Crab, Fiddler
Date spotted: January 2012
Place first seen: Barra, Inhambane, Mozambique
Tag: Crustacean
We saw thousands of them in the Pomene mangroves. One claw is much bigger than the other – useful for fiddling!
Author: Ralph Lazar
Bee, Carpenter
Date spotted: January 2012
Place first seen: Abbotsleigh Rd. swimming pool, Cape Town, South Africa
Tag: Insect
Rescued from grandparents’ swimming pool
Beetle, Dung
Date spotted: January 2012
Place first seen: Kruger National Park, South Africa
Tