiazeJ6hINuSm6GFS4UbCfle3YOoGVk2nTmi7QadBnPyAPD1srlbfT-qn2g2hqOH4mqEcWt6d9Yx_B5T6KC/s1600/Golden-Breasted+Bunting+4_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid84dIU6Ykqz2XW7dNQXvKYcNkhfCPjraGdmhqL9SGo3tFz2SpqsVN5quSxxiazeJ6hINuSm6GFS4UbCfle3YOoGVk2nTmi7QadBnPyAPD1srlbfT-qn2g2hqOH4mqEcWt6d9Yx_B5T6KC/s400/Golden-Breasted+Bunting+4_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Aqui, meio oculto na folhagem, nosso primeiro Picanço-rabilongo, que considero uma ave fascinante, que ainda encontraríamos muitas vezes em nossa viagem. Embora também classificado como Least Concern na Lista Vermelha, a tendência populacional é de declínio. Há três populações separadas desta ave na África, uma no Quênia e Tanzânia, outra em Malawi e norte de Moçambique, e, finalmente, a maior população estendendo-se de Angola e Zâmbia até o sul da África. Ele pode ser encontrado em ambientes selvagens e em jardins suburbanos e parques urbanos. É um insetívoro versátil, com uma variedade de técnicas de forrageamento. Talvez este que vimos estava usando uma das técnicas, pousado numa posição proeminente, buscando um item alimentar e então mergulhando para capturá-lo quando localizado.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoSp80_lMEZsZqcbH1QSblR4QphiJab4_7fow0tHiTq-4KV_m_nZtDDDh5Bl8D3wnHloTabvTaR8GwrrUv99CyljfR4mEsiYmIMsOFos-8jqoxmQjO866Q17lw-ZiUyRJilHn8YJj8bGK/s1600/Magpie+Shrike+2_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoSp80_lMEZsZqcbH1QSblR4QphiJab4_7fow0tHiTq-4KV_m_nZtDDDh5Bl8D3wnHloTabvTaR8GwrrUv99CyljfR4mEsiYmIMsOFos-8jqoxmQjO866Q17lw-ZiUyRJilHn8YJj8bGK/s400/Magpie+Shrike+2_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Então encontramos dois búfalos africanos ao lado da estrada, um encontro muito mais próximo do que o nosso anterior, com um búfalo escondendo-se da chuva. Quando estamos diante deles, fica bem distinto o sentimento de que estes são animais poderosos. Não surpreende que lutem até mesmo com leões! Na foto abaixo, podemos ver como era bonito o cenário como um todo, com os búfalos em meio à savana florestada.</span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvb0o7fObS6UGlNpdKozpqFySyGiNmisetTWzPS8G25aBL_nrj1l4WQo-A-JxJGIrT0ZLG-nCTiddCpI3Dp22k-EmqDDy94f6JPs0jrY18Bk6oaqT6BL0Vp8mcSLaRiyNC2h1NT7jzEwC-/s1600/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+24_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvb0o7fObS6UGlNpdKozpqFySyGiNmisetTWzPS8G25aBL_nrj1l4WQo-A-JxJGIrT0ZLG-nCTiddCpI3Dp22k-EmqDDy94f6JPs0jrY18Bk6oaqT6BL0Vp8mcSLaRiyNC2h1NT7jzEwC-/s400/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+24_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 18px;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">As duas fotos que seguem mostra um dos grandes búfalos. Numa delas, um detalhe de seus cornos. Estes são cornos enormes e certamente são parte da razão pela qual búfalos atraem nossa imaginação. Eles são realmente armas formidáveis contra predadores e para disputas dentro da manada, seja por espaço ou por dominância. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Notem também como o búfalo estava coberto de lama, para proteger-se do sol. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Nós já havíamos visto quatro dos cinco grandes (big five) na viagem, uma vez que já havíamos visto um leão, alguns rinocerontes, 5 elefantes, e agora três búfalos. Infelizmente, terminaria por aí, porque não tivemos a sorte de ver um leopardo em toda a viagem. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheE6Z36BrfKYSiYoK6aPK2qM2lmcOvqmAp1E7NPfNFbcuASQ96hUzkdF2qdFaT5e92IPvhoqQpb8NikeeTxaHsHLE6uG_HeH3_uiMC8QzI2JII2mwlOeE3rVxKlP-Pogop9dPYlGZmF3Ob/s1600/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+15_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheE6Z36BrfKYSiYoK6aPK2qM2lmcOvqmAp1E7NPfNFbcuASQ96hUzkdF2qdFaT5e92IPvhoqQpb8NikeeTxaHsHLE6uG_HeH3_uiMC8QzI2JII2mwlOeE3rVxKlP-Pogop9dPYlGZmF3Ob/s400/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+15_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9QpVLD7saD-Jz-aVSuDJ00rLgG1cGD7MhkM81aj0MYJREiohfXvMRuJ-s_pkiPtO83UfVJslx3-QSD_si9WOaU8Nspk7bV-mvcUsfjjcxhLKlntrQJDQfpePLBuvP63N1QvzwNARPCWT9/s1600/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+16_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9QpVLD7saD-Jz-aVSuDJ00rLgG1cGD7MhkM81aj0MYJREiohfXvMRuJ-s_pkiPtO83UfVJslx3-QSD_si9WOaU8Nspk7bV-mvcUsfjjcxhLKlntrQJDQfpePLBuvP63N1QvzwNARPCWT9/s400/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+16_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Uma coisa podemos dizer com certeza: eles têm faces assustadoras! Vejam a olhada que ele nos deu!</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizazxklapcTLsZha_cvRMN_wyVXKa9mSm5N4JFdc3hyphenhyphenBh2eahlzxdtPkxRnUuxnjfuC6Y_EiVRDJxWFC9XV6YIEOoTzZQG6qdD0XFgrTDX53rIeSlWzIFytu39NmnOZcn9sa3dB-fwfsXy/s1600/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+21_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizazxklapcTLsZha_cvRMN_wyVXKa9mSm5N4JFdc3hyphenhyphenBh2eahlzxdtPkxRnUuxnjfuC6Y_EiVRDJxWFC9XV6YIEOoTzZQG6qdD0XFgrTDX53rIeSlWzIFytu39NmnOZcn9sa3dB-fwfsXy/s400/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+21_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Estávamos sempre procurando situações interessantes de um ponto de vista comportamental. Por esta razão, sempre que podíamos ficávamos 20, 30 min. observando os mesmos animais.</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> Nós fizemos isso com os búfalos e conseguimos admirar uma sessão inteira de coceira contra os arbustos</span><span style="line-height: 18px;">. O búfalo parecia estar gostando. É compreensível: é sempre bom livrar-se de alguns parasitas.</span>
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0yjSP-NCX-gh0HkhcMvQAJPoLdP8RbfX2VNyUF0bFnQX5kQgbsCPv9YmWbl90yghiSb4qsX6AjhcO8QA75djyYNs1ylYSP77J1fw7y_cixIhhges90aWZVyi0QQtrNgi4-5IPkctpvmN/s1600/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+42_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0yjSP-NCX-gh0HkhcMvQAJPoLdP8RbfX2VNyUF0bFnQX5kQgbsCPv9YmWbl90yghiSb4qsX6AjhcO8QA75djyYNs1ylYSP77J1fw7y_cixIhhges90aWZVyi0QQtrNgi4-5IPkctpvmN/s400/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+42_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finalmente, outra piada interna da viagem. Decidimos construir um calendário de bundinhas animais. Esta é uma boa imagem para… digamos… Fevereiro.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir970pckSQtJEtcvIwvGgP6slSiFF1cZBdfwTAsiBFZeExilzmqKcd0abh0lK8qtUhyphenhyphenGbFr6uzneGahudjeM0mbBLpgssqR_PbPNPoVlpC4qXITpzYAD52lesRHT_FH7gsOsZPncykGF2s/s1600/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+64_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir970pckSQtJEtcvIwvGgP6slSiFF1cZBdfwTAsiBFZeExilzmqKcd0abh0lK8qtUhyphenhyphenGbFr6uzneGahudjeM0mbBLpgssqR_PbPNPoVlpC4qXITpzYAD52lesRHT_FH7gsOsZPncykGF2s/s400/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+64_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Na décima foto um dos búfalos com um Drongo-de-cauda-forcada acima dele.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpCGy6kyR_DSMFKF0-k7XvscElu922nmSWBBwHi9OOdghn3oA4Dg4SM5kP1O7shqvOlUGgu9bUMmNju9BxKjb9Qp6eV79O-UHzIgzPA9s0_4-6_USI6hyphenhyphensrTANVIv_MmxTgEZ0Rd4t74t/s1600/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+e+Fork-tailed+Drongo+2_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpCGy6kyR_DSMFKF0-k7XvscElu922nmSWBBwHi9OOdghn3oA4Dg4SM5kP1O7shqvOlUGgu9bUMmNju9BxKjb9Qp6eV79O-UHzIgzPA9s0_4-6_USI6hyphenhyphensrTANVIv_MmxTgEZ0Rd4t74t/s400/B%C3%BAfalos+Africanos+e+Fork-tailed+Drongo+2_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Resta ainda disponibilizar uma informação chave. Búfalos Africanos não estão ameaçados, de acordo com a Lista Vermelha da IUCN, mas suas populações estão em declínio.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Still
January 5th 2011, second full day in Kruger, going from Pretoriuskop to Skukuza by the
Napi Road.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">S11, the Napi Loop, is just a short detour from
Napi Road, but it is great to leave the tar for a while to follow a gravel
road. There we saw just 2 <span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">Cape
Glossy Starlings, 1 Cape Turtle-Dove and
1 Fork-tailed Drongo </span>(<i>Dicrurus adsimilis</i>). The great thing was to see the surprising
outcrop of Napi Boulders, with the two rocks on top. I asked Haroldo Sá about it and he told me that is probably the result of erosion. I
read owls can be seen there at dusk, but we were still far from that time when
we passed by. There is a plaque there as a memorial to Justice J. F. Ludorf, former
Parks Board Chairman, who died in 1978. The first two pictures are of the Napi
Boulders. I like very much the picture of the two suspended rocks with the bird
flying in between.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Then we came back to Napi Road, on
our way to Transport Dam. Up to the entrance to the gravel road leading to the
dam, we saw more 3 Cape Glossy Starling, 1 Golden-Breasted Bunting (<i>Emberiza flaviventris</i>), 2 Magpie
(African Longtailed) Shrikes (<i>Corvinella melanoleuca</i>),
2 African Buffalos, 1 Fork-tailed Drongo, 1 Leopard Tortoise (<i>Stigmochelys pardalis</i>), and<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3 female Waterbucks (<i>Kobus ellipsiprymnus</i>).</span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
the third picture, we can see the Golden-Breasted Bunting in full singing. This
bird has a stable population, being classified as Least Concern in the IUCN Red
List. However, it is regularly captured illegally for animal traffic.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the fourth picture,
half hidden in the foliage, our first Magpie Shrike, which I think it is a
fascinating bird, which we would still encounter many times in our trip.
Although also Least Concern in the Red List, the population trend shows a
decline. There are three separate populations of this bird in Africa, one in
Kenya and Tanzania, another in Malawi and northern Mozambique, and, finally,
the largest one from Angola and Zambia to southern Africa. It can be found both
in the wild and in suburban gardens and town parks. It is a versatile
insectivore, with a variety of foraging techniques. Maybe the one we saw was
using one of the techniques, to perch in a prominent position, searching for a
food item and then diving to catch it when localized.</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then we found two African Buffalos
by the road, a much closer encounter than our previous one, with a Buffalo
hidden from the rain. When we are in front of them, it is quite clear the
feeling that these are powerful animals. No surprise they even fight lions! In
the fifth picture we can see how beautiful the scenery as a whole was, with the
buffalos in the middle of savannah woodland.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">The
following two pictures show one of the massive buffalos, and then a detail of
its horns. These are huge horns and they are certainly part of the reason why
Buffalos capture our imagination. They are really formidable weapons against
predators and for disputes within the herd, either for space or for dominance. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Notice, also, how the buffalo was covered in mud, to protect from the sun. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">We
had already seen four of the big five in the trip, since we had already
seen a lion, some rhinos (not disclosed here to avoid giving information for
poaching), five elephants, and now three buffalos. Unfortunately, that would be
it, since we didn’t have the luck of spotting a leopard in the whole trip. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One thing we can say for sure: they
have scary faces! See in eighth picture the gaze he gave us!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We
were always looking for behaviorally interesting situations. For this reason,
whenever we could, we would stay 20, 30 min. watching the same animals. We did so with the buffalo and could admire a
whole session of scratching against the shrubs. The buffalo seemed to be
enjoying. It is understandable: it is a good thing to get rid of some
parasites.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, another inside joke of the
trip. We decided to build a calendar of
animal butts. Maybe the ninth picture is a good one for… let’s say… February.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the tenth picture one of the Buffalos with a
Fork-Tailed Drongo above it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We need to just provide, then, a key
information. African Buffalos are not threatened, according to the IUCN Red List,
but their populations are declining.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-60724104916352647152012-09-08T20:09:00.000-07:002012-09-16T16:14:58.673-07:00Aves na Napi Road (H1-1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span lang="EN-US">Deixando Shitlhave Dam, seguimos a Napi Road novamente até alcançar o curto loop Napi (S11). Foi uma parte rica da estrada para observação de aves. Nesse pequeno pedaço da estrada, nós vimos: </span>1 Cotovia-de-nuca-vermelha (<i>Mirafra Africana</i>), 1 Viúva-de-colar-vermelho (<i>Euplectes ardens</i>), 1 Rolieiro-europeu (<i>Coracias garrulus</i>) , 1 Tecelão-parasita (<i>Anomalospiza imberbis</i>), 1 Martim-pescador riscado (<i>Halcyon chelicuti</i>), e 1 Drongo-de-cauda-forcada (<i>Dicrurus adsimilis</i>).<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Da Napi Road, uma coisa bonita de se ver é o reservatório Shilthave cercado pela savana.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRokgxPdojbu45_qev2h8ycUVQI_l3Ht_Ln_x8hq81WTpnzOe5sUFeUqrgR7yXoNwAv6HSaee386blGyZHdetTSOkDo0poxWe-cHvp4VbuaPa3cOC4zG6WSFSFeaJ6EvEvdR6YKKUCeipV/s1600/Shitlhave+Dam+vista+da+Napi+Road+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRokgxPdojbu45_qev2h8ycUVQI_l3Ht_Ln_x8hq81WTpnzOe5sUFeUqrgR7yXoNwAv6HSaee386blGyZHdetTSOkDo0poxWe-cHvp4VbuaPa3cOC4zG6WSFSFeaJ6EvEvdR6YKKUCeipV/s400/Shitlhave+Dam+vista+da+Napi+Road+1_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Abaixo uma foto de </span></span>uma Cotovia-de-nuca-vermelha chamando por outras cotovias ao redor<span style="line-height: 18px;">. Não é uma boa foto, mas o comportamento é interessante. Não consegui resistir. Esta é uma bela ave, ainda bem não ameaçada (Least concern na Lista Vermelha do IUCN, mas com população em declínio).</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSN86YMMCWq8EY7BOkl80wOn0_IYW9RLDrz3Y9L6LDmHiXbdBuo0qPVlll2YhRAWrkrMi8QTIXVcxdROJNePyXKEmIyISwC5iXgtwfZgwMP9KtfZhQGqDLVQEoGJlhHdClz3XpRHK8-1p2/s1600/Rufous-naped+Lark+2_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSN86YMMCWq8EY7BOkl80wOn0_IYW9RLDrz3Y9L6LDmHiXbdBuo0qPVlll2YhRAWrkrMi8QTIXVcxdROJNePyXKEmIyISwC5iXgtwfZgwMP9KtfZhQGqDLVQEoGJlhHdClz3XpRHK8-1p2/s400/Rufous-naped+Lark+2_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 18px;">Rolieiro-europeus foram muito comuns durante toda a viagem que, ao final, nem estávamos mais fotografando-os. Nós tínhamos muitas piadas nossas durante a viagem. Uma delas vinha à tona quando eu pedia para pararmos para mais uma foto de Rolieiros-europes (após centenas delas) e Carol e Peu gritavam, “De novo não!”</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfkiICweG4vmqUT5-wX0v9iSZPCotX06S2ATf_c5G25VNnLJCKe-iIpFyFutcAzXOpvgj89D2Fi986QMk4QNXDct-3JW_MsFaI2-_UYDdOUgjzlRf3GFbYp_3C3zBTaVddY9G0lGu_6qU/s1600/European+Roller+7_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfkiICweG4vmqUT5-wX0v9iSZPCotX06S2ATf_c5G25VNnLJCKe-iIpFyFutcAzXOpvgj89D2Fi986QMk4QNXDct-3JW_MsFaI2-_UYDdOUgjzlRf3GFbYp_3C3zBTaVddY9G0lGu_6qU/s400/European+Roller+7_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ULxiozg213v2FrPkMJq022_1xRzSXy7Lv_LP3XFbpHoP1Fhk7Xgh47SdKYHQ3KgvvxJkfsp7jJW74ADdRjQlW7IQQ0_cEG5RSWlICezRWc4BRBSnORc8r1rJaGdTEVWD27njMcQdIIgc/s1600/European+Roller+13_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ULxiozg213v2FrPkMJq022_1xRzSXy7Lv_LP3XFbpHoP1Fhk7Xgh47SdKYHQ3KgvvxJkfsp7jJW74ADdRjQlW7IQQ0_cEG5RSWlICezRWc4BRBSnORc8r1rJaGdTEVWD27njMcQdIIgc/s400/European+Roller+13_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 18px;">Mas elas são belas aves, não? Se eu retornar ao Kruger no inverno, quando eles não estão por lá, certamente sentirei falta deles. Rolieiros-europeus estão distribuídos fora da época de procriação na África sub-saariana, enquanto procriam em vários outros locais, como Marrocos, Espanha, Polônia, Sibéria e Índia. Embora ainda seja comum, está classificado como </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Near threatened na Lista Vermelha da IUCN, com populações em declínio. Assim, devemos ficar contentes de termos visto tantos no Kruger. Esta ave tem uma distribuição esparsa, mostrando preferência por biomas de savana, principalmente de folhas largas e ambientes florestados com acácias.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 18px;">O que ele está fazendo naquele ramo? Provavelmente caçando. Ele se alimenta principalmente de insetos voadores (cupins alados, besouros, gafanhotos), esperando por eles pousado e lançando-se sobre eles quando se aproximam.</span>
<br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 18px;">A foto abaixo é a única que tiramos do </span>Tecelão-parasita que vimos na Napi Road. A partir das discussões que travamos sobre este avistamento no fórum da Sanparks, fiquei com a impressão de que é um animal relativamente raro de se ver. De qualquer, é uma ave tão bela que ousei colocar aqui esta foto única e não tão boa.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtz7x6N2E2IHFEmSrVDs-x1AuiiRUymPG8lswCU_0nbEa_YFXht90Ovls0w0ZRTG3tyhcAAyuXVGqBJPZtfHCwckc1LwnzZFmM8q1I_TFPDv4Y4WuAUaQI-8DLklfIbQdthbY0ot7Tshx/s1600/Cuckoo+Finch+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtz7x6N2E2IHFEmSrVDs-x1AuiiRUymPG8lswCU_0nbEa_YFXht90Ovls0w0ZRTG3tyhcAAyuXVGqBJPZtfHCwckc1LwnzZFmM8q1I_TFPDv4Y4WuAUaQI-8DLklfIbQdthbY0ot7Tshx/s400/Cuckoo+Finch+1_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Esta ave é classificada como Least Concern na Lista Vermelha da IUCN, com populações estáveis. Assim, não está realmente ameaçada, o que é muito bom! Ele mostra hábitos diversificados, podendo ser residente, nômade ou migratório, podendo se mover em grupos de 8-50 aves, às vezes mais de 1000 aves, buscando áreas em que tenha chovido recentemente. Esta era uma ave solitária, até onde pudemos ver. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Esta </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> ave se alimenta principalmente de grama,
raramente de insetos. Finalmente, a coisa mais notável sobre os tecelões-parasitas é que eles são parasitas de ninhos, colocando ovos nos ninhos de outras aves, poupando cuidado parental. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Eles parasitam várias espécies de </span><i style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Cisticola</i><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> e também espécies de </span><i style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Prinia</i><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">. Primeiro, a fêmea remove um ou todos os ovos dos hospedeiros e então coloca um único ovo no ninho parasitado. Usualmente, ela parasita quatro ninhos no espaço de uns poucos dias.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">À medida que seguíamos a estrada, a chuva estava se tornando cada vez mais provável. Olhem o céu escuro por trás do </span>Drongo-de-cauda-forcada, o primeiro de muitos que vimos no Kruger.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_KInZ63KatDSHRzFg5SOYxH1tSOo3DTI2MW8tg_D8K5DW4lTexLHNLoE_jdCCimMKs5idqtHhnr4iH0FWKQ3z-5gCPhl9dzhoiVDXRfdFFYur9-t2BuThv8ArqQ3sBg3abrWm0MDDvZR/s1600/Fork-tailed+Drongo+6_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_KInZ63KatDSHRzFg5SOYxH1tSOo3DTI2MW8tg_D8K5DW4lTexLHNLoE_jdCCimMKs5idqtHhnr4iH0FWKQ3z-5gCPhl9dzhoiVDXRfdFFYur9-t2BuThv8ArqQ3sBg3abrWm0MDDvZR/s400/Fork-tailed+Drongo+6_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Esta ave também não está ameaçada, com populações estáveis. O aspecto mais interessante de sua biologia é que ele é um cleptoparasita, roubando comida de outras aves e até mesmo mamíferos, como suricatos. Quando visitarmos Kgalagadi no próximo ano, espero que possamos ver drongos pousados sobre suricatos forrageando, tentando roubar sua comida. Eles mimetizam chamados de alarme dos suricatos para criar confusão e então roubam a comida. Isso seria algo muito bom de ver. No Kruger, infelizmente, não vimos qualquer evento de roubo dos drongos, evidentemente não de suricatos, que não são encontrados ali, mas de outras aves.</span>
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;">Leaving
Shitlhave Dam, we followed Napi Road again until reaching the short Napi loop (S11). It was a rich part
of the road for birding. In this small part of the road, we saw: 1 Rufous-naped
Lark (<i>Mirafra Africana</i>), 1
Red-Collared Widowbird (<i>Euplectes ardens</i>),
1 European Roller (<i>Coracias garrulus</i>)
, 1 Cuckoo Finch (<i>Anomalospiza imberbis</i>),
1 Striped Kingfisher (<i>Halcyon chelicuti</i>),
and 1 Fork-tailed Drongo (<i>Dicrurus
adsimilis</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;">One nice
thing is to see Shitlhave Dam surrounding by the savannah from Napi Road.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">Here
is a picture of the Rufous-naped Lark calling for other larks around. Not a
good picture, but an interesting behavior. I cannot resist. This is a nice
bird, thankfully not threatened (Least concern in the IUCN Red List, but with
declining population).</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">European
rollers were so common during the whole trip that by the end we were not
photographing them anymore. We had many inside jokes during the trip. One of
them was raised every time I asked to stop for one more picture of European
Rollers (after hundreds of them) and Carol and Peu
would shout at me, “Not again!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">But they
are nice birds, aren’t they? If I come back to Kruger in winter, when they’re
not there, I will certainly miss them. European rollers have their non breeding
distribution in sub-Saharan Africa, while it breeds in several other places,
such as Morocco, Spain, Poland, Siberia and India. Although it is still common,
it is classified as Near threatened in the IUCN Red List, with decreasing
populations. Thus, we should be happy we saw so many of them in Kruger. This bird has
a scattered distribution, showing preference to savannah biomes, mainly
broad-leaved and Acacia woodland. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">What is he doing in that branch? Probably
hunting. It feeds mainly on flying insects (termite alates, beetles, locusts),
waiting for them perched and pouncing on them when they get close.</span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">The
picture below is the only one we got from the Cuckoo Finch we saw in Napi Road.
From our discussions on this sighting in the Sanparks forum, I’ve got the
impression that it is a somewhat rare sighting. Anyway, it is
such a nice bird that I dare put here this not so good (but single) picture.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">This
bird is classified as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List, with stable
populations. Thus, not really threatened, what is great! It shows diversified
habits, it can be resident, nomadic or migratory, it can move in flock of 8-50
birds, sometimes over 1000 birds, looking for areas where rain recently fell.
This was a lone bird to the extent that we could see. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">This bird mainly feeds on grass,
rarely insects. Finally, the most outstanding thing about cuckoo finches is
that it is a brood parasite, laying eggs in other birds’ nests, saving in
parental care. It parasitizes several species of <i>Cisticola</i> and also species of <i>Prinia</i>.
First, the female removes one or all of the host’s eggs and then lay a single
egg in the parasitized nest. Usually it parasites four nests in the space of a
few days.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As
we followed the road, rain was becoming more and more probable. </span></span>Look at the
dark sky behind the fork-tailed drongo, the first of many we saw in Kruger.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">It
is also a not threatened bird, with stable populations. The most interesting
feature of its biology is that it is a kleptoparasite, stealing food from other
birds and even mammals, such as meerkats. When we visit Kgalagadi next year, I
hope we can see drongos perching over foraging meerkats trying to rob their
food. They mimick the meerkat’s alarm call to create confusion and then steal
the food. That would be a great thing to see. In Kruger, unfortunately, we did
not see any stealing event of drongos, evidently not of meerkats, not found
there, but of other birds.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-76180028021542968092012-09-07T00:03:00.001-07:002012-09-16T16:13:42.221-07:00Uma grande surpresa no caminho de Shilthave Dam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Então, nós entramos na estrada de Shitlhave Dam... e subitamente ouvi Pedro gritar. Ali estava ele, um leão (<i>Panthera leo</i>) andando na nossa direção, visivelmente incomodado por vários carros que o seguiam. Conhecíamos então a faceta lotada do sul do Kruger. Ele parecia um velho macho, que fora acordado por todas aquelas pessoas. Nós vimos muitos leões posteriormente sem tantas pessoas os incomodando, mais ao norte do parque. Mas naquele ponto altamente visitado, ele estava simplesmente danado. Então, subitamente ele parou e se virou rumo a um carro. Oops, o que ele faria, nós pensamos diante da cena. Mas ele simplesmente girou em torno de si mesmo, como um gatinho pequeno, e deitou tentando dormir. Sim, ele estava sonolento. Não é surpreendente, leões machos dormem até 20 horas por dia! Mas era difícil dormir com tanta gente ao redor. Assim, ele veio rumo ao nosso carro, passou bem ao meu lado (como uma das fotos mostra) e desapareceu entre as árvores, tentando achar um lugar para tirar seu cochilo em paz. Wow, isso foi demais... fizemos piadas de que era um leão treinado que fugira de um circo.. Apenas piadas.... É este tipo de situação assombrosa que o Kruger nos oferece. Aqui seguem as fotos. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So,
we entered Shitlhave Dam road… and, suddenly, I hear Pedro shout. There he is,
a lion (<i>Panthera leo</i>) walking towards
us, visibly annoyed by several cars following him. We knew then the crowded face of South Kruger. He looked like an old male,
who was woken up by all those people. We saw many lions afterwards without so
many people annoying them, up north in the park. But at that highly visited
point, he simply looked pissed off. Then, he suddenly stopped and turned
towards a car. Oops, what would he do, we considered amazed by the scene. But
he simply went round himself, like a small cat, and laid down to try to sleep.
Yes, this guy was sleepy. Not
surprising, male lions sleep up to 20 hours per day! But it was difficult to
sleep with so many people around. So, he came by our car, passed just besides
me (as one of the pictures show) and disappeared among the trees, trying to
find a spot to take his nap in peace. Wow, that was something… We made jokes
that he was a trained lion that escaped from a circus… but it was just jokes…
this is the kind of amazing situation that Kruger offers us. Here is the sequence
of pictures.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Este leão estava realmente cercado por carros.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This lion
was really surrounded by cars.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47KIw6OYjCREoVVPk3HtYrkovVg3shmGXLD_CNv4r23vCfMuPOA6_3WA7N-oAmoz7iIyrzSZ2VvF7h4Aypw4AGuOSCIIj_lqJW6iuoyBFNTCCggill3a7D_KZLk_Vgyeq2khAbWM1l0A9/s1600/Le%C3%A3o+4_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47KIw6OYjCREoVVPk3HtYrkovVg3shmGXLD_CNv4r23vCfMuPOA6_3WA7N-oAmoz7iIyrzSZ2VvF7h4Aypw4AGuOSCIIj_lqJW6iuoyBFNTCCggill3a7D_KZLk_Vgyeq2khAbWM1l0A9/s400/Le%C3%A3o+4_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">Aqui está ele se virando.. Ele fará algo com as pessoas no carro? Não, só girando para tentar dormir como se fosse um gatinho... Obviamente, não é nada do tipo!</span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Here he is
turning back… Will he do something with the people in the car? No, just going
round to sleep as if he was a small cat… obviously, nothing of the sort!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHJ7xrLnpUMnDtaKXM5kU1FDKfdd0YjCJCgv6cS3whZgHT7zzv35inofqXTewTC9AP4WHqZSnLRuVdo14NEOZb-nuT18SXffbLrUW_8LIIimC8QxmJCzhQdmRMXeHdmQK7FECEaRkKwD7/s1600/Le%C3%A3o+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHJ7xrLnpUMnDtaKXM5kU1FDKfdd0YjCJCgv6cS3whZgHT7zzv35inofqXTewTC9AP4WHqZSnLRuVdo14NEOZb-nuT18SXffbLrUW_8LIIimC8QxmJCzhQdmRMXeHdmQK7FECEaRkKwD7/s400/Le%C3%A3o+1_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmztEOP44gZ_Ge6GxYPJRM7CJOYabf1LylLMlQTDT5CUnET8o-K_By_SgmszXgwBS8FeNofz8QpO_DnYcPyyud2VbViSdsRGsd1QJenaxy57Uts-eLA2oYQSq4hN-Myc66-iCnwe4crDsE/s1600/Le%25C3%25A3o+2_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmztEOP44gZ_Ge6GxYPJRM7CJOYabf1LylLMlQTDT5CUnET8o-K_By_SgmszXgwBS8FeNofz8QpO_DnYcPyyud2VbViSdsRGsd1QJenaxy57Uts-eLA2oYQSq4hN-Myc66-iCnwe4crDsE/s400/Le%25C3%25A3o+2_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXtHa626yA_wmqYCC08e7w-vCv3bAftdg7OgN9MOWdWrJgcm-i93bzTEKR7HfFwQqqxXsD_Zzi8dQUUqJ1bQlgJ7klcPdsAb88N3Kv6fEIwSuD4LzK-cprpRMeffNB9hSDD3BO8jQT-JN/s1600/Le%25C3%25A3o+3_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXtHa626yA_wmqYCC08e7w-vCv3bAftdg7OgN9MOWdWrJgcm-i93bzTEKR7HfFwQqqxXsD_Zzi8dQUUqJ1bQlgJ7klcPdsAb88N3Kv6fEIwSuD4LzK-cprpRMeffNB9hSDD3BO8jQT-JN/s400/Le%25C3%25A3o+3_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVP_qvdxJc4xd3BNeZT30XWHNGKUtqI6aczlc6cNE7VjOshK5mWR-L9IwAp9qjzlthaLgmQMLJvsy_cKpaUd9I42ZwHIYGle_WF1mFP2WyuXSUyWeGz2wenD2Vxsaelf57spxvAF8raqf/s1600/Le%25C3%25A3o+17_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVP_qvdxJc4xd3BNeZT30XWHNGKUtqI6aczlc6cNE7VjOshK5mWR-L9IwAp9qjzlthaLgmQMLJvsy_cKpaUd9I42ZwHIYGle_WF1mFP2WyuXSUyWeGz2wenD2Vxsaelf57spxvAF8raqf/s400/Le%25C3%25A3o+17_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ele ainda estava incomodada. Uma nova solução tinha de ser encontada: ir para longe dessas pessoas!</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">He was
still annoyed. A new solution had to be found: go away of all these people!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxV8it9A4KL5NQ9ZuLfeC2V57hc2y6l_FoDG7HsOOO7ykf9a8BWaw5L0orTelcGJdSN5Mhk80sV0IAhr5OsxLax7KHsR1URkQ9uoae7YWXfqBAEWLNVFEWsoJsMAig3VojXV6Dqnf0Van/s1600/Le%C3%A3o+18_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxV8it9A4KL5NQ9ZuLfeC2V57hc2y6l_FoDG7HsOOO7ykf9a8BWaw5L0orTelcGJdSN5Mhk80sV0IAhr5OsxLax7KHsR1URkQ9uoae7YWXfqBAEWLNVFEWsoJsMAig3VojXV6Dqnf0Van/s400/Le%C3%A3o+18_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Então ele veio na nossa direção e passou bem ao meu lado, quando tirei a terceira foto abaixo, com a janela abaixada, claro.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Then
he just came in our direction and passed just besides me, when I took the third
picture below, with the window down, surely.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhLMOe6TMdO0TmbUDZ3GJupVc3RvrgKNSoEW_iU5jV6J7_s3Ba6TLB8AlvmG4Vg7JE_M8mVA67WTrdNPIDHKrgByGkyZ_8EMiRbhZgtABs8ZIkIJgHhHelrXr2Js8ruzeSfcPXa1oFw0L/s1600/Le%C3%A3o+20_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhLMOe6TMdO0TmbUDZ3GJupVc3RvrgKNSoEW_iU5jV6J7_s3Ba6TLB8AlvmG4Vg7JE_M8mVA67WTrdNPIDHKrgByGkyZ_8EMiRbhZgtABs8ZIkIJgHhHelrXr2Js8ruzeSfcPXa1oFw0L/s400/Le%C3%A3o+20_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLqX311akrKfndXZCn2zPUq69qgetdhHTh3-V2j-N2mVv-NnxUUnoK5fL06-QtNC90ERYHYo6tFdQSk4jBnC8r-_i8o351tBUclIqRv7XHBunj0kP8xWVVzdRZq5YFqh3L-brem3PDDmD/s1600/Le%C3%A3o+21_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLqX311akrKfndXZCn2zPUq69qgetdhHTh3-V2j-N2mVv-NnxUUnoK5fL06-QtNC90ERYHYo6tFdQSk4jBnC8r-_i8o351tBUclIqRv7XHBunj0kP8xWVVzdRZq5YFqh3L-brem3PDDmD/s400/Le%C3%A3o+21_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfwJurVaiLA2M5NesvSRfbbn_4jE4bqVpqzDeQvFnhJRB4PDCCD3rjIPXjun_JVVJbFphZAIV7MCqO666_vAR_Srll3WH7fI8SrJLp_AhVfj1ThbTeZzu840wDKzg6FaTHOWG1fcwqMJM/s1600/Le%C3%A3o+22_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfwJurVaiLA2M5NesvSRfbbn_4jE4bqVpqzDeQvFnhJRB4PDCCD3rjIPXjun_JVVJbFphZAIV7MCqO666_vAR_Srll3WH7fI8SrJLp_AhVfj1ThbTeZzu840wDKzg6FaTHOWG1fcwqMJM/s400/Le%C3%A3o+22_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E então ele se foi.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And
then he went away.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIlXsN2jZALujIrOSg2Ljh1NS5KkexiRG8lX_96C2AGPXXotRx3tTNnxKh5zqSBlvQ-o6johcNwE9cot7O4-t41NTA6c2iQQmM6uWzo1LPo4JAtgAoxHRq24O6Bvd4nMLBNdP-6u5upSl/s1600/Le%C3%A3o+24_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIlXsN2jZALujIrOSg2Ljh1NS5KkexiRG8lX_96C2AGPXXotRx3tTNnxKh5zqSBlvQ-o6johcNwE9cot7O4-t41NTA6c2iQQmM6uWzo1LPo4JAtgAoxHRq24O6Bvd4nMLBNdP-6u5upSl/s400/Le%C3%A3o+24_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Nós estávamos chocados, mas continuamos a manter a atenção voltada para outros animais. Nós vimos na estrada e no reservatório: 1 garça cinzenta</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"> (</span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Ardea cinerea</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">), 2 gansos egípcios </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">(</span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Alopochen aegyptiaca</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">), 1 corvo-marinho africano </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">(</span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Phalacrocorax africanus</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">), 1 abibe-preto-e-branco </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">(</span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Vanellus armatus</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">), 6 Patos-assobiadores-de-faces-brancas </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">(</span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Dendrocygna viduata</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">). Aqui está uma foto da garça cinzenta (a uma grande distância) e outra de um dos patos-assobiadores (em meio à grama).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We were
blown away, but continued to be attentive to other animals. We saw in the road
and the dam: 1 Grey Heron (<i>Ardea cinerea</i>),
2 Egyptian Geese (<i>Alopochen aegyptiaca</i>),
1 Reed Cormorant (<i>Phalacrocorax africanus</i>),
1 Blacksmith Lapwing (Plover) (<i>Vanellus
armatus</i>), 6 White-Faced Ducks (<i>Dendrocygna
viduata</i>). Here are a picture of the grey heron (from a large distance) and
another of one of the white-faced ducks (among the grass).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7g-fqckiTCYvZaQ8V8L9nLIJX3nzc1Piv9oyj6eKrRv25akU87i-8lRwj76gy0jpIeBfEG-cLEPLxFJoC8N6CaGhZXSeCUWN2tdthjQ52WhskzwpNM3Dx1VikYgCoHp3Ace5w38x3wu_C/s1600/Grey+Heron+2_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7g-fqckiTCYvZaQ8V8L9nLIJX3nzc1Piv9oyj6eKrRv25akU87i-8lRwj76gy0jpIeBfEG-cLEPLxFJoC8N6CaGhZXSeCUWN2tdthjQ52WhskzwpNM3Dx1VikYgCoHp3Ace5w38x3wu_C/s400/Grey+Heron+2_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2MIQhyphenhyphenlfQaGjw_02EyFl-nkvcK6fOuGoiCqROQ17x1dILtDjuR4iARIFA6dCWaJ2DKFufiw_1ogvewrhEurulq9QzDzjTNg_kMZ4uhpMRzVYk4AniXr2q5E0-eBtajBFbFPJYnXmvG5k/s1600/White-faced+Duck+6_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2MIQhyphenhyphenlfQaGjw_02EyFl-nkvcK6fOuGoiCqROQ17x1dILtDjuR4iARIFA6dCWaJ2DKFufiw_1ogvewrhEurulq9QzDzjTNg_kMZ4uhpMRzVYk4AniXr2q5E0-eBtajBFbFPJYnXmvG5k/s400/White-faced+Duck+6_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Por fim, uma visão do reservatório Shitlhave.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Finally,
here is a view of Shitlhave Dam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyBdok3O2CfgFjVtextv9Vv9VclMSPRKosbF3_k3ibE87tGqKR9bXNDUKPX8hM8Vc44d_C5_elE5eGg3ZO04gA93A1rHRQoofOjPyWzcf75HJ_lBFc4k0fVVXjRYQrh2_BBT4RHrDJxs4/s1600/Paisagem+11_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyBdok3O2CfgFjVtextv9Vv9VclMSPRKosbF3_k3ibE87tGqKR9bXNDUKPX8hM8Vc44d_C5_elE5eGg3ZO04gA93A1rHRQoofOjPyWzcf75HJ_lBFc4k0fVVXjRYQrh2_BBT4RHrDJxs4/s400/Paisagem+11_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-54737904184240353772012-09-04T13:04:00.001-07:002012-09-04T13:04:41.342-07:00January 5th - Into Napi Road (H1-1)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Acordamos cedo no dia 5 de Janeiro para nosso segundo dia completo no Kruger. Após o café da manhã no restaurante do campo, saímos para um passeio por Pretoriuskop, com suas cabanas bonitas e árvores interessantes, como a Sausage Tree das fotos abaixo. Na primeira, a árvore entre duas cabanas, na segunda, detalhe do fruto. Este é um fruto enorme e há sinais avisando "cuidado com frutos de sausage tree em queda". É um bom aviso!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFnWlFzhyphenhyphen0N8Bu5XOG2B5WvsCzq_Nj3iV3oXc3GYvD8LMA2U2WU4Z6bpgl3YFNp8QeK5pu-q3uXZ0QzZqKReTTy3yDrFF2FEYc4LGsJVuxhWBYKasxBWDjw9xiMOcg_JHAaor1edQoqtB/s1600/Sausage+Tree+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFnWlFzhyphenhyphen0N8Bu5XOG2B5WvsCzq_Nj3iV3oXc3GYvD8LMA2U2WU4Z6bpgl3YFNp8QeK5pu-q3uXZ0QzZqKReTTy3yDrFF2FEYc4LGsJVuxhWBYKasxBWDjw9xiMOcg_JHAaor1edQoqtB/s400/Sausage+Tree+1_named.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CxabjACikauU58_cYOhC5i7egMhqCsV49cb0XkQRbxllEFAcYMZmjPecjq8_PKs8dJ_goyg-ED6cz5UdQd1JAG0wAZ7vMM1gU0W_YvbXAoUc_qXGdBK6LEKoAPgVQWk2ZjZazpPZPSBc/s1600/Sausage+Tree+4_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CxabjACikauU58_cYOhC5i7egMhqCsV49cb0XkQRbxllEFAcYMZmjPecjq8_PKs8dJ_goyg-ED6cz5UdQd1JAG0wAZ7vMM1gU0W_YvbXAoUc_qXGdBK6LEKoAPgVQWk2ZjZazpPZPSBc/s400/Sausage+Tree+4_named.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Não levamos muito tempo, contudo, para tomar a estrada para Skukuza, o campo para onde nos mudaríamos naquele dia. Subimos a Napi Road (H1-1), com um pequeno desvio por um dos loops ao redor de Pretoriuskop (S14). Vimos somente um ninho de tecelão no loop e tomamos o asfalto de Napi Road novamente, a caminho de Skukuza.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Na Napi Road, vimos até a entrada de Shitlhave Dam: 1 </span>Kudu (<i>Tragelaphus strepsiceros</i>), 1 Estorninho grande de orelha azul - Greater Blue-eared Starling (<i>Lamprotornis chalybaeus</i>), 1 Rola-do-Senegal (<i>Streptopelia senegalensis</i>), 1 Rola-do-Cabo (<i>Streptopelia capicola</i>) and 1 Codorniz-arlequin Quail (<i>Coturnix delegorguei</i>). Na curta estrada de terra até Shitlhave Dam, teríamos uma grande surpresa. Mas isso é assunto para outra postagem!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Uma coisa que nos impressionou na Napi Road foram as primeiras árvores com a casca comida por elefantes que vimos. Foram as primeiras de muitas. Elas são um testemunho da capacidade dos elefantes de mudar a paisagem. De fato, elefantes são bem conhecidos como engenheiros de ecossistemas nas savanas africanas, isto é, eles reconstroem a paisagem alterando as condições de vida de muitas outras espécies. Esta é uma das razões pelas quais uma grande população de elefantes, como temos no Kruger agora (mais de 13.000 elefantes), acarreta preocupações. Matar elefantes é uma solução muito controversa </span></span>(ver Van Aarde, R. et al. Culling and the dynamics of the Kruger National Park African Elephant population. Animal Conservation (1999) 2:287-294). Pessoalmente, sou contrário a ela, embora certamente compreenda como este é um dilema difícil em termos do manejo. Se a ideia de fazer outro parque transfronteiriço (como Kgalagadi) combinando o Kruger e parques em Moçambique se tornar realidade, grande parte do problema poderá ser resolvido. De qualquer modo, este é um caso que mostra quão complicada pode ser a conservação se parques fechados forem a única ou mesmo a principal opção, como se tornou através de todo o mundo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQ3e_iNfKa2NwMk7UHB_NNbzQa-Q3Ex37AyR8JRgsnL93h7Ge5rBEXW6qzlD0gFdkhZKxlIa8cKLCCLtkZIg1Qs_-PjSkhv9mGyQe2hyGIF80Ado4Cmk6IMJLobe5igvbtw8F21t2bCf5/s1600/%C3%81rvore+comida+por+elefante+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQ3e_iNfKa2NwMk7UHB_NNbzQa-Q3Ex37AyR8JRgsnL93h7Ge5rBEXW6qzlD0gFdkhZKxlIa8cKLCCLtkZIg1Qs_-PjSkhv9mGyQe2hyGIF80Ado4Cmk6IMJLobe5igvbtw8F21t2bCf5/s400/%C3%81rvore+comida+por+elefante+1_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finalmente, esta última foto mostra um </span></span></span>Estorninho grande de orelha azul - Greater Blue-eared Starling. Acho que foi a única vez que vimos essa ave na viagem. Ela não está ameaçada de extinção e forrageia em árvores e no chão. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Era isso que ela estava provavelmente fazendo na estrada de asfalto, procurando comida, que pode ser insetos, frutos e pequenos invertebrados (como aqueles saborosos rola-bosta tão abundantes nas estradas do Kruger).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLjak0ZRBaZL5mkFyqaqc8xqTUK1_9MSWdzqPG16Ox-MdCAzur2M5yJkeoKNEYUZNYwTaS1KaQKiTNy7i0r1jCLS9o1QxCFD9m8wxRbOy9Yx8TfnJ7wUGC6Ky59Ato3Z7Bq8oTMaMtVwb/s1600/Greater+Blue-eared+Starling+3_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLjak0ZRBaZL5mkFyqaqc8xqTUK1_9MSWdzqPG16Ox-MdCAzur2M5yJkeoKNEYUZNYwTaS1KaQKiTNy7i0r1jCLS9o1QxCFD9m8wxRbOy9Yx8TfnJ7wUGC6Ky59Ato3Z7Bq8oTMaMtVwb/s400/Greater+Blue-eared+Starling+3_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We woke up
early in January 5th for our second full day in Kruger. After breakfast in the
camp restaurant we went to a stroll around Pretoriuskop, with its beautiful
huts and interesting trees, like the sausage tree in the pictures below. In the first, the tree between two huts, in the second, a detail of the fruit. This is a huge fruit and there
are signs saying “beware of falling sausage tree fruits”. Good warning!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">We didn’t
take long, however, to follow the road to Skukuza, the camp wo which </span>we would change that day. We went up Napi Road (H1-1), a tar road, with a short detour through
one of the loops around Pretoriuskop (S14). We saw just a weaver’s nest in the
loop and drove the tar of Napi Road once again in the direction of Skukuza.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In Napi
Road, we saw up to the entrance to Shitlhave Dam: 1 Kudu (<i>Tragelaphus strepsiceros</i>), 1 Greater Blue-eared Starling (<i>Lamprotornis chalybaeus</i>), 1 Laughing
Dove (<i>Streptopelia senegalensis</i>), 1
Cape Turtle-Dove (<i>Streptopelia capicola</i>)
and 1 Harlequin Quail (<i>Coturnix
delegorguei</i>). We were up to a great surprise when entering the short gravel
road to Shitlhave Dam. But this is the topic for another posting!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">One
thing that impressed us in Napi Road were the first trees with the bark eaten
by elephants that we saw.</span><span lang="EN-US"> These were the first of many. They are</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> a testimony to the elephants’ capacity to change
the landscape. Indeed, elephants are well known as ecosystem engineers in the
African savannah, that is, they rebuild the landscape altering the conditions
of living of many other species. Sometimes this can be even critical to the
environment and to other creatures. This is one of the reasons why a large
elephant population, as we have in Kruger now (more than 13,000 elephants), leads
to worries. Culling is a very controversial solution (see Van Aarde, R. et al.
Culling and the dynamics of the Kruger National Park African Elephant
population. Animal Conservation (1999) 2:287-294). Personally, I am against it,
even though I certainly understand how difficult this management riddle is. If
the idea of making another transfrontier park (as Kgalagadi) combining Kruger and parks in
Mozambique becomes reality, a great deal of the problem might be solved.
Anyway, this is a case that shows how tricky is conservation if enclosed parks
become the only or even the main option, as it is becoming throughout the world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, the last picture shows a Greater Blue-eared Starling. I think it was the only time
we saw this bird in the trip. It is not threatened by extinction and forages
in trees and on the ground. That’s what he was probably doing in the tar road,
looking for food, which can be insects, fruits and small invertebrates (such as
those yummy dung beetles so abundant in Kruger roads).</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<br />
Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-10430935572514943812012-09-01T20:19:00.004-07:002012-09-01T20:19:57.665-07:00Primeiro contato próximo com Elefante Africano - Voortrekker Road (H2-2)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">O evento mais notável teve lugar, no entanto, no último terço da Voortrekker Road, quando vimos este maravilhoso elefante bem perto de nosso carro. Primeiro contato próximo com um elefante! Seria o primeiro de muitos!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqrG48ru1qiqKCcRN2mu3qxa-CloTFetakE7uTatiC09c5R5_Qbzjb916E3i7ZKb5KKfuW8rjUkopv5vzNDqvPMCNWLJKgCLsqFfhg79OB4OfZ8xgKcbB6ilg3B7ZWyBd7_u1VBV8Ymr5/s1600/Elefante+Africano+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqrG48ru1qiqKCcRN2mu3qxa-CloTFetakE7uTatiC09c5R5_Qbzjb916E3i7ZKb5KKfuW8rjUkopv5vzNDqvPMCNWLJKgCLsqFfhg79OB4OfZ8xgKcbB6ilg3B7ZWyBd7_u1VBV8Ymr5/s400/Elefante+Africano+1_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1D__BQxLjW5D_DbZXcmLejRqqAXsWvzIpHldajpFaIWFqviP5DI3m5FGTtBDBQfPPVUrQWBx8xn0M8K4EBV-is6pNlTuk4qZfHQBR_46fEjplEMcH_3AXzQ154pBuK_fIO_x8CfokQdAi/s1600/Elefante+Africano+9_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1D__BQxLjW5D_DbZXcmLejRqqAXsWvzIpHldajpFaIWFqviP5DI3m5FGTtBDBQfPPVUrQWBx8xn0M8K4EBV-is6pNlTuk4qZfHQBR_46fEjplEMcH_3AXzQ154pBuK_fIO_x8CfokQdAi/s400/Elefante+Africano+9_named.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Era um macho e tinha um furo redondo em suas orelhas, provavelmente resultado de confronto com outro macho. Era um macho errante solitário comendo calmamente sob uma árvore. Nós ficamos ali por um tempo olhando-o na mais completa paz e então aceleramos, sem ultrapassar a velocidade permitida, para alcançar o portão a tempo, chegando apenas alguns minutos antes da hora de seu fechamento. Ver aquele belo elefante foi o fechamento perfeito para um dia incrível viajando pela parte sul do Kruger. Fomos para a cama nos sentindo satisfeitos, tão felizes de estarmos ali, após um bom jantar no restaurante de Pretoriuskop, no qual comemos Kudu pela primeira vez. Estávamos em meio a uma das experiências mais sensacionais de nossas vidas! Eu e Carol já havíamos passado duas semanas maravilhosas na Cidade do Cabo, visitando lugares como o Cabo da Boa Esperança, onde vimos babuínos forrageando animais marinhos e as asas bravias ao redor do cabo enquanto admirávamos hyrax. E agora um dia desses! E ainda faltavam 12 dias!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The most
outstanding event took place, however, in the last third of Voortrekker Road,
when we saw this marvelous elephant quite close to our car. First close
encounter with an ellie! It would be the first of many!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">It was a
male and had a rounded hole in his ears, probably the result of a fight with another male. It was a solitary
wandering male calmly eating below a tree. We stayed there for a while
peacefully looking at him, and then hurried up, without going beyond the allowed speed, to get to the gate in time, just
a few minutes from the gate closing hour. To see that beautiful ellie was the
perfect end of an incredible day travelling through the south park of Kruger. We
went to bed feeling so satisfied, so happy of being there, after a good dinner at Pretoriuskop restaurant, in which we ate Kudu for the first time. We were in the
middle of one of the most remarkable experiences of our lives. For Pedro, that
was just the second day in South Africa. And what a day! Carol and me had already
lived two wonderful weeks in Capetown, visiting places like the Cape of Good
Hope, where we saw baboons foraging sea animals and the raging waters around
the cape while admiring rock hyrax. And now a day like that! And we still had
12 days to go!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-79690298333683891402012-09-01T12:11:00.001-07:002012-09-01T12:11:48.934-07:00Magpie Shrike na Voortrekker Road (H2-2)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Na foto abaixo, vemos um Magpie Shrike. É uma ave notável, com sua bela cauda longa. É provável que esta ave estivesse forrageando ao final do dia, uma vez que frequentemente ela se coloca numa posição proeminente como esta em busca de um item alimentar, principalmente insetos. Quando ela vê algo que pode ser comida, uma variedade de técnicas de forrageamento pode ser usada, mas tipicamente a ave mergulha para o solo de modo a capturar o alimento.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiG6iRgOTZXHKwY784jNeMUiDtAKpRuR2qkz7UeJju5IHB2km5NUmeWeDmGr9p1yLLFb4S3rPjRmZhD_ibF0fcl9TUxY0osv5_LJf6eZaBQ5m7xRXIY28Q4absB2AGesVUeQOBx9O7wOMz/s1600/Magpie+Shrike+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiG6iRgOTZXHKwY784jNeMUiDtAKpRuR2qkz7UeJju5IHB2km5NUmeWeDmGr9p1yLLFb4S3rPjRmZhD_ibF0fcl9TUxY0osv5_LJf6eZaBQ5m7xRXIY28Q4absB2AGesVUeQOBx9O7wOMz/s400/Magpie+Shrike+1_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">É interessante que Magpie shrikes podem procriar como um par ou facultativamente de maneira cooperativa, com os parceiros reprodutores sendo ajudados por 1-3 indivíduos, usualmente juvenis da ninhada anterior. Eles mostram, portanto, cuidado aloparental facultativo. Estas aves não estão ameaçadas (Least Concern na Lista Vermelha da IUCN), mas as populações estão em declínio.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the
picture above, we see a Magpie Shrike. It is an outstanding bird, with its
beautiful long tail. It is likely that this bird was foraging at the end of the
day, since it often perches in a prominent position to search for a food item,
mainly insects. When it sees something that can be eaten, a variety of foraging
techniques can be used, but typically the bird dives to the ground to catch the
food item.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is interesting that magpie shrikes can breed just as a pair or facultatively in a cooperative manner, with the breeding pair assisted by 1-3 helpers, usually juveniles from the previous brood. It shows, thus, facultative alloparental care. These birds are not threatened (Least Concern in the IUCN Red List), but the populations are decreasing in number.</span></span>
</div>
Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-8191563191083301302012-08-31T20:24:00.001-07:002012-08-31T20:24:22.769-07:00Hamerkop na Voortrekker Road<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Foi sensacional ver um Hamerkop pela primeira vez. Belas aves, ainda que um pouco assimétricas… Aqui estão duas fotos, uma do corpo inteiro, e um detalhe do olho e do bico.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkzByGKUcwJGO_OaQVkgQ7iVbN7mSzp7OaCRFMiBFgPOGW6j_cCxXk_xw_VCj0UEx2JjADs6bovWLxNRpof3CUdsQK1w6P_8LMvty7A69sTlNt2pfx58Dtqt6cGZnlq1QSFuLlJEjQQdT/s1600/Hamerkop+14_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkzByGKUcwJGO_OaQVkgQ7iVbN7mSzp7OaCRFMiBFgPOGW6j_cCxXk_xw_VCj0UEx2JjADs6bovWLxNRpof3CUdsQK1w6P_8LMvty7A69sTlNt2pfx58Dtqt6cGZnlq1QSFuLlJEjQQdT/s400/Hamerkop+14_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1u-7AjwLrwF8IJ67ij1coHmKjmSqrLxu7w5TVZEUOTd2qhbY8XFYX_3hgBVjzl8iJZ9_Mgw40KJxIr5VdipZ0tsVrcly-KCCL_aPeS3vHVWDR82QwJNeHdPuiApuPqP8a_JEuBzPYYMor/s1600/Hamerkop+4_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1u-7AjwLrwF8IJ67ij1coHmKjmSqrLxu7w5TVZEUOTd2qhbY8XFYX_3hgBVjzl8iJZ9_Mgw40KJxIr5VdipZ0tsVrcly-KCCL_aPeS3vHVWDR82QwJNeHdPuiApuPqP8a_JEuBzPYYMor/s400/Hamerkop+4_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Os enormes ninhos dos Hamerkops são bastante notáveis, com 1,5 m de profundidade e 1,5 m de largura, em média. Ele chega a pesar 100 Kg! Estes não são apenas ninhos enormes, mas muito resistentes. Quando completos, podem suportar o peso de um homem. Mas estas aves são ainda mais dedicadas. Elas decoram seus ninhos (com uma preferência por objetos feitos pelos seres humanos) e constroem não um mas meia dúzia de ninhos em seu território! Eles usam, contudo, apenas um dos ninhos. Muitas outras aves se beneficiam, então, de suas construções; Por que eles fazem isso? Aqui está minha hipótese: desviar a atenção dos predadores do ninho real. Mas vocês sabem, hipóteses têm de ser testadas, e eu não testei esta.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Num tom evolutivo, posso dizer, contudo, que há duas hipóteses na literatura para explicar o formato peculiar do bico do hamerkop: Liveridge (1963. The nesting of Hamerkop <i>Scopus umbretta</i>, Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology 34(2): 55-62) o considerou “ideal” para manipulação de grandes ramos usados para construir os ninhoss. Siegfried (1975. On the nest of the hamerkop, Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology 46:267), por sua vez, os explicou como especializações para se alimentar de girinos. Nenhuma das duas me convencem: estão são estorietas adaptacionistas (just-so-stories) (suponha que seja uma adaptação e a explique por seleção natural). Estas são hipóteses que devem ser – assim como a minha – testadas e muitos outros fatores evolutivo podem ser considerados, levando a diferentes hipóteses.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">O que não podemos colocar em questão, entretanto, é que hamerkops são aves assombrosas!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Finalmente, como suas tendências populacionais são estáveis, o Hamerkop é classificado na Lista Vermelha da IUCN como não trazendo preocupação quanto à sua extinção. Que bom!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">It was
great to see a Hamerkop for the first time. Beautiful but a bit asymmetrical
birds… Here are two pictures, whole body, and beak and eye detail. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The Hamerkop massive nests are very remarkable, with on average 1.5m in depth
and 1.5m in width. It weighs up to 100Kg! These are not just massive nests, they are
very resistant and when completed can support the weight of a man. But these
birds are still more industrious. They decorate the nests (with a developed
preference for man-made objects) and build not one but a half a dozen nests in
their territory! They use, however, only one of the nests. Many other birds
benefit, then, from their constructions. Why do they do this? Here is my
hypothesis: to divert predator from the real nest. But you know, hypotheses
have to be tested and I didn’t test this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">On an
evolutionary tone, I can say, however, that there are two hypotheses in the literature
for the peculiar shape of the hamerkop beak: Liveridge (1963. The nesting of
Hamerkop <i>Scopus umbretta</i>, Ostrich:
Journal of African Ornithology 34(2): 55-62) regarded it as “ideal” for
manipulation of large twigs used to build the nests. Siegfried (1975. On the
nest of the hamerkop, Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology 46:267), in turn,
explained them as specializations for feeding on tadpoles. None convinces me:
these are adaptationist just-so-stories (assume it is an adaptation and explain
it by natural selection). They are hypotheses that should be – just as mine –
tested and many other evolutionary factors can come into play, leading to
different hypotheses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">What we
cannot put into question, however, is that hamerkops are amazing birds!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Finally, as
its population trends are stable, Hamerkop is classified in the IUCN Red List
as Least Concern.That's great!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-32681923536834564302012-08-30T23:23:00.001-07:002012-08-30T23:23:07.049-07:00Correndo Voortrekker Road (H2-2) acima para chegar a tempo no portão de Pretoriuskop<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Com a tarde ficando velha, nós subimos Voortrekker Road na maior velocidade permitida, 40Km/h. Ainda assim, vimos alguns animais e arriscamos parar para observá-los por algum tempo. Isso se somou á excitação, ‘nós chegaremos a tempo no campo?’ Sinceramente também foi parte da diversão termos nossos corações batendo mais rápido à medida que subíamos a longa e sinuosa estrada Voortrekker.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Nós mudamos então nossa abordagem dos animais. Usualmente nós parávamos durante a viagem do Kruger durante vários minutos observando os animais, dando muita atenção aos seus comportamentos (como biólogos não podiam deixar de fazer, especialmente quando trabalham com comportamento). Subindo a </span>Voortrekker Road naquela tarde nós fizemos paradas mais rápidas, desnecessário dizer, para nosso desespero, uma vez que vimo de fato animais interessantes. Naquela tarde a estrada nos ofereceu: 1 Calau-de-bico-vermelho (<i>Tockus erythrorhynchus</i>),
1 grupo de Impalas, 1 Cabeça-de-martelo (<i>Scopus umbretta</i>), 1 Magpie (African Longtailed)
Shrike (<i>Corvinella melanoleuca</i>), 1 Rolieiro-europeu (<i>Coracias garrulus</i>), 1 Gnu-azulado, 1 Elefante africano, entre outros animais.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Primeiro, uma imagem de Pedro dirigindo na Voortrekker Road.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wvcb3NT0c7yj71FmVu2TiYV6224o2w_za58Ri-2Y3sWV_MyIx5EoZpfU-LAVGUv6HD2jseAeXNWhCR-D0kEdoO-j41MlDiuq0kWg4IYjb_pysVrXWAcx3w0p8X35g2F5OT42ma-3eaO4/s1600/Peu+dirigindo+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wvcb3NT0c7yj71FmVu2TiYV6224o2w_za58Ri-2Y3sWV_MyIx5EoZpfU-LAVGUv6HD2jseAeXNWhCR-D0kEdoO-j41MlDiuq0kWg4IYjb_pysVrXWAcx3w0p8X35g2F5OT42ma-3eaO4/s400/Peu+dirigindo+1_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">With the afternoon getting old, we went up Voortrekker Road driving at maximum allowed speed, 40Km/h. Yet, we spotted a number of animals and had to take our chances and stop to watch them for a while. This added to the excitement, ‘will we get to the camp gate in time?’ It was sincerely also part of the fun to have our hearts pumping faster as we drove the long and winding (Voortrekker) road.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">We changed our approach to the animals back then. Usually we stopped during the Kruger trip for several minutes watching the animals, paying a lot of attention to their behaviors (as biologists cannot avoid doing, especially when they work with behavior). Up Voortrekker Road that afternoon we did faster stops, needless to say, for our desperation, since we did saw interesting animals. The road offered us that afternoon: 1 Red-Billed Hornbill (<i>Tockus erythrorhynchus</i>), 1 group of Impalas, 1 Hamerkop (<i>Scopus umbretta</i>), 1 Magpie (African Longtailed) Shrike (<i>Corvinella melanoleuca</i>), 1 European Roller (<i>Coracias garrulus</i>), 1 blue wildebeest, 1 african elephant, among other animals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">First, a picture of Pedro driving up Voortrekker Road.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br />
Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-69065485614040229612012-08-28T22:51:00.001-07:002012-08-28T22:54:37.802-07:00Retornando à H3, Malelane RoadComeçarei agora a alternar postagens sobre a viagem ao Kruger e postagens sobre a viagem à Praia do Forte. Isso é resultado do ânimo de ter já programada nova viagem à África do Sul em 2013, na qual visitarei desta vez o Kalahari, o Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (<a href="http://sanparks.org.za/parks/kgalagadi/">http://sanparks.org.za/parks/kgalagadi/</a>). Isso animou a continuar o relato da viagem ao Kruger.<br />
<br />
Eu havia parado no segundo dia de viagem, quando seguimos pelo Timfenheni Loop (S121) para alcançar a H3, Malelane Road. Na Malelane Road, além de dois grupos de Impalas, encontramos exatamente o mesmo grupo de pastadores que havíamos visto horas antes. Foi realmente incrível reencontrá-los ali, mas com uma vantagem: estavam mais próximos, o que rendeu fotografias melhores, como as que coloco abaixo.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDEa81wbjSdu2Iy7QxX77B2essRfqGbxdyJcgteEe4S1emUYJZ36tj_4mRX4FQiA_lL2R0d8n9TFWR824oYPQP9pL_Zb4O6eblIbPkcupwVcxtUfZJ16tAlHvTVYy_JZ2q8h_L3OML5Lh/s1600/Bando+de+pastadores+-+Gnus-azulados+e+Zebras+de+Burchell+-+filhotes+5_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDEa81wbjSdu2Iy7QxX77B2essRfqGbxdyJcgteEe4S1emUYJZ36tj_4mRX4FQiA_lL2R0d8n9TFWR824oYPQP9pL_Zb4O6eblIbPkcupwVcxtUfZJ16tAlHvTVYy_JZ2q8h_L3OML5Lh/s400/Bando+de+pastadores+-+Gnus-azulados+e+Zebras+de+Burchell+-+filhotes+5_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Na foto, vemos entre três gnus-azulados, uma zebra de Burchell com um filhote. Filhotes de zebras são realmente belos, como tivemos oportunidade de atestar várias vezes ao longo da viagem.<br />
<br />
As zebras de Burchell são a subespécie de zebra da planície (<i>Equus quagga</i>) encontrada ao sul da África (a subespécie é <i>Equus quagga burchelli</i>). Elas povoaram as savanas em números impressionantes, tendo sido relatados grupos formados por milhares de zebras. Com a colonização, pensou-se pela maioria do século XX que esta subespécie havia sido caçada até a extinção. No entanto, foi mostrado por Groves e Bell (Groves, C. P. & Bell, H. B. 2004. New investigations on the taxonomy of the zebras genus <i>Equus</i>, subgenus <i>Hippotigris</i>. Mammalian Biology 69:182-196), por meio de estudo cuidadoso das populações originais de zebras de Zululand e Swaziland, juntamente com espécimes de museus, que as subespécies <i>Equus quagga burchelli </i>e <i>Equus quagga antiquorum </i>(zebra de Damara) são tão próximas uma da outra que não é possível de fato separá-las. Elas devem receber o mesmo nome subespecífico, com o nome mais antigo,<i> burchelli</i>, tendo precedência sobre o mais recente. Portanto, não havia sido extinta a subespécie de zebra da planície do sul da África.<br />
<br />
Na IUCN Red List, as zebras da planície aparecem como não inspirando preocupação quanto à sua extinção (Least Concern), porque os tamanhos de suas populações ainda são relativamente grandes. Uma preocupação com sua conservação reside, contudo, no fato de que elas cruzam com outros equídeos, como cavalos e burros, produzindo híbridos que geralmente (mas não sempre) são estéreis. Ações são tomadas, de qualquer modo, para evitar esses cruzamentos, que foram certa feita populares como meios de gerar animais usados para tração.<br />
<br />
Seguimos em frente sem nos demorar muito, infelizmente, com o rebanho de pastadores. Tínhamos de subir toda a Voortrekker Road (H2-2) e o tempo estava ficando escasso para nós, com a preocupação crescendo de não chegarmos a tempo em Pretoriuskop.<br />
<br />
<br />
I will begin now to alternate between postings about the trip to the Kruger and postings on the trip to Praia do Forte. This results from the enthusiasm with the new programmed trip to South Africa, in 2013, in which I will visit this time the Kalahari, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (<a href="http://sanparks.org.za/parks/kgalagadi/">http://sanparks.org.za/parks/kgalagadi/</a>). This animated me to continue the Kruger trip report.<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
<br />
I had stopped at the second day of the trip when we followed through the Timfenheni Loop (S121) to reach H3, Malelane Road. In Malelane Road, besides two groups of Impalas, we found exactly the same herd of grazers we had seen hours before. It was really amazing to find them at that spot again, with the advantage that they were closer, leading to better photographs, as the one I put above.<br />
<br />
In the picture, we see a Burchell's zebra with a cub. among three blue wildebeests. Zebra's cubs are really cute, as we could see several times during the trip.<br />
<br />
<br />
Burchell's zebras are the subspecies of plain zebra (<i>Equus quagga</i>) found in southern Africa (<i>Equus quagga burchelli</i>). They populated the savannahs in impressive numbers, with groups of thousands of zebras being reported. With the colonization, it was thought for most of the 20th century that this subspecies had been hunted until extinction. However, Groves and Bell (Groves, C. P. & Bell, H. B. 2004. New investigations on the taxonomy of the zebras genus <i>Equus</i>, subgenus <i>Hippotigris</i>. Mammalian Biology 69:182-196) showed, by means of a careful study of the original zebra populations of Zululand and Swaziland, alongside with museum specimens, that the subspecies <i>Equus quagga burchelli and</i> <i>Equus quagga antiquorum </i>(Damara zebra) are so close to each other that it is not really possible to separate them. They should receive the same subspecific name, with the older name,<i> burchelli</i>, showing precedence over the newer one. Thus, the subspecies of plain zebra from southern Africa had not been extinct.<br />
<br />
In the IUCN Red List, plain zebra appear as Least Concern, because the sizes of their populations are still relatively large. A concern regarding its conservation lies, however, in the fact that they breed with other equids, such as horses and donkeys, generating hybrids that are generally but not always sterile. Actions are taken, anyways, to prevent these crossings, which were once popular as a way of generating draft animals.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, we followed our way without taking a long time watching
the herd of grazer. We had to cross the whole Voortrekker Road (H2-2_ and time
was closing on us, making us feel worried about reaching Pretoriuskop in time.</span><br />
<br />Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-65467008911557427972012-04-10T20:49:00.000-07:002012-04-10T20:49:18.615-07:00Um show de Clarice!Diga se esta não é uma menina linda! E devidamente sapeca, claro! Diogo e Cibele, a filha de vocês é o máximo! Lembram como ela chegou em Salvador perguntando por Catharina como se ela já tivesse nascido? E depois era um tal de falar da Catharina no barrigão, como ela chamava (e como mostra a terceira foto), e de perguntar cadê a Catharina, como se ela pudesse sair e entrar no barrigão quando quisesse. Como daquela vez que ela bateu no quarto da pousada, perguntou "cadê a Catharina?" e foi correndo para o banheiro ver se ela estava lá. Inesquecível! Sei não, acho que essas meninas vão ser bem amigas!<br />
<br />
Tell me if this is not a gorgeous girl! And properly playful! Diogo and Cibele, your daughter is a must! Do you remember how she arrived in Salvador asking for Catharina as if she was already born? And afterwards she was always trying to speak with Catharina in the "big belly", as she called (and as the third picture shows), and asking where was Catharina, as if she could leave and come back to the belly as she wished. Just as in that time she knocked at the lodging room, asked "Where is Catharina?" and went running to the bathroom to see if she was there. Unforgettable! I think these girls will be very close friends!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggGx-1NYN9K2nHyDe5X-By930wBDko4mkD8AzjC8FJ-VLsGBdw0t_h-qTeRTqA8sxbZKAWiZ7m9UZazmxSZZoq7hea6Yh1dL4aF3MRbWSEpLXf8UPJZ3N2K2ZT_V2TUKoZEoXRrpfJ_GqT/s1600/IMG_9134_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggGx-1NYN9K2nHyDe5X-By930wBDko4mkD8AzjC8FJ-VLsGBdw0t_h-qTeRTqA8sxbZKAWiZ7m9UZazmxSZZoq7hea6Yh1dL4aF3MRbWSEpLXf8UPJZ3N2K2ZT_V2TUKoZEoXRrpfJ_GqT/s400/IMG_9134_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBAPk9JFzZdJWx4GJbritS-9bGdMZozXN-PeOB_I1FBG_2u14HjNWrin8l6Nj8vhRIMUbxxui0GzPrg80Hk7v3AUGwJQdwO7hyphenhyphenJX-C8q8fbuLP9PLItz0Ighj6jyFIdLhi-43QArIKoEQ/s1600/IMG_9139_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBAPk9JFzZdJWx4GJbritS-9bGdMZozXN-PeOB_I1FBG_2u14HjNWrin8l6Nj8vhRIMUbxxui0GzPrg80Hk7v3AUGwJQdwO7hyphenhyphenJX-C8q8fbuLP9PLItz0Ighj6jyFIdLhi-43QArIKoEQ/s400/IMG_9139_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsJKGkH_25Sxv0ErhsjPdNMekkfxUDmpUES4b6CJpkq_8Rig73cpQ0mLYqDfFOSuMx5Tet_iJMT4QezaAJCg6L_jngBzzWUO4d1ToM3VQydUeibesixFZZVhr1u3K91Jy_d0GHASTZbRs/s1600/IMG_9156_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsJKGkH_25Sxv0ErhsjPdNMekkfxUDmpUES4b6CJpkq_8Rig73cpQ0mLYqDfFOSuMx5Tet_iJMT4QezaAJCg6L_jngBzzWUO4d1ToM3VQydUeibesixFZZVhr1u3K91Jy_d0GHASTZbRs/s400/IMG_9156_named.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-54708260734461184702012-03-22T09:46:00.001-07:002012-03-22T09:46:47.369-07:00Aproveitando as piscinas naturais da Praia do ForteNa primeira foto, uma visão geral das piscinas naturais da Praia do Forte e, nas seguintes, Clarice, Cibele, Carol e Diogo aproveitando as piscinas.<br />
<br />
In the first picture, an overview of Praia do Forte's natural pools and, in the following, Clarice, Cibele, Carol, and Diogo enjoying the pools.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kWlfItHuXNW8mygi9HlKfPbZYVMeoRJBBWr3CKTA7YJNuOmwNAFotQmQA_JW4HlfzEbLzgXWi1LFS1Oqtf_4UJKeLTvB4EXLLZKI1wwv_EsJe4I47Pt9Xt2AWdOr8fSVErvF4qRW8TDd/s1600/IMG_9116_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kWlfItHuXNW8mygi9HlKfPbZYVMeoRJBBWr3CKTA7YJNuOmwNAFotQmQA_JW4HlfzEbLzgXWi1LFS1Oqtf_4UJKeLTvB4EXLLZKI1wwv_EsJe4I47Pt9Xt2AWdOr8fSVErvF4qRW8TDd/s400/IMG_9116_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bzRKMiWm-PuOnN6DLOKOoD4Dr-JlfS982RiuUnDduE8Zk-hpy3SxeJGpcAMAgEx9fdayG9HpdyN7tc3AuWk-DwQtuHhYUs9rBEZmK90VWKGNcibmhU8_z9GGl2QhsMeaPQTO4u2LtCgs/s1600/IMG_9077_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bzRKMiWm-PuOnN6DLOKOoD4Dr-JlfS982RiuUnDduE8Zk-hpy3SxeJGpcAMAgEx9fdayG9HpdyN7tc3AuWk-DwQtuHhYUs9rBEZmK90VWKGNcibmhU8_z9GGl2QhsMeaPQTO4u2LtCgs/s400/IMG_9077_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ30meXemc-rIz8mH_8F2tQapDbox3N-1N16k0wSETjCcB3DoaK67BWSG-YZtEeq7p_swcxRuxOTsHd_azaIRVClkZM12nvUv_1Dhnkq3vm-nj4317fO3MJT6e9fuIyhp1oVAZmdIXf3-F/s1600/IMG_9114_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ30meXemc-rIz8mH_8F2tQapDbox3N-1N16k0wSETjCcB3DoaK67BWSG-YZtEeq7p_swcxRuxOTsHd_azaIRVClkZM12nvUv_1Dhnkq3vm-nj4317fO3MJT6e9fuIyhp1oVAZmdIXf3-F/s400/IMG_9114_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnLHgp0hvSRCGLBaRVxisjL3FaZ00ghetWWh_GF9kFDyKcv2R9ANvXTuVss1qXEVHVQzvoVtY7cBl6IPgFGcR7mBa2BSAnf765EhV3tIjMhDGTTrTrHGhJtGbRmGj4Zu-wj3TsczrsKhJ/s1600/IMG_9115_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnLHgp0hvSRCGLBaRVxisjL3FaZ00ghetWWh_GF9kFDyKcv2R9ANvXTuVss1qXEVHVQzvoVtY7cBl6IPgFGcR7mBa2BSAnf765EhV3tIjMhDGTTrTrHGhJtGbRmGj4Zu-wj3TsczrsKhJ/s400/IMG_9115_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-87138759306440206572012-03-20T21:30:00.000-07:002012-03-20T21:30:07.066-07:00Tartarugas marinhas sendo liberadas pelo Projeto TAMARNo vídeo abaixo, vocês podem ver o momento em que tartarugas marinhas são liberadas pela equipe do Projeto TAMAR, na Praia do Forte, no litoral norte da Bahia. O projeto tem mostrado resultados importantes para a conservação destes animais, há quase trinta anos. Estas tartarugas que são liberadas em frente ao público são aquelas que tiveram alguma dificuldade de sair dos ninhos, sendo retiradas pela equipe do projeto. Em condições naturais, elas provavelmente não teriam saído do ninho com sucesso e, mesmo sendo libertadas pela equipe, têm menor probabilidade de sobrevivência do que os demais filhotes que saíram do ninho anteriormente, em meio à noite. Contudo, cumprem papel importante de criar ou aumentar empatia das pessoas com esses animais, sensibilizando-as para a importância de conservação da espécie.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZcBojZ5PZBM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">In this video, you can see the moment in which sea turtles are released by the TAMAR Project team, in Praia do Forte, in the northern shore of the state of Bahia, Brazil. The project has been reaching important results regarding the conservation of these animals for the last thirty years (almost). These turtles that are released in front of the public are those that had some difficulty in leaving the nests, being taken out by the project team. In natural conditions, they might never succeeded in leaving the nest and, even being released by the team, they still have less chance of surviving than the other small turtles who left the nests before, during the night. They play an important role, however, in creating or increasing a feeling of empathy in the people, making them more sensible to the importance of the species conservation.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-84629701933272317762012-02-29T15:30:00.000-08:002012-02-29T15:30:56.640-08:00Mais fotos da viagem para a Praia do ForteCarol, Suani e Thierry conversando na praia, no primeiro dia de tarde, após termos visto tartaruguinhas sendo liberadas no mar pelo Projeto TAMAR. [Carol, Suani and Thierry talking at the beach in the first day afternoon, after we saw small turtles being liberated to the sea by Project TAMAR]<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXi87Y11lL1Yt-w1IS6HYyKdm7UBc_BE2a0oNUGY5Yc3xNBz6DVip0lxfBXvQzyUambf2ZSylFYh-87j8Fn1cLZlbZYHFCAOc0iquRLm4S9K461EftxiPpdPDe-B_0InFY2EDgvapNNXg/s1600/IMG_9018_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXi87Y11lL1Yt-w1IS6HYyKdm7UBc_BE2a0oNUGY5Yc3xNBz6DVip0lxfBXvQzyUambf2ZSylFYh-87j8Fn1cLZlbZYHFCAOc0iquRLm4S9K461EftxiPpdPDe-B_0InFY2EDgvapNNXg/s400/IMG_9018_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Assim são os belos fins de tarde na Praia do Forte. [These are the beautiful afternoon ends in Praia do Forte]<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnGUjeyVVWNMOmCZPZh54Y7PMwGSOI3JVcH6WHtUxiBbW0wjlh7r7d4vA4AYRgV0Q_IBjCP_uw3rqXX2T0kRFxqOgp-BjqVMRBl_iPu7Dw87APIWYLoZIIsL8EkH3kmMnxl6J6wAlcwK6/s1600/IMG_9050_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnGUjeyVVWNMOmCZPZh54Y7PMwGSOI3JVcH6WHtUxiBbW0wjlh7r7d4vA4AYRgV0Q_IBjCP_uw3rqXX2T0kRFxqOgp-BjqVMRBl_iPu7Dw87APIWYLoZIIsL8EkH3kmMnxl6J6wAlcwK6/s400/IMG_9050_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Diogo e Clarice voltando após tomar banho de mar até a noite cair. [Diogo and Clarice returning after seabathing until the night fell]<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCrjgawCq-Y5IvnXoieZWYnMBDcDlNUa500hEhhj02-cDCiZwgkNr8EXmTfXRKTJZCh4lVT69Q9xAPRSml3fuEY7MCxUCA0R6uFL7IDC4_KVvrLfHNhagxhyphenhyphenl_ELSfh5-_sqy3EYTitP3/s1600/IMG_9060_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCrjgawCq-Y5IvnXoieZWYnMBDcDlNUa500hEhhj02-cDCiZwgkNr8EXmTfXRKTJZCh4lVT69Q9xAPRSml3fuEY7MCxUCA0R6uFL7IDC4_KVvrLfHNhagxhyphenhyphenl_ELSfh5-_sqy3EYTitP3/s400/IMG_9060_named.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Cibele e Clarice, hora da janta. [Cibele and Clarice, dinner time]</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxM-DFJagj_zT2QAFiKMUwfDbA4ngMgFfcqXi24rEzdhWQmtHGDvjEqm1ZCol8izUmbRd5rJFD_D4tEg7Q-XW76YPSaSEJtYy5s1IkXO75ErG4E2u7tLoH1dl29oSMkMbJkHL0WLqjms8/s1600/IMG_9061_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxM-DFJagj_zT2QAFiKMUwfDbA4ngMgFfcqXi24rEzdhWQmtHGDvjEqm1ZCol8izUmbRd5rJFD_D4tEg7Q-XW76YPSaSEJtYy5s1IkXO75ErG4E2u7tLoH1dl29oSMkMbJkHL0WLqjms8/s400/IMG_9061_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div>As piscinas da Praia do Forte (segundo dia). [Natural pools in Praia do Forte (second day)]<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWF8wN0nrn8PXp7U9fFO_NqPzjMnt7SV4jmv1PbvmFR53olHAk87fYJJUf2L52uEG_mqR_2Ww2EtnWu1m5qlB3sjLgmIddqpbk8PDF0vSQOBhMsrYA-Bfa1OD2Sq0b4xlt2ADQcoYdNG_X/s1600/IMG_9069_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWF8wN0nrn8PXp7U9fFO_NqPzjMnt7SV4jmv1PbvmFR53olHAk87fYJJUf2L52uEG_mqR_2Ww2EtnWu1m5qlB3sjLgmIddqpbk8PDF0vSQOBhMsrYA-Bfa1OD2Sq0b4xlt2ADQcoYdNG_X/s400/IMG_9069_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-53498698971866439502012-02-05T07:33:00.002-08:002012-02-29T15:11:25.060-08:00Uma semana de férias na Praia do ForteAcabamos de voltar de uma semana de férias na Praia do Forte, próximo a Salvador, com nossos amigos Diogo Meyer e Cibele Masotti e sua filhinha, Clarice. Foi uma semana tão boa que interromperemos a descrição da viagem ao Kruger para fazer algumas postagens sobre esta viagem.<br />
<br />
A Praia do Forte oferece uma série de opções muito interessantes, desde mergulho nas piscinas naturais, para visualização de peixes e outras animais, algas etc., até visitas ao Projeto TAMAR, dedicado à conservação de tartarugas marinhas, até passeios marítimos para visualização de baleias jubartes (<i>Megaptera novaeangliae</i>), esportes radicais, caminhadas em florestas secundárias etc. Trata-se, além disso, de um lugar muito agradável.<br />
<br />
Ficamos na Pousada Brasil que, com um outro problema menor (um entupimento no ralo do banheiro, e coisas do gênero), significou uma boa e simpática hospedagem com preços bastante acessíveis.<br />
<br />
Nós entramos de fato num clima de férias totais, com a única preocupação sendo pensar qual atividade faríamos no dia seguinte. Isso não somente significou bastante descanso, muito necessário pelo modo como trabalhamos intensamente todo o ano, tanto nós, quanto Diogo e Cibele. Além disso, sem maiores preocupações, pudemos aproveitar bem o clima de amizade das duas famílias, contando ainda, em boa parte dos dias, com a presença de nossos queridos amigos Thierry Lobão e Suani Pinho, o que é garantia de boas risadas e diversão (e uma ou outra conversa sobre nossas pesquisas, :o)<br />
<br />
Um dos principais gostos da semana foi curtir a interação com Clarice, a filha de Diogo e Cibele, que, com seus dois anos de idade e inteligência, é diversão garantida. Certas tiradas de Clarice foram marcas da semana, como o sonoro 'NNNNNão' que respondia a quase toda pergunta, mesmo quando ela queria dizer 'sim', ou o seu lindo 'De nnnnovo' quando queria repetir alguma brincadeira da qual gostou, ou suas gargalhadas gostosas ao tomar banho de mar. Aliás, Diogo e Cibele terão de providenciar uma praia em São Paulo, do jeito que Clarice gosta da água do mar... Era sempre muito engraçado quando após embolar com uma onda levantava gargalhando e pedia 'de nnnnovo'. A única exceção foi uma onda mais danada que fez ela se revoltar e sair da praia dizendo 'vou embora'. Quando Diogo conseguiu pegá-la já estava a meio caminho da pousada.<br />
<br />
Foram muito bons esses dias na Praia do Forte também para Carol descansar, tomar sol e relaxar aos seis meses da gravidez de nossa primeira filha, Catharina. Da próxima vez que formos à Praia do Forte com Diogo e Cibele já teremos duas crianças, Clarice e Catharina. Que haverá a próxima vez já está certo, já que foram férias tão boas que já estamos planejando os repetecos. Será diversão em dobro com duas crianças.<br />
<br />
No mais, foram dias de muita comida boa, com destaque para a Casa da Torre, onde o vinagrete de polvo era uma entrada imperdível, e a Forneria Vila dos Pescadores, onde boa comida e atendimento sempre simpático foram a tônica. Ah, e claro, sorvete, sorvete, sorvete, um dos maiores prazeres da Praia do Forte, com suas boas sorveterias a quilo. Qualidade e variedade.<br />
<br />
No primeiro dia, ficamos nas piscinas naturais na própria Praia do Forte, programa repetido no segundo dia. No terceiro, fomos ao Castelo Garcia D'Ávila, também denominado Casa da Torre, que não se pode deixar de visitar ao ir à Praia do Forte. A primeira grande edificação construída pelos Portugueses no Brasil, foi a sede de uma 'pequena' fazenda de 800.000 quilômetros quadrados. No quarto dia, fomos andar pelas trilhas da Reserva da Sapiranga e tomar banho no Rio Pojuca. As trilhas atravessam matas secundárias, muito antropizadas, que não são realmente tão interessantes. O banho no rio, contudo, é bem agradável. No quinto e sexto dia ficamos nas piscinas naturais, mergulhando para ver a fauna e flora dos recifes.<br />
<br />
