Interesting Africa Safari Animal Facts

Baboons Face Attack In Battle Formation

Baboons are common in most parts of Africa. One of the greatest enemies of the baboons is the leopard. These is because they hunt them in stealth , and often spring out from cover in an attempt to make a quick snatch from the troop before drawing of battle lines. When the African baboons find themselves face to face with a snarling leopard on open ground, they are not too proud to run away if there is an opportunity to. In the case whereby there is no chance to escape, the baboons create a 'retreat' formation of sorts.

Dominant male baboons of which are almost the size of dogs bear their fangs in a threatening grimace and take positions between the predator and females and the young. Surprisingly even powerful predators such as the leopard will be threatened by the muscular, flailing arms of a mature male baboon.

When baboons are crossing exposed terrain, they will usually move in a pattern, with the females and the young ones at the centre of the party and the strongest males around them while the lower-ranking males walk in front bringing up the rear.

Climate change robs African lions of their manes

Kenya's king of the beasts, the lion is losing its mane, a phenomenon that scientics are linking to the effects of climate change.

The length and shade of a lion's mane have been key indicators that serving to explain the lion's success to sire offspring and therfore ensure posterity and survival prospects of the species.

The darker a lion's mane, the higher the level of the male hormone testosterone, a factor which is likely to have a number of relevant consequences.

Lions with a darker mane usually enjoy longer reproductive life-span and a higher offspring survival in the wild. These lions also enjoy the lion's share of female choice, out-competing the others.

Lions with dark manes have also been known to have a greater dominance capability over others with manes of a lighter shade. This is due to the fact that the lions display greater success in feeding during kills.

Chimps Know How To Take Their Medicine

Animals,like most humans resort to some form of medicine when feeling ill. Chimpanzees have been linked to eating of certain plants with relief of sickness.

Occasionally,chimpanzees eat a few leaves of Aspilia plants, which are rather like sunflowers, in the early morning. Unlike their usual mode of eating, they do not gulp them down but carefully massage the leaves in their mouth for about 15 seconds without chewing, then swallowing them whole.

The Deadly Sting Of The Scorpion

Scorpions having lobster-like pincers and a curved tail bearing a sting that can render one a paralyzed heart and respiratory muscles too. Some of the scorpion species are hostile enough to kill humans. Examples of the very dangerous species are long inhabitant of Mexico and the Arizona desert. There is a North African species' venom that kills humans in less than eight hours. Humans threaten scorpions and end up being attacked.
During mating, scorpions are hostile to one another.

The male pulls the female towards it with the help of pincers as he drops some sperms. He then pulls the female over the dropped sperms when the genital is opening right above them. Insemination is finally complete and therefore the female heads to lay eggs.