Results tagged “horn” on Earth Touch Blog
Impala herd grazes in the morning May 9 2008
On a beautiful, rain-refreshed morning in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve, in South Africa, the first animal the Earth-Touch crew saw was an impala ram, belonging to a herd of about 200.
Tags: africa, graze, herd, hluhluwe-imfolozi, horn, impala, kwazulu-natal, mammal, prey, ram, savannah, south africaEgrets follow lechwe May 6 2008
The ridged and lyre-shaped horns of male red lechwe (Kobus leche) can be put to lethal effect in the breeding season, but when the Earth-Touch crew came across a herd in the Moremi Game Reserve, in Botswana, the effect was more decorative.
Tags: bird, botswana, egret, floodplain, graze, horn, lechwe, mammal, moremi, okavangoDid you know? Blue wildebeest Jan 29 2008
This gregarious grazer is found in abundance in the grasslands and floodplains of the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Tags: africa, communication, faeces, flood plain, grass, graze, herd, horn, scent, social, territorial, wildebeestDid you know? Buffalo horns Nov 15 2007
Male buffaloes use their horns to challenge rival bulls, mainly when fighting for a mate or defending mating opportunities. Pure defence is a less important function of the horns.
The horns of the males are heavier and more curved than those of the females. In cows, the junction between the horns is often covered with hair, rather than being exposed as seen with the bull. These horns are rigid and coarse and then become smooth at the tip, with a span of up to 1m (3ft 3in).
Tags: africa, buffalo, defence, fur, horn, mammal, ruminant, vertebrateIn defence of the herd Nov 2 2007
While watching the Earth-Touch video clip Lions foiled by buffalo herd I was once again struck by the fact that it is the females that lead the charge in defending the herd. This goes against what most ethologists claim, and against what conventional wisdom tells us about a male animal’s role.
Did you know? Elk Nov 2 2007
Elk (Cervus elaphus) are also known by their Cree name, “wapiti”, which means “light-coloured deer”, and are the second-largest deer species in the world, after the moose.
Did you know? How to tell the difference between a male and a female buffalo Oct 31 2007
Buffalo bulls can be distinguished from the females by size – a mature bull can weigh as much as 900kg (1 984lb) – and by the “boss” on their head.
The horns of a Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) grow out to the side from the top of the head and as a buffalo bull matures, the area of horn on its head develops into a large mass, known as a boss.
Kudus move with grace Sep 28 2007
Despite their size, kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) strike elegant poses as they browse and drink, as you can see in the Earth-Touch clip, Kudu drink in early morning. This was filmed in the Boteti River bed near the Meno A Kwena camp in the Kalahari Desert, Botswana.
Girl or boy? How does one tell? Sep 19 2007
By Andy Crawford, field crew
Distinguishing the gender of wild animals is often no easy task. Certainly with some species the presence of obvious markers (such as horns or manes) make it simple.
However, with certain species it is almost impossible. Hyenas are notoriously difficult as the females have external genitalia exactly like those of a male. The size and attitude of the hyena are the only factors that give one an indication of its gender – the females are significantly larger than, the males, and are more dominant.
Size and attitude as a general rule of thumb can be the distinguishing factor, in the absence of the usual clues such as horns or genitals. Other than hyenas and a few other animals, it is the males of a species which are usually larger.
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