Como não tínhamos máquina para fotografia submarina conosco, identificamos algumas espécies, de memória, usando o seguinte Manual: Sampaio, C. L. S. & Nottingham, M. C. (2008). Guia para Identificação de Peixes Ornamentais Brasileiros, Espécies Marinhas. Brasília: IBAMA. Como identificamos de memória, erros não seriam surpreendentes e podemos registrar apenas uma pequena parte do que vimos:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Murucutucas-oceladas ou mututucas (<i>Myrichthys ocellatus</i>) </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Sargentos (<i>Abudefduf saxatilis</i>) </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Donzelas-amarelas (<i>Stegastes variabilis</i>) </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Bodião-sipica (<i>Halichoeres brasiliensis</i>) </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Baiacu-pintado (<i>Sphoeroides testudineus</i>)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Vimos também tartarugas cabeçudas (<i>Caretta caretta</i>) nascendo e uma tartaruga cabeçuda desovando. Mas isso foi em saída em campanha noturna com a equipe do TAMAR, à qual dedicaremos uma postagem específica.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Nesta e nas próximas postagens, algumas fotos dessa bela semana de férias.<br />
<br />
Abaixo, Carol mostrando a Clarice tartarugas num tanque localizado ao lado do restaurante do Souza, dentro do centro de visitação do TAMAR, onde almoçamos no primeiro dia.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXlO8j2QLQ5p3a48aMYd-WZt4CXjO9iu7RhsqaD5I0xZ7vanAA80qOWUvsp8s1NY9b2y0RhN3KQfY0-yXbwynmDSC3iLF8Fz7of1BbDPHoN5hCokM-78LiVpfVlvz7x0HMZx9S974GeU2/s1600/IMG_8950_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXlO8j2QLQ5p3a48aMYd-WZt4CXjO9iu7RhsqaD5I0xZ7vanAA80qOWUvsp8s1NY9b2y0RhN3KQfY0-yXbwynmDSC3iLF8Fz7of1BbDPHoN5hCokM-78LiVpfVlvz7x0HMZx9S974GeU2/s400/IMG_8950_named.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
Uma das tartarugas desse tanque. Em vista da importância de sensibilizar as pessoas para a necessidade da conservação, estes animais cumprem papel central na sobrevivência da espécie.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4o4uBwOBEDH1RF3jLc8rRrmKtrTVC7_kHyq3c4vMvpk9GNffPih-Q9nQfXFboxyYs1Wlm-kmmucO23KCTIg0XaerGFhYtPoWuG5ZjTPqvMKNPrIg81XfcONDi48rdWmM-eElp9O6HfXb/s1600/IMG_8961_Named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4o4uBwOBEDH1RF3jLc8rRrmKtrTVC7_kHyq3c4vMvpk9GNffPih-Q9nQfXFboxyYs1Wlm-kmmucO23KCTIg0XaerGFhYtPoWuG5ZjTPqvMKNPrIg81XfcONDi48rdWmM-eElp9O6HfXb/s400/IMG_8961_Named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Carol no restaurante do Souza, com tanque de tartarugas ao fundo. Neste dia, comemos um maravilhoso Vermelho na brasa lá (que peixe!)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGza6xicwDA3Q8dmF__6DkSoOxR9EnO4QuNskQkQmRpo-h7sb9nOBJZNwUyc-nbIqf-GNacnjHHDkzLn_Q-aEUc0xFpA8A4xR4Ckpt7Qryu_39KoJQ7F1KuP-0xDfLtXnPGH67ZzfsSJg/s1600/IMG_8962_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGza6xicwDA3Q8dmF__6DkSoOxR9EnO4QuNskQkQmRpo-h7sb9nOBJZNwUyc-nbIqf-GNacnjHHDkzLn_Q-aEUc0xFpA8A4xR4Ckpt7Qryu_39KoJQ7F1KuP-0xDfLtXnPGH67ZzfsSJg/s400/IMG_8962_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Diogo e Clarice. A luz estourou um pouco na foto, mas a carinha que Clarice fez é irresistível.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWzn2y0IJCeTGe3twiAumQUgl9A4j-c2MBFrqJqU4_q7iKd739Yn-vFUAWegE5QsQ2EUxDaaPXMM8_1WyjpVuak52ii7F5XjiXUEUHRXRW6sTJSsU-pDGxyG50KLZ5dcTpxtXqJ192KEC/s1600/IMG_8970_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWzn2y0IJCeTGe3twiAumQUgl9A4j-c2MBFrqJqU4_q7iKd739Yn-vFUAWegE5QsQ2EUxDaaPXMM8_1WyjpVuak52ii7F5XjiXUEUHRXRW6sTJSsU-pDGxyG50KLZ5dcTpxtXqJ192KEC/s400/IMG_8970_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><br />
We just came back from a one-week vacation in Praia do Forte, nearby Salvador, with our friends Diogo Meyer and Cibele Masotti and their little daughter, Clarice. It was such a good week that we will interrupt the description of the trip to Kruger to do some postings related to this travel.<br />
<br />
Praia do Forte offers a series of very interesting options, from diving at the natural pools in order to see fishes and other animals, algae, etc., to visits to Project TAMAR, devoted to the conservation of sea turtles, to maritime tours to see Humpback Whales (<i>Megaptera novaeangliae</i>), adventure sports, walkings through secondary florests, etc. Moreover, it is a very pleasant place.<br />
<br />
We stayed at Pousada Brasil which, with one or another minor problem (a clogged drain in the bathroom, and the like), was a good and friendly hosting, with very accessible rates.<br />
<br />
We indeed entered in a feeling of total vacation, with the only worry being what activity we would do in the folllowing day. This meant not only a lot of resting, very needed due to the way we worked intensely the whole year, both us and Diogo and Cibele. Besides, without major worries, we could really enjoy the friendship between the two families, also counting in most of the days with the presence of our dear friends Thierry Lobão and Suani Pinho, a guarantee of good laughs and a good time (with some talks on our researches, :o)<br />
<br />
One of the great things of the week was to enjoy the interaction with Clarice, Diogo and Cibele's daughter, who, with her two years of age and intelligence, is guaranteed fun. Some of the hallmarks of the week came from Clarice, such as the 'NNNNNNo' which answered almost every question, even when she intended to say 'yes' or the gorgeous 'AAAAAgain' when she wanted to repeat some play she liked, or the joyful laughters when seabathing. By the way, Diogo and Cibele will have to provide a beach in São Paulo, given the way Clarice likes sea water... It was always very funny when, after being entangled with a wave, she would stand up laughing and ask 'AAAAgain'. The only exception was a more revolted wave which made her protest and leave the beach saying 'I'll go away'. When Diogo managed to reach he, she was half way to the lodging.<br />
<br />
These days in Praia do Forte were very good also for Carol to rest, sunbathe and relax at the six months of pregnancy of our first daughter, Catharina. The next time we go to Praia do Forte with Diogo and Cibele we will be with two children, Clarice and Catharina. That there will be a next time is something certain, the vacations were so good that we are already planning the reprises. It will be double fun with the two children.<br />
<br />
These were also dats of ver good food, the highlight being the restaurants Casa da Torre, where the octopus vinaigrette was a necessary starter, and Forneria Vila dos Pescadores, where good food and always friendly service were the hallmarks. Ah, and of course, ice cream, ice cream, ice cream, one of the greatest pleasures in Praia do Forte, with its delicious ice cream shops by the pound. Quality and variety.<br />
<br />
In the first day, we enjoyed the natural pools in Praia do Forte itself, a program repeated in the second day. In the third, we went to Castelo Garcia D'Ávila, also known as Casa da Torre, which one cannot lose visiting when travelling to Praia do Forte. The first large edification built by the Portuguese in Brazil, it was the main house of a 'small' farm of 800,000 squared kilometers. In the fourth day, we went to walk in the trails of Reserva da Sapiranga and a bath in Pojuca river. The trails cross secondary florests, very disturbed, which are not really that interesting. The bath in the river, however, is very pleasant. In the fifth and sixth days, we stayed in the natural pools, diving to see the reefs fauna and flora.<br />
<br />
As we did not have a subaquatic camera with us, we identified some species through our remembrances, using the following guide: Sampaio, C. L. S. & Nottingham, M. C. (2008). Guia para Identificação de Peixes Ornamentais Brasileiros, Espécies Marinhas. Brasília: IBAMA. As we identified by our memories, mistakes would not be surprising, and we can register just a small part of what we saw:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Mututucas (<i>Myrichthys ocellatus</i>) </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Sergeant Major (<i>Abudefduf saxatilis</i>) </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Cocoa Damselfish (<i>Stegastes variabilis</i>) </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Brazilian Wrasse (<i>Halichoeres brasiliensis</i>) </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Checkered Puffer (<i>Sphoeroides testudineus</i>)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">We also saw Loggerhead Sea Turtles (<i>Caretta caretta</i>) being born and nesting. But this happened when we accompanied a TAMAR night campaign, to which we will dedicate a specific posting.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">In this and the next postings, some pictures of this nice week of vacations.<br />
<br />
The first picture above captures Carol showing Clarice turtles at the tank located besides the Souza restaurant, inside TAMAR visitors centers, where we had lunch in the first day.<br />
<br />
The second picture shows one of the turtles in this tank. Due to the importance of raising people's awareness regarding the need of conservation, these animals play a key role in the species survival.<br />
<br />
In the third picture, Carol in Souza restaurant, with the turtle tank in the background. In this day, we ate a marvellous Red Snapper there (what a grilled fish!).<br />
<br />
<span style="text-align: left;">In the fourth picture, Diogo and Clarice. Too much light in the picture, but Clarice's gaze was irresistible.</span> </div></div>Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-83509134787156296102012-01-10T05:01:00.000-08:002012-01-10T05:01:10.833-08:00S114 (Rhenosterkoppies Road) and S121 (Timfenheni Loop)A esta altura, adiantamos o passo porque tínhamos de chegar a Pretoriuskop até 18:30, quando o portão se fecharia. Por razões de segurança, visitantes não podem ficar em deslocamento pelo Kruger à noite. A única maneira de visitar o parque à noite ou de madrugada, antes das 5:30, quando os portões se abrem, é realizando night ou morning drives. Vale muito a pena fazê-las. Nós fizemos alguns destes passeios posteriormente, em nossa visita ao Kruger.<br />
<br />
Percorremos, assim, apenas um curto trecho da Rhenosterkoppies Road (S114), muito comentada nos fóruns sobre o Kruger como excelente para visualização de animais. Contudo, no pequeno trecho que foi possível percorrer, vimos somente um Francolim-de-Poupa (<i>Dendroperdix sephaena</i>) e um grande grupo de Impalas (<i>Aepyceros melampus</i>), sem tê-los fotografado.<br />
<br />
Após a Rhenosterkoppies Road, seguimos pelo Timfenheni Loop (S25) para alcançar novamente a H3. Estes caminhos podem ser visualizados em <a href="http://www.gomag.co.za/kruger/game_viewing_areas/game_viewing_berg_en_dal.html">http://www.gomag.co.za/kruger/game_viewing_areas/game_viewing_berg_en_dal.html</a><br />
<br />
O Timfenheni Loop é uma pequena conexão entre a S114 e a H3 que não é muito comentado pelos visitantes do Kruger, embora alguns considerem que pode gerar bons avistamentos. Nele, nós vimos os seguintes animais:<br />
1 Ógea (<i>Falco subbuteo</i>)<br />
Mais 1 grupo de Impalas (<i>Aepyceros melampus</i>)<br />
2 Zebras de Burchell (<i>Equus quagga</i>)<br />
mais 1 Francolim-de-Poupa (<i>Dendroperdix sephaena</i>)<br />
<br />
Fotografamos Ógea e Zebras, mas não renderam boas imagens. Foi a única vez que vimos 1 Ógea na visita ao Kruger.<br />
<br />
Em vez de colocar estas imagens, decidimos reproduzir aqui duas fotos da linda paisagem da região de Berg-En-Dal, que realmente vale a pena visitar num final de tarde como este. Na primeira foto, uma vista da estrada com as montanhas da região ao fundo e, na segunda, uma vista do belo céu da savana africana, muito parecido com os céus que vemos na caatinga, uma savana brasileira.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJlWcoZtIdjsbpvlQxWnT9k3WmeOgmEP1gGOwgcmK9buFEi-9YS8JNv1gOBUuy6G3Hw78Fx08l4Sj0_5dD5gB6oYm0ZaqT_hAOF6S7QcMeisl_vgkQ3X93jCgJl9OmgKkL4mj2oFgM-kT/s1600/Paisagem+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJlWcoZtIdjsbpvlQxWnT9k3WmeOgmEP1gGOwgcmK9buFEi-9YS8JNv1gOBUuy6G3Hw78Fx08l4Sj0_5dD5gB6oYm0ZaqT_hAOF6S7QcMeisl_vgkQ3X93jCgJl9OmgKkL4mj2oFgM-kT/s400/Paisagem+1_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlb2tU1CqdUXe7sePo0yjJ78d6B9or6-KsGxoctyQ_EHFZ-fr_4H_UdwqB9WuvjuPo4VBlzXUifiXH_UObsKzwltJE9sj6nEdEracOpSV1bVKKGRzcyPHMI2h2MFbvIuzhf8scA7rOH5p3/s1600/Paisagem+6_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlb2tU1CqdUXe7sePo0yjJ78d6B9or6-KsGxoctyQ_EHFZ-fr_4H_UdwqB9WuvjuPo4VBlzXUifiXH_UObsKzwltJE9sj6nEdEracOpSV1bVKKGRzcyPHMI2h2MFbvIuzhf8scA7rOH5p3/s400/Paisagem+6_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
At this point, we were travelling faster because we had to arrive at Pretoriuskop until 6:30PM, when the gate would close. For safety reasons, visitors cannot stay moving through the Kruger at night. The only way of visiting the park at night or at dawn, before 5:30, when the gates open, is by making night or morning drives. They are really worth doing. We did some of these drives later, in our visit to the Kruger.<br />
<br />
We followed, thus, through only a short stretch of Rhenosterkoppies Road (S114), very commented in the forums on Kruger as excellent for animal sightings. However, in the short way we followed it we only saw a Crested Francolin (<i>Dendroperdix sephaena</i>) e a large group of Impalas (<i>Aepyceros melampus</i>), with no pictures.<br />
<br />
After Rhenosterkoppies Road, we followed Timfenheni Loop (S25) in order to reach H3 again. These roads can be seen at <a href="http://www.gomag.co.za/kruger/game_viewing_areas/game_viewing_berg_en_dal.html">http://www.gomag.co.za/kruger/game_viewing_areas/game_viewing_berg_en_dal.html</a><br />
<br />
Timfenheni Loop is a small connection between S114 and H3, not very commented by Kruger visitors, although some regard it as capable of giving good sightings. We saw the following animals there:<br />
1 Eurasian (European) Hobby (<i>Falco subbuteo</i>)<br />
Another group of Impalas (<i>Aepyceros melampus</i>)<br />
2 Burchell's Zebras (<i>Equus quagga</i>)<br />
Another Crested Francolin (<i>Dendroperdix sephaena</i>)<br />
<br />
We photographed the Hobby and the Zebras, but obtained no good pictures. It was the only time we saw this Hobby in the visit to the Kruger.<br />
<br />
Instead of putting these images here, we decided to reproduce two pictures of the nice landscape of the Berg-En-Dal region, really worth visiting in an afternoon like this. In the first picture, a view of the road with the mountains at the background, and, in the second, a view of the beautiful sky of the African savannah, very similar to the skies we see in the caatinga, a Brazilian savannah.Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-76778492489868496262012-01-05T07:52:00.000-08:002012-01-05T07:52:08.244-08:00Impalas em Crocodile River Road (S25)Em Crocodile River Road (S25), outra coisa legal foi ver esse grupo de três impalas machos, na primeira foto, recortados contra uma bela paisagem vespertina do Kruger.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zz1w5ecbVDA/TwXG46jFn_I/AAAAAAAAALw/WLxa7jN4yxg/s1600/Impalas+1_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zz1w5ecbVDA/TwXG46jFn_I/AAAAAAAAALw/WLxa7jN4yxg/s400/Impalas+1_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Eles saíram correndo pela estrada, cruzando-a para embrenhar-se na savana, o que permitiu belas fotos de sua locomoção, como esta segunda.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BjfgusPlUM4/TwXHHXWZruI/AAAAAAAAAL8/RXZMSlOu7uE/s1600/Impalas+4_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BjfgusPlUM4/TwXHHXWZruI/AAAAAAAAAL8/RXZMSlOu7uE/s400/Impalas+4_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
As impalas são muito abundantes no parque, tendo chegado-se a uma estimativa de 150.000 em 2003, enquanto em 1980 estimava-se 92.000. Trata-se de um crescimento notável da população de impalas, que torna muito provável encontrar-se este maravilhoso antílope enquanto se passeia pelo parque. Contudo, eles são tão belos que é inevitável fotografá-los muitas vezes e ter ao fim uma grande coleção de fotos de impala!<br />
<br />
In Crocodile River Road (S25), another nice thing was to see this group of three male impalas, in the first picture, silhouetted against a beautiful evening landscape in the Kruger. They ran through the road, crossing it to delve into the savannah, what allowed us to take beautiful pictures of their locomotion, such as the second one.<br />
<br />
Impalas are very abundant in the park, with a population estimate of 150,000 in 2003, while in 1980 92,000 were estimated. It is a noticeable growth of the impala population, what makes it very likely to find this wonderful antelope while driving through the park. However, they are so nice that it is inevitable to take many pictures of them and, in the end, have such a large collection of impala photographs!Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-13688098456996495602011-12-25T15:13:00.000-08:002011-12-25T15:17:44.396-08:00Girafas em Crocodile River Road (S25)<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A primeira vez que vimos girafas no Kruger foi, de fato, um momento mágico, de tirar o fôlego. Ficamos os três extasiados quando vimos os cinco animais juntos, bem perto da estrada, cruzando-a, andando próximos aos carros, deixando bem claro que animal grandioso, majestoso uma girafa é. Ainda assim, são animais que passam um inegável ar de serenidade. Na foto abaixo, a proximidade entre a girafa que cruzava a estrada e o carro salienta sua grande altura.</span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V4vz9Lsnap4/Tven97Pxp9I/AAAAAAAAAJg/aDTpvSGuHCk/s1600/Girafa+e+Red-Billed+Oxpeckers+2_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V4vz9Lsnap4/Tven97Pxp9I/AAAAAAAAAJg/aDTpvSGuHCk/s400/Girafa+e+Red-Billed+Oxpeckers+2_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Nesta foto, temos ainda um registro da relação entre os animais da savana e os pica-bois-de-bico-vermelho (<i>Buphagus erythrorhynchus</i>), que consomem carrapatos presos à pele de grandes mamíferos, principalmente zebras, rinocerontes, girafas, antílopes, búfalos. Esta parece ser, em princípio, uma relação mutualística, mas há polêmica a respeito, uma vez que os pica-bois podem também coletar sangue e muco dos animais, freqüentemente bebendo sangue de feridas abertas. Mas o que isso significa? Pode ser que ainda assim a relação seja mutualística, na medida em que a área é limpa e a infestação por larvas de mosca se torna menos provável. Contudo, como a ferida fica aberta e com maior dificuldade de ser curada, a situação também pode ser desvantajosa para os mamíferos, o que configuraria uma relação parasítica. É claro que não devemos perder de vista que as relações ecológicas não precisam necessariamente ajustar-se de modo estanque em nossas classificações. A relação entre pica-bois e mamíferos pode ter uma natureza dinâmica, sendo parasítica ou mutualística a depender de outros fatores intervenientes.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Na foto abaixo, um pica-bois-de-bico-vermelho pode ser visto em maior detalhe.</span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WMA2zUpQDD0/TveoYSFE0iI/AAAAAAAAAJs/ibMScivWImE/s1600/Girafa+e+Red-Billed+Oxpecker+5_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WMA2zUpQDD0/TveoYSFE0iI/AAAAAAAAAJs/ibMScivWImE/s400/Girafa+e+Red-Billed+Oxpecker+5_named.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sendo o mais alto de todos os animais atualmente existentes que vivem em ambiente terrestre, e também o maior dos ruminantes, não é difícil entender por que a girafa parece tão majestosa em seu movimento, flutuando por sobre a vegetação da savana. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Z7IjPdLprI/TveozfsAXjI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/GtgjM06lXK0/s1600/Girafas+5_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Z7IjPdLprI/TveozfsAXjI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/GtgjM06lXK0/s400/Girafas+5_named.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Contudo, também ajuda nessa percepção de que flutuam em seu movimento o fato de que, ao andar, não se movem alternando as patas dianteiras e as patas traseiras, o que leva ao balouçar típico dos grandes mamíferos terrestres, mas com as duas patas do mesmo lado ao mesmo tempo, o que faz com que pareçam deslizar. A aparente inflexibilidade das patas também contribui para essa impressão. Além do andar, as girafas também galopam, com as patas dianteiras e traseiras trabalhando aos pares, com os animais trazendo suas pernas para diante e por fora das patas dianteiras e, em seguida, levantando as patas dianteiras e empurrando com as patas traseiras, o que as impulsiona para a frente. Desse modo, chegam até a 60 Km/h, mas não são capazes de manter o galope por muito tempo. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As girafas alcançam uma altura entre 5 e 6 metros, sendo os machos maiores do que as fêmeas; Os machos pesam, em média, 1;200 Kg e as fêmeas, 830 Kg.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Elas são facilmente reconhecidas por seu formato corporal alongado, com corpos relativamente curtos e pernas e pescoços muito longos. Os pescoços podem ter mais de 2 m de comprimento, respondendo por quase metade da altura dos animais. O comprimento do pescoço é devido ao tamanho das vértebras cervicais, não da adição de mais vértebras. Ele tem alguns custos fisiológicos, estando associado a várias adaptações presentes nas girafas, por exemplo, em seu sistema circulatório. O papel de tais adaptações se torna claro quando constatamos que seus corações estão 2 m acima de seus cascos e 3 m abaixo de seu cérebro. O tamanho do cérebro é relativamente pequeno – ele pesa apenas 680 g – provavelmente devido ao comprimento do pescoço, uma vez que seria necessária muita energia para fornecer oxigênio a um cérebro maior na extremidade do longo pescoço.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TgRgtnL0bcs/TvepvyGGiMI/AAAAAAAAAKE/b-zaiDO1NAU/s1600/Girafas+122_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TgRgtnL0bcs/TvepvyGGiMI/AAAAAAAAAKE/b-zaiDO1NAU/s400/Girafas+122_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Machos usam seus pescoços para se atingirem durante combates, um comportamento que observamos algumas vezes em nossa viagem pelo Kruger. Há combates de baixa intensidade, que parecem cumprir o papel de avaliar seus pesos comparativos: elas esfregam seus pescoços, forçando-os um com o outro, sendo o vencedor o macho que conseguir ficar mais ereto. Num combate de alta intensidade, as girafas atingem os troncos e pescoços umas das outras, usando também seus cornos para atingir o oponente. Elas procuram esquivar-se das pancadas e contra-atacar com seus pescoços. A força da pancada depende do peso do crânio e da intensidade com que a girafa balança seu pescoço. O perdedor é o animal que perder seu equilíbrio. Muito raramente os combates levam a ferimentos sérios e, em geral, são decididos rapidamente, mas podem durar até mais de meia hora. Ao término do combate, o vencedor monta seu oponente para mostrar dominância. Estas brigas têm papel importante no estabelecimento das hierarquias sociais. Os machos dominantes têm acesso a múltiplas fêmeas.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">Há duas hipóteses principais propostas para explicar a origem evolutiva dos longos pescoços das girafas. Darwin propôs originalmente a hipótese da competição no forrageio com herbívoros menores, como kudus e impalas, por exemplo, o que teria levado à vantagem de girafas com pescoços cada vez mais longos, que forrageariam em alturas que estes outros herbívoros não alcançam. Embora esta vantagem exista e haja evidência de que a competição é intensa no forrageio em menores alturas, hoje há controvérsia sobre esta hipótese, em vista da discordância quanto ao tempo que as girafas de fato gastam alimentando-se a alturas fora do alcance dos outros herbívoros. Outra hipótese é baseada na seleção sexual e propõe que os longos pescoços evoluíram como uma característica sexual secundária, por propiciar aos machos uma vantagem nos combates com outros machos para estabelecer dominância e obter acesso às fêmeas, nos quais eles empregam os pescoços. Esta teoria é apoiada pelo fato de que os machos têm pescoços mais longos e pesados do que as fêmeas e de que esta é a única forma de combate registrada entre eles. Ocapis, os parentes mais próximos da girafa ainda existentes, usam mordidas, chutes, cabeçadas, mas nada disso é observado entre os machos das girafas. Contudo, esta hipótese não explica adequadamente por que as fêmeas também possuem longos pescoços. Talvez isso possa ser explicado pelas bases fisiológicas para o desenvolvimento do pescoço, mas isso ainda precisa ser feito. Como é usualmente o caso na ciência, que tem como uma de suas características fundamentais a natureza mutável de seu conhecimento, a situação não está decidida no presente e testemunharemos nos anos vindouros mais desenvolvimentos na discussão destas hipóteses. Sobre este assunto, vocês podem examinar: Simmons, R. E. & Scheepers, L. (1996). Winning by a Neck: Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Giraffe. The American Naturalist, Vol. 158, pp. 771-786; Cameron, E. Z. & du Toit, J. T. (2007). Winning by a Neck: Tall Giraffes Avoid Competing with Shorter Browsers. The American Naturalist, Vol. 169, pp. 130-135.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Talvez a hipótese mais provável seja combinar vários fatores, considerando uma série de vantagens conferidas por sua altura, tais como proteção da predação, vigilância aumentadae, nos machos, dominância sexual e acesso a nutrientes (Mitchell, G. & Skinner, J. D. 2003. On the origin, evolution and phylogeny of giraffes<i> Giraffa camelopardalis</i>. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 58: 51-73).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">As girafas também apresentam belos cornos, formados por cartilagem ossificada. Os cornos são bem vascularizados e podem ter função termorregulatória. A aparência dos cornos propicia um método confiável para identificar os sexos das girafas: fêmeas têm cornos com tufos de pêlos no topo, enquanto os machos possuem cornos maiores, que tendem a ser desnudos no topo. Uma das girafas que vimos na Crocodile River Road (S25) tinha um dos cornos menor do que o outro, como pode ser visto na fotografia abaixo. Considerando os pêlos sobre os cornos, trata-se provavelmente de uma fêmea.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HjVpZXTQ3WE/TveqX2-q40I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/o_0eQX-usbc/s1600/Girafas+38_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HjVpZXTQ3WE/TveqX2-q40I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/o_0eQX-usbc/s400/Girafas+38_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Girafas comem ramos, folhas, frutos e, raramente, gramíneas. Ao alimentar-se, a girafa usa sua língua, seus lábios e seu palato, que são suficientemente duros para lidar com os espinhos de árvores como as acácias. Os lábios musculares altamente móveis ajudam a retirar as folhas dos ramos espinhosos com eficiência. Sua língua, de coloração cinza azulada, tem cerca de 45 cm de comprimento e é preênsil e poderosa, habilmente facilitando a coleta das folhas e seu transporte até a boca. Na foto abaixo, pode-se visualizar uma girafa usando a língua em sua alimentação, ainda que discretamente.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XMdSwxU9Pv4/TveqsQCJgoI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DOjYI-ByEbk/s1600/Girafas+96_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XMdSwxU9Pv4/TveqsQCJgoI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DOjYI-ByEbk/s400/Girafas+96_named.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As girafas se distribuem do Chad, ao norte da África, até a África do Sul, e do oeste ao leste da África, mas de maneira bastante dispersa.Elas geralmente habitam savanas, campos de gramíneas e florestas pouco densas, preferindo áreas ricas em acácias, que são importantes em sua dieta. O parente vivo mais próximo da girafa é o Ocapi (<i>Okapia johnstoni</i>), que não é encontrado no sul da África. As duas espécies são parte de uma família, Giraffidae, que já foi muito mais extensa, contando com dez gêneros fósseis descritos. O gênero <i>Giraffa </i>evoluiu na China e no norte da índia e, há cerca de 7 milhões de anos, chegaram à África através da Etiópia. Mudanças climáticas levaram, então, as girafas asiáticas à extinção, enquanto as africanas sobreviveram e originaram várias espécies novas, entre elas <i>Giraffa camelopardalis</i>, que surgiu há 1 milhão de anos na África oriental, durante o pleistoceno.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">São reconhecidas atualmente nove subespécies de girafa, com diferenças em tamanho, coloração, padrão da pelagem e distribuição. A subespécie encontrada na África do Sul é <i>Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa</i>, apresentando manchas relativamente arredondadas, algumas com extensões estreladas, contra um fundo castanho claro, descendo até os cascos. Estima-se que existam menos de 12.000 indivíduos desta espécie em ambiente nativo (das quais mais de 5.000 se encontram no Kruger!) e cerca de 45 em Zoológicos (ver https://app.isis.org/abstracts/Abs77545.asp).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cada girafa tem um padrão único de pelagem, tão específico quanto nossas impressões digitais. Esta é uma característica notável quando elas são vistas em grupo, como vimos na Crocodile River Road (S25). Olhando para cada indivíduo, era possível diferenciá-los examinando o padrão da pelagem. A girafa da foto abaixo, por exemplo, possuía, entre as cinco, as manchas mais escuras, sendo provavelmente um macho, já que estes são usualmente mais escuros do que as fêmeas. Além das manchas escuras, notem a articulação dos joelhos, poderosas como necessário para sustentar um animal tão alto.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lJrnkdNLk4M/TverLNaCQlI/AAAAAAAAAKo/ghmHTBjZB8g/s1600/Girafas+126_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lJrnkdNLk4M/TverLNaCQlI/AAAAAAAAAKo/ghmHTBjZB8g/s400/Girafas+126_named.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">O padrão da pelagem pode servir para camuflagem, porque mimetiza a combinação de luz e sombra da vegetação da savana. As manchas também cumprem o papel de janelas térmicas, com importante função termorregulatória, dado que as girafas não são capazes de suar ou arfar. A pelagem também funciona como defesa química, sendo repleta de substâncias químicas aromáticas que servem como repelentes de parasitas, dando ao animal um odor característico. Machos têm odor mais forte do que as fêmeas, o que leva à suspeita de que também tem função sexual.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Na foto abaixo, que mostra um detalhe da cabeça de um dos indivíduos que observamos, pode-se ver a presença de uma crina marrom, composta de pêlos curtos e firmes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qwRms5IaY3Q/Tverb9J6EWI/AAAAAAAAAK0/_jdPfmWnZKc/s1600/Girafas+4_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qwRms5IaY3Q/Tverb9J6EWI/AAAAAAAAAK0/_jdPfmWnZKc/s400/Girafas+4_named.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Na foto abaixo, por sua vez, pode ser visto o tufo terminal de pêlos negros, ao final da cauda, que é usado para espantar moscas e outros insetos voadores. Além disso, esta foto deu início a uma atividade muito divertida durante nossos dias no Kruger, a construção do que chamamos de um “calendário de bundinhas animais”, que logo ficará disponível neste blog!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-utJW1px4yHo/TverwZSR2uI/AAAAAAAAALA/Wn1F7hGw2Uw/s1600/Girafas+77_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-utJW1px4yHo/TverwZSR2uI/AAAAAAAAALA/Wn1F7hGw2Uw/s400/Girafas+77_named.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Nesta foto, vemos um dos olhos de uma das girafas. Estes animais apresentam olhos proporcionalmente grandes, em comparação com outros ruminantes, como cervos e bovídeos, por exemplo. Estes grandes olhos ajudam a localizar comida e predadores à distância, desde a perspectiva elevada em que vivem as girafas. São também animais que têm visão colorida, o que ajuda no reconhecimento intra-específico. Além disso, apresentam audição e olfato aguçados.</span></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gty7VdC71DE/TvesIbkUzLI/AAAAAAAAALM/Bh3OnVuuop0/s1600/Girafas+128_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gty7VdC71DE/TvesIbkUzLI/AAAAAAAAALM/Bh3OnVuuop0/s400/Girafas+128_named.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embora seja comum vê-las reunidas, elas não permanecem juntas por mais do que algumas poucas horas, com a composição dos grupos sendo mais fluida do que em outros ungulados sociais. Os animais tendem a mover-se livremente de um grupo a outro e as únicas associações mais evidentes são entre as fêmeas e seus filhotes. Os machos adultos tendem a ser solitários e nômades, movendo-se entre grupos de fêmeas para verificar a receptividade reprodutiva de fêmeas de diferentes grupos. Isso ocorre o tempo todo, porque não há estação reprodutiva fixa.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Machos subadultos podem ser encontrados juntos às fêmeas, ou podem formar grupos de machos, que podem ser vistos brincando de combates com seus pescoços, como um meio de aprendizagem para os futuros combates pelas fêmeas.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tivemos a sorte de vê-las reunidas muitas vezes no Kruger, como nesta primeira ocasião em que as vimos, em número de cinco. De fato, grupos de girafas usualmente contêm poucos membros, embora ocasionalmente grupos com 40 animais ou mais possam se formar.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ESW5moHH7Kk/TvesgWAKilI/AAAAAAAAALY/NZqPzoYmfEc/s1600/Girafas+86_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ESW5moHH7Kk/TvesgWAKilI/AAAAAAAAALY/NZqPzoYmfEc/s400/Girafas+86_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">A reprodução é polígama, com alguns machos mais velhos fertilizando as fêmeas férteis. Durante a corte, os machos dominantes afastam os subordinados observando-os e andando em sua direção. As fêmeas prolongam a corte tanto quanto possível, de modo que somente os machos mais dominantes chegam a cruzar com elas. Durante a cópula, o macho monta a fêmea, deslizando suas pernas dianteiras sobre ela sem apertá-la. Infelizmente, não vimos nenhuma cópula entre as girafas que observamos no Kruger. A foto abaixo mostra detalhe da genitália de um macho que se encontrava no grupo que vimos na Crocodile River Road.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bTsIexj5l2M/TveswXdPuoI/AAAAAAAAALk/ajrDEbP5QWg/s1600/Girafas+58_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bTsIexj5l2M/TveswXdPuoI/AAAAAAAAALk/ajrDEbP5QWg/s400/Girafas+58_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">A gestação das girafas dura entre 400 e 460 dias, após os quais em geral um único filhote nasce, com ocasionais nascimentos de gêmeos. Os filhotes nascem com 1,8 m de altura. Eles são criados principalmente pelas fêmeas. Quando cuidam dos filhotes, elas podem formar grupos que duram por mais tempo, de semanas a meses. Nestes grupos, observa-se cuidado aloparental, uma vez que as mães deixam seus filhotes com outra fêmea enquanto se deslocam para outras áreas. Em geral, eles se juntam em grupos de até 10 filhotes cuidados por um ou dois adultos.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embora possam caminhar poucas horas depois de nascer, em suas duas primeiras semanas de vida os filhotes passam a maior parte do tempo deitados, camuflados por sua pelagem e sendo cuidados pela mãe. Os filhotes mamam por 13 meses e permanecem junto com suas mães por mais 2 a 5 meses. A maturidade sexual é alcançada com 4 a 5 anos de idade.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Os adultos são quase invulneráveis à predação, sendo mais vulneráveis quando estão bebendo água. Filhotes são predados por leões, leopardos, hienas pintadas e cachorros selvagens africanos. Eles são protegidos por suas mães, que chutam predadores que se aproximam. Estes chutes poderosos são uma defesa usual das girafas contra predadores, podendo chegar a matá-los. Leões são capazes de matar girafas adultas se conseguirem derrubá-las e então morder sua garganta ou nariz. No Kruger, girafas de qualquer idade são uma importante fonte alimentar para os leões. Crocodilos do Nilo também capturam girafas quando elas se abaixam para beber.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">De um quarto à metade das girafas que nascem chegam à idade adulta. O tempo de vida máximo observado em ambiente selvagem foi de 25 anos e em cativeiro de 28 anos.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Na Lista Vermelha da IUCN (União Internacional pela Conservação da Natureza), a espécie se encontra na categoria Pouco Preocupante (Least Concern). Contudo, ela foi eliminada de mais de 50% de sua distribuição original, devido à caça excessiva e à perda de habitat, combinadas com epidemias periódicas de doenças trazidas pelo gado. Isso também resultou em fragmentação de sua distribuição. Algumas subespécies estão em perigo de extinção. Embora seus números estejam declinando, ainda são encontradas em numerosas reservas. A girafa é uma espécie protegida na maior parte de sua distribuição atual. Sua sobrevivência é dependente, portanto, dos esforços de conservação. No sul da África, por exemplo, suas populações se encontram estáveis ou em expansão, graças às reservas. Em termos gerais, contudo, uma queda notável foi observada na população total de girafas da África, de 140.000 em 1999 a menos de 80.000 em 2010.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">The first time we saw giraffes in the Kruger was indeed a magical moment, it took our breath away. We stayed all three astonished when we saw the five animals together, very close to the road, crossing it, walking nearby the cars, making it very clear what a remarkable, majestic animal a giraffe is. Nonetheless, these are animals that also convey an undeniable atmosphere of serenity. In the first picture above, the proximity between the giraffe crossing the road and the car highlights its great height.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">In the first picture, we also witness the relationship between savannah animals and red-billed oxpeckers (<i>Buphagus erythrorhynchus</i>), which eat ticks in the skin of great mammals, mostly zebras, rhinos, giraffes, antelopes, buffalos. This seems to be, at first, a mutualistic relationship, but there is controversy about it, since the oxpeckes can also collect blood and mucus from the animals, often drinking blood from open wounds. But what does this mean? The relationship can be still mutualistic, to the extent that the area is cleaned and infestation by fly larvae becomes less likely. However, as the wound remains open and show more difficulty to get healed, the situation can be also disadvantageous to the mammals, what would mean that the relationship is parasitic. It is clearly the case that we should not lose from sight that ecological relationships do not necessarily adjust in a fixed manner to our classifications. The relationship between oxpeckers and mammals can have a dynamic nature, being parasitic or mutualistic depending on other intervening factors.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">In the second picture above, a red-billed oxpecker can be seen in greater detail.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">As the tallest of all extant animals living in terrestrial environments, and also the biggest ruminant, it is not difficult to understand why the giraffe look so majestic in the movement, floating over the savannah vegetation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">However, the perception that they float in their movement is also related to the fact that, when they walk, they do not move alternating front and hind legs, what leads to the typical swinging of the large terrestrial mammals, but with the two legs at the same side at the same time, what makes them look like sliding. The apparent inflexibility of the legs also contributes to this impression. Besides walking, giraffes also gallop, with front and hind legs working in pairs. The animal brings its hind legs ahead of and outside its front legs, and then lifts the front legs and pushes off with the hind legs, propelling it forward. In this manner, they reach up to 60 km/h, but cannot sustain the gallop for a long time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">Giraffes reach 5-6 meters in height, the males being larger than the females. The makes has an average weight of 1,200 kg, the females, of 830 kg.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">They are easily recognized by their elongated body shape, with relatively short bodies and very long necks and legs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">The necks can be over 2 m in length, accounting for nearly half of the animals’ height. The length of the neck is due to the size of the cervical vertebrae, not to the addition of more vertebrae. It has physiological costs, being associated with several adaptations exhibited by giraffes, for instance, in their circulatory system. The role of these adaptations becomes clear when we consider that their hearts are 2 m above their hooves and 3 m below their brains. The size of the brain is relatively small – it has only just 680 g of weight –, probably due to the length of the neck, since too much energy would be needed to furnish oxygen for a larger brain at the end of the long neck.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">Males use their necks to hit each other during fights, a behavior called necking, which we saw sometimes in our trip through the Kruger. There are low-intensity fights, which seem to allow them to evaluate their comparative weights: they rub their necks, forcing them against each other, and the winner is the male that manages to hold itself more erect. In high-intensity necking, the giraffes hit each other’s rump, flanks or necks, using also the horns to blow at the opponent. They try to avoid being hit and counter-attack with their necks. The power of the blow depends on the weight of the skull and the intensity with which the giraffe swings his neck. The loser is the animal that loses their equilibrium. Very rarely the fights result in serious injuries and they are generally decided rapidly, but they can last for over half an hour. At the end of the fight, the winner mounts his opponent to show dominance. These fights play an important role in the establishment of social hierarchies. The dominant males have access to multiple females.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">There are two main hypotheses proposed to explain the evolutionary origins of the giraffes’ long necks. Darwin originally proposed the competing browsers hypothesis, according to which competition with smaller herbivores, such as kudus and impalas, for instance, would have led to an advantage for giraffes with increasingly longer necks, which would forage at heights the other herbivores do not reach. Although this advantage does exist and there is evidence that competition is intense at lower heights foraging, today there is controversy around this hypothesis, due to disagreements about how much time the giraffes indeed spend feeding at heights beyond the reach of the other herbivores. Another hypothesis is based on sexual selection and proposes that the long necks evolved as a secondary sexual trait, giving males and advantage in necking with other males to establish dominance and obtain access to the females. This theory is supported by the facts that males show longer and heavier necks than females and this is the only form of combat recorded between them. Okapis, the closest extant relatives of giraffes, use biting, kicking, head wrestling, but nothing of the sort is observed between giraffe males. Nevertheless, this hypothesis does not explain in an adequate manner why females also exhibit long necks. Maybe this could be explained by the physiological background to neck development, but this is yet to be done. As it is usually the case in science, which has as a fundamental characteristic the mutable nature of its knowledge, the situation is not settled at present and we will witness in the years to come further development in the discussion of these hypotheses. On the topic, you can check: Simmons, R. E. & Scheepers, L. (1996). Winning by a Neck: Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Giraffe. The American Naturalist, Vol. 158, pp. 771-786; Cameron, E. Z. & du Toit, J. T. (2007). Winning by a Neck: Tall Giraffes Avoid Competing with Shorter Browsers. </span><span style="font-size: small;">The American Naturalist, Vol. 169, pp. 130-135.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">Maybe the most likely hypothesis is to combine several factors, considering several advantages conferred by its height, such as protection from predation, increased vigilance, and in males sexual dominance and access to nutrients (Mitchell, G. & Skinner, J. D. 2003. On the origin, evolution and phylogeny of giraffes <i>Giraffa camelopardalis</i>. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 58: 51-73).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">The giraffes also present beautiful horns, formed from ossified cartilage. The horns are well vascularized and may have a thermoregulatory function. The appearance of the horns provides a reliable method for identifying the sex of giraffes: the females exhibit horns with tufts of hair on top, whereas the males possess larger horns, which tend to be bald on top. One of the giraffes we saw at Crocodile River Road (S25) had one of the horns smaller than the other, as one can see in the fifth picture above. Considering the hair over the horns, it is likely to be a female.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">Giraffes eat twigs, leaves, fruits and, rarely, grasses. When she feeds, the giraffes use their tongues, lips and palates, which are tough enough to deal with the thorns of trees like the acacias. Their highly mobile muscular lips help in efficiently stripping the leaves from the spiny branches. Their blue gray tongues are about 45 cm long and are prehensile and powerful, aptly facilitating to grasp the leaves and pull them into the mouth. In the sixth picture above, we can see a giraffe using the tongue to feed, albeit discreetly.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">The giraffe’s range extends from Chad, in North Africa, to South Africa, and from the west to east Africa, but in a very scattered manner. They generally inhabit savannahs, grasslands, and open woodlands, preferring areas with plenty of acacia trees, which are important in its diet. The closes living relative of the giraffe is the Okapi (<i>Okapia johnstoni</i>), which is not found in southern Africa. The two species are part of a family, Giraffidae, which has already been larger, counting with ten described fossil genera. The genus <i>Giraffa</i> evolved in China in north India and, around 7 million years ago, it reached Africa through Ethiopia. Then, climate changes caused the extinction of the Asian giraffes, while the African ones survived and originated several new species, among them <i>Giraffa camelopardalis</i>, which appeared 1 million year ago in East Africa, during the Pleistocene.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">Currently nine subspecies of giraffes are recognized, differing in size, color, coat pattern, and range. The subspecies found in South Africa is <i>Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa</i>, exhibiting relatively rounded spots, some with star-like extensions, on a light tan background, running down to the hooves. It is estimated that there are less than 12,000 individuals of this species in wild environments (of which more than 5,000 found in the Kruger!) and about 45 in Zoos (see https://app.isis.org/abstracts/Abs77545.asp).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">Each giraffe has a unique coat pattern, as specific as our fingerprints. This is a noticeable characteristic when they are seen in group, as we saw in Crocodile River Road (S25). Looking at each individual, it was possible to differentiate them by examining the coat pattern. The giraffe in the seventh picture above, for instance, showed among the five the darker spots, being probably a male, since they are usually darker than the females. Besides the dark spots, notice the knee articulation, powerful as required for supporting such a high animal.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">The coat pattern may serve as camouflage, since it mimics the combination of light and shade in savannah woodlands. The spots also play the role of thermal windows, with important thermoregulatory function, given that giraffes are not capable of sweating or panting. The fur also serves as chemical defense, since it is full of aromatic chemical substances that act as parasite repellents, giving the animal a characteristic scent. Males have a stronger scent than females, what leads to the suspicion that it also has a sexual function.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">In the eighth picture above, which shows a detail of the head of one of the individuals we observed, one can see the presence of a brown mane made of short and stiff hairs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">In the ninth picture, in turn, one can see a terminal tuft of black hairs at the end of the tail, which is used to swat flies and other flying insects away. Moreover, this picture gave birth to a very fun activity during our days in the Kruger, the construction of what we called the “calendar of little animal asses”, which will soon be available in this blog!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">In the tenth picture, we see one of the eyes of one of the giraffes. These animals possess disproportionately large eyes, compared with other ruminants, such as deer and cattle, for instance. These large eyes help in locating food and predators at a distance, from the elevated perspective in which giraffes live. They are also animals that have color vision, helping in intra-specific recognition. Moreover, they have acute hearing and olfaction.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">Although they are commonly found together, they do not stay together for more than a few hours, with the group composition being more fluid than in other social ungulates. The animals tend to move freely from one group to another, and the only evident more associations are between females and their calves. Adult males tend to be solitary and nomadic, moving between female groups in order to verify the reproductive receptivity of females in the different groups. This happens all the time, since there is no fixed breeding season. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">Subadult males can be found along with the females, or can form groups of males, which can be seen engaged in non-combative necking behavior, as a way of learning for future combats for the females. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">We had the luck of seeing them together many times in the Kruger, as in this first occasion in which we saw them, in a number of five. Indeed, groups of giraffes usually contain a few members, although occasionally groups of 40 animals or more can be formed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">Reproduction is polygamous, with a few older males fertilizing the fertile females. During courtship, the dominant males displace the subordinates from the presence of the females by staring and walking towards them. The female prolongs the courtship for as long as possible, so that only the most dominant males manage to mate with her. During copulation, the male mounts the female, sliding its forelegs loosely on her. Unfortunately, we did not see any copulation between the giraffes we watched in the Kruger. The twelfth picture above shows a detail of the genitals of a male found in the group we saw in Crocodile River Road.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">Giraffe gestation lasts between 400 and 460 days, after which generally a single calf is born, with occasional births of twins. Newborn giraffes are 1.8 m tall. They are raised mainly by the females. When taking care of the calves, they can form groups that last longer, from weeks to months. In these groups, one observes alloparental care, since the mothers leave their calves with another female while they travel to other areas. They generally gather together in groups of up to 10 calves taken care by one or two adults.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">Although they can walk a few hours after being born, in their first two weeks of life the calves spend most of the time lying down, camouflaged by their fur and guarded by the mother. Calves suckle for 13 months and stay with their mothers for more 2 to 5months. Sexual maturity is reached with 4-5 years of age.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">Adults are almost invulnerable to predation, showing more vulnerability when they are drinking water. Calves are predated by lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and African wild dogs. They are protected by their mothers, which kick the predators that get close to them. These powerful kicks are the usual defense of giraffes against predators, being even capable of killing them. Lions are capable of killing adult giraffes if they manage to make them fall over and then bite their throats or noses. In Kruger, giraffes of any age are an important food source for lions. Nile crocodiles also capture giraffes when they bend down to drink.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">A quarter to a half of giraffes calves reach adulthood. The maximum lifespan observed in the wild was 25 years and in captivity, 28 years.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="dist"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">In the</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"> IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List, the species is classified in the category Least Concern. It has been eliminated, however, from more than 50% of its original distribution, due to overhunting and habitat loss, combined with periodic outbursts of cattle-borne diseases. This also resulted in the fragmentation of its distribution. Some subspecies are in danger of extinction. Although their numbers are declining, they are still found in many reserves. The giraffe is a protected species in most of its current distribution. Its survival is dependent, thus, on conservation efforts. In southern Africa, for instance, its populations are stable or expanding due to reserves. Generally speaking, however, a remarkable drop has been observed in the total population of giraffes in Africa, from 140,000 in 1999 to less than 80,000 in 2010.</span></span></div>Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-44748822099254309282011-12-11T07:43:00.000-08:002011-12-11T07:43:36.009-08:00Crocodile River Road (S25)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>PT-BR</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Tabela normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style> <![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Ao sair de Gardenia Hide, descemos o pequeno trecho restante da James Road para encontrar Crocodile River Road (S25), uma estrada de terra muito cênica que se inicia próximo ao campo de Crocodile Bridge e segue na direção dos campos de Malelane e Berg-En-Dal, correndo ao longo de pequenos penhascos ondulantes e atravessando uma vegetação que combina campos de gramíneas e densas coberturas de acácias. Em sites de viagem, encontramos o comentário de que é possível ver construções do lado oposto da estrada, onde ela corre próximo da margem do rio, que corresponde ao limite sul do parque, o que pode estragar um pouco a visão. Bem, no trecho que percorremos não vimos construção alguma, embora não estivéssemos longe do rio, ou talvez nem tenhamos prestado atenção, focados que estávamos na savana, em busca de animais.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Aqui estão duas imagens que mostram o cenário nessa estrada.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-_Eh5Xy3YHRM8B9KIx4pBnpnlECYKscJkhliymanfgxCABh3QZxIqD3CbfyYi-kX7VnD_qgMFI-CgsK7SqoGOnoGH54xRUxtuOnL1KDh5EGqfXf5-R1eZcnmRxb92EXh8_QdhkebhW53/s1600/Paisagem+2_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-_Eh5Xy3YHRM8B9KIx4pBnpnlECYKscJkhliymanfgxCABh3QZxIqD3CbfyYi-kX7VnD_qgMFI-CgsK7SqoGOnoGH54xRUxtuOnL1KDh5EGqfXf5-R1eZcnmRxb92EXh8_QdhkebhW53/s400/Paisagem+2_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFRGAvwDS8o875WKiMPevSZniyUfF23d1s50bXWHe_yr01XBjvCAiObH53OMaxfbiImIXCxd6qNyqOnlsNeZuYssoqGU7UkGqV1vmSPy3X34ZPFfIgU-bp-5Gq2tdxBkEWfZS-AbqfeKY/s1600/Paisagem+4_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFRGAvwDS8o875WKiMPevSZniyUfF23d1s50bXWHe_yr01XBjvCAiObH53OMaxfbiImIXCxd6qNyqOnlsNeZuYssoqGU7UkGqV1vmSPy3X34ZPFfIgU-bp-5Gq2tdxBkEWfZS-AbqfeKY/s400/Paisagem+4_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Nós percorremos apenas o trecho final dessa estrada, na direção de Berg-En-Dal, até encontrar a Rhenosterkoppies Road (S114). Mas valeu a pena! Crocodile River Road é conhecida como fantástica para girafas e, de fato, vimos girafas pela primeira vez na viagem logo após entrar nesta estrada! Foi um momento de pura emoção ver esses animais em ambiente nativo, movendo-se com seu jeito majestoso, como se flutuassem acima do mundo. Acreditem, ver uma girafa num zoológico é ver uma sombra, perto do que estes animais são! Já as havíamos visto algumas vezes em zoológicos e nunca atraíram nossa atenção. Ali, no nosso segundo dia no Kruger (apenas! Ainda 12 por vir), ficamos absolutamente fascinados, vivendo num tempo suspenso, enquanto elas andavam ao nosso redor. Mas este ainda não é o posting sobre girafas... Deixemos a continuação dessa descrição para depois.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Nós não pudemos percorrer toda a Crocodile River Road, por conta da necessidade de retornar a Pretoriuskop antes do campo fechar, às 18:30. Contudo, para quem se hospedar em Crocodile River, Berg-En-Dal ou Malelane numa visita ao Kruger, esta é uma estrada que não pode deixar de ser percorrida. Além de ser muito boa para ver girafas, ela oferece boas chances de ver hipopótamos (inclusive em terra firme, retornando para o rio no começo da manhã ou em dias nublados), crocodilos, águias-belicosas, leopardos, leões, cachorros-selvagens africanos, elefantes, babuínos, entre outros. Em tempos de seca, vários animais em busca de água podem ser vistos nesta estrada. Como ela é conhecida por suas chances de visualização de animais, sobretudo no começo da manhã e no fim da tarde, o tráfego pode ser pesado. Entretanto, nós demos sorte, porque não dividimos o trecho da estrada que percorremos com praticamente nenhum outro carro, embora fosse próximo do final da tarde.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Esta foi nossa lista de visualizações no pequeno trecho da Crocodile River Road que percorremos:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">5 Girafas (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Giraffa camelopardalis</i>)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Impalas (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aepyceros melampus</i>)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">2 Pica-bois-de-bico-vermelho (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Buphagus erythrorhynchus</i>)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">1 Estorninho-metálico (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lamprotornis nitens</i>)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When we left Gardenia Hide, we went down the small remaining stretch of James Road to find Crocodile River Road (S25), a very scenic gravel road that begins close to the Crocodile Bridge camp and follows in the direction of Malelane and Berg-En-Dal camps, running alongside low undulating hills and crossing a vegetation that combines grasslands and thick thorn bush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In travel sites, we find the comment that it is possible to see constructions on the opposite side of the road, where the road runs close to the edge of the river, which corresponds to the south limit of the park, what can spoil the view somewhat. Well, in the stretch we passed through we saw no construction, although we were not far away from the river, or maybe we did not pay attention, focused as we were in the savannah, in search of animals.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We went across the final part of this road only, going in the direction of Berg-En-Dal until finding Rhenosterkoppies Road (S114). But it was worthy! Crocodile River Road is known as being fantastic for giraffes and, indeed, we saw giraffes for the first time in the trip soon after entering this road. It was a moment of pure emotion to see these animals in the wild, moving along in their majestic ways, as if they were floating over the world. Believe us, to see a giraffe in a zoo is to see but a shadow of what these animals really are! We had already seen them sometimes in zoos and they never attracted much of our attention. There, in our second day in Kruger (only! 12 more to go), we were absolutely fascinated, living in a suspended time, while they walked around us. But this is not yet the posting on giraffes… So, let us keep the remainder of this description for later.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We did not follow through Crocodile River Road as a whole, since we needed to go back to Pretoriuskop before the camp closed, at 6:30PM. However, for those who are housed in Crocodile River, Berg-En-Dal or Malelane in a visit to the Kruger, this road is a must. Besides being very good for giraffes, it offers good chances of seeing hippos (also onto dry land, when returning to the river in the beginning of the morning, or in overcast days), crocodiles, martial eagles, leopards, lions, African wild dogs, elephants, baboons, among others. In dry times, several animals in search of water can be seen in this road. As it is known for the good chances of animal sightings, mostly early in the morning and late in the afternoon, the traffic can be heavy. We were lucky, however, since we shared the stretch of the road we crossed with almost no other car, even though it was close to the end of the afternoon.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">This was our list of sightings in the small part of the Crocodile River Road we crossed:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">5 Giraffes (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Giraffa camelopardalis</i>)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Impalas (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aepyceros melampus</i>)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">2 Red-Billed Oxpeckers (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Buphagus erythrorhynchus</i>)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">1 Cape Glossy Starling (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lamprotornis nitens</i>)</span></div>Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588464228939609071.post-83828187483813019582011-12-04T14:19:00.000-08:002011-12-04T14:19:54.619-08:00Alcaravão-d'água (Water Thick-Knee) em Gardenia Hide<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>PT-BR</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Tabela normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style> <![endif]--> <br />
<div class="phead"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Em Gardenia Hide, tivemos também nossa única visualização de um Alcaravão d’água (Water Thick-Knee ou Water Dikkop, <i>Burhinus vermiculatus</i>) durante os 14 dias no Kruger. Como pode ser percebido na foto abaixo, ele se encontrava no reservatório em frente a Gardenia Hide, a uma distância relativamente grande. Apesar da foto não ser uma maravilha, decidimos colocá-la aqui no blog por ter sido o único avistamento desta espécie.</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jzKXyk_IxLGQTpP8n-ng9wskv66I8uYsBuSH96y3NB4MMgAC706aHOoEEgDYngTA0KEuRFZ8-__o3hPEwVeWk2C93dk9yCNpCP_YvqJLej6h1lBlPcLbg_lFytVUoXYBhf1j9IC2K7yk/s1600/Water+Thick-Knee+10_named.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jzKXyk_IxLGQTpP8n-ng9wskv66I8uYsBuSH96y3NB4MMgAC706aHOoEEgDYngTA0KEuRFZ8-__o3hPEwVeWk2C93dk9yCNpCP_YvqJLej6h1lBlPcLbg_lFytVUoXYBhf1j9IC2K7yk/s400/Water+Thick-Knee+10_named.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">O nome da espécie em língua inglesa (Water Thick-Knee) parece derivar dos fatos de que a articulação do joelho destas aves é maior do que a da maioria das aves de tamanho similar e de que seu habitat é próximo de corpos d’água. Os joelhos da ave que encontramos em Gardenia Hide não podiam ser vistos nitidamente, mas aqui está um vídeo do You Tube que mostra bem seus joelhos, além de um display comportamental interessante (que nós não observamos): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiO6C54jzAg</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span>Esta ave tem uma larga distribuição na África subsaariana, sendo encontrada em terras baixas da Libéria até a Etiópia, e até o sul da África, embora com descontinuidades na distribuição (como nos desertos do sudoeste africano, por exemplo, nos desertos da Namíbia). Ela tem preferência por terras úmidas com corpos de água doce, especialmente represas, lagos e grandes rios, mas também é encontrada em manguezais e estuários. Também mostra preferência por áreas com alguns arbustos propiciando cobertura, mas sem vegetação densa. Esta ave é em grande medida sedentária, deslocando-se localmente em função de mudanças nos níveis de água.</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span>É uma ave principalmente noturna (como indicam seus grandes olhos), embora seja mais ativa durante o dia do que o resto das espécies do gênero. De dia, é encontrada geralmente à beira de rios e lagos, normalmente se misturando mimeticamente com as rochas. Nós a vimos, de fato, à beira d’água, embora não tão camuflada. O canto único desta ave, um som agudo e alto que se torna menos agudo ao final, é freqüentemente ouvido durante as noites sul-africanas. Como raramente estão sozinhos, quando se escuta um deles cantando, é provável que outra ave responda à distância.</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span>Ela se alimenta principalmente de insetos e de outros invertebrados, bem como de sapos e girinos. Forrageia usualmente à noite aos pares ou em pequenos grupos, podendo, contudo, ser por vezes gregária, com bandos de 30 indivíduos ou mais, fora da estação reprodutiva. Na maior parte do tempo, forrageia ao estilo dos Abibes (Plovers), com deslocamentos rápidos e repetidos para a frente, por curtas distâncias, antes de parar e capturar a presa. Uma lista de itens alimentares registrados em sua dieta se encontra em http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/burhinidae/burhinus_vermiculatus.htm</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span>É uma ave monogâmica, com ninhos que usam uma simples fenda no solo, revestida ou não com vegetação, pedrinhas e lama seca. Os ninhos tipicamente se encontram numa posição relativamente aberta, próxima à água, com freqüência ao lado de dunas, pedaços de madeiras ou fezes de animais. Ela forma ninhos solitários ou em associações de vários casais em bancos de areia nos rios.</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span>Neste vídeo do You Tube, podemos ver um casal de aves desta espécie defendendo seu ninho contra um búfalo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtoDHzHsg0g</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span>A estação de postura de ovos se estende de Agosto a Janeiro, com pico entre Setembro e Dezembro. Em geral coincide com a estação seca ou o começo das chuvas. São postos entre 1 e 3 ovos, incubados pelo macho e pela fêmea por cerca de 22-25 dias. Os filhotes estão emplumados com 60-63 dias de idade.</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span>A fêmea e o macho desta espécie têm a mesma plumagem e cores, em contraste com muitas aves, nas quais os machos são bem mais coloridos. No caso do Alcaravão d’água, a relação entre seleção natural e a seleção sexual não parece estar deslocada em favor da segunda, como nas aves cujos machos são exuberantes, em função dos padrões de escolha de parceiros das fêmeas. O macho do Alcaravão d’água provavelmente tem seu sucesso reprodutivo diminuído caso não se camufle bem, por tornar-se um alvo fácil para predadores. Esta pressão de predação também se manifesta na camuflagem do ninho e dos ovos.</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span>A espécie não se encontra ameaçada. Ao contrário, pode ter sido até beneficiada pela introdução de corpos d’água construídos por humanos. De fato, </span>é classificada como de Pequena Preocupação (quanto à sua extinção) na Lista Vermelha da IUCN (União Internacional pela Conservação da Natureza), em virtude de sua distribuição muito larga e seu tamanho populacional. Embora a tendência populacional desta ave não seja conhecida, não há evidência de que esteja diminuindo tão rapidamente a ponto de ser considerada Vulnerável. Fonte da informação sobre conservação: BirdLife International (2011) Species factsheet: <i>Burhinus vermiculatus</i>. <span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Downloaded from </span><a href="http://www.birdlife.org/" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">http://www.birdlife.org</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> on 03/12/2011.<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span lang="EN-US">In Gardenia Hide, we also experienced our only sighting of a Water Thick-Knee or Water Dikkop (<i>Burhinus vermiculatus</i>) during the 14 days in the Kruger. As one can see in the picture below, we saw it in the water reservoir in front of Gardenia Hide, at a relatively large distance. Although the picture is not good, we decided to include it in the blog because it was the only sighting of this species.</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span lang="EN-US">The English name of the species (Water Thick-Knee) seems to derive from the facts that the knee joints in these birds is larger than in most of the similarly sized birds and their habitat is close to water bodies. The knees of the bird we saw in Gardenia Hide could not be clearly seen, but here is a You Tube video that shows well their knees, besides an interesting behavioral display (which we did not observe): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiO6C54jzAg</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span lang="EN-US">This bird has a large distribution in Sub-Saharan Africa, being found in lowlands from Liberia to Ethiopia, and up to South Africa, although with discontinuities in the distribution (such as in the deserts of Southwest Africa, for instance, in the Namibia deserts). It prefers wetlands with freshwater bodies, especially dams, lakes, and large rivers, but it is also found in mangroves and estuaries. It also shows preference for areas with some bushes or shrubs providing cover, but without dense vegetation. This bird is to a large extent sedentary, moving locally due to changes in the water level.</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span lang="EN-US">It is mainly a nocturnal bird (as indicated by its large eyes), although it is more active during the day than the rest of the species in the same genus. In daytime, it is generally found </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">on river and lake edges, normally blending mimetically with the rocks. We saw it, indeed, at a water edge, although not so camouflaged. The unique song of this bird, a loud high pitched sound that drops in pitch as it ends, is often heard in southern Africa nights. As they are rarely alone, when one listens to one of them calling, it is likely that another bird answers at a distance.</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span lang="EN-US">If feeds mostly on insects and other invertebrates, as well as on frogs and tadpoles. It usually forages at night in pairs or small groups, but it can sometimes be gregarious, with flocks of 30 individuals or more, outside the breeding season. Most of the time it forages in a plover-like manner, with repeated and fast runs forward before pausing and jabbing at prey. A list of food items recorded in its diet is found in <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/burhinidae/burhinus_vermiculatus.htm</span></span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span lang="EN-US">It is a monogamous bird, with nests that use a simple scrape in the group, lined with vegetation, stone chips and dry mud, or not. The nests are typically located at a relatively open position close to the water, often besides dunes, pieces of wood or animal dung. It forms solitary<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nests or in association with several pairs on riverine sand banks. </span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span lang="EN-US">In this You Tube video, we can see a couple of birds of this species defending their nest against a buffalo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtoDHzHsg0g</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span lang="EN-US">The egg-laying season extends from August to January, peaking between September and December. It generally coincides with the dry season or the beginning of the rainy season. From 1 to 3 eggs are laid, being incubated by the male and the female for about 22-25 days. The chicks fledge with 60-63 days of age.</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span lang="EN-US">The male and female of this species exhibit the same plumage and colors, in contrast with other birds, in which the males are much more colored. In the case of the Water Thick-Knee, the relationship between natural selection and sexual selection does not seem to be shifted in favor of the latter, as in birds whose males are luxuriant, as a consequence from the females’ patterns of mate choice. The male Water Thick-Knee probably has its reproductive success decreased if they are not well camouflaged, since it becomes an easy target for predators. This predation pressure also manifests itself in the camouflage of the nest and eggs.</span></div><div class="phead"><br />
</div><div class="phead"><span lang="EN-US">This species is not threatened. On the contrary, it may have even benefited from the introduction of man-made water bodies. Indeed, it is classified as Least Concern (with regard to its extinction) in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List, due to its very large distribution and its population size. Although the population trend of this bird is not known, there is no evidence that it is decreasing fast enough to be regarded as Vulnerable. Source of the information on conservation:</span></div><div class="phead"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="phead"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>PT-BR</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Tabela normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style> <![endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">BirdLife International (2011) Species factsheet: <i>Burhinus vermiculatus</i>. Downloaded from </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: PT-BR; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.birdlife.org/" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">http://www.birdlife.org</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> on 03/12/2011. is classified as Least Concern (regarding its extinction) in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List</span><span lang="EN-US"></span></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span>Charbel El-Hani e Carol Sáhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062650383442247490noreply@blogger.com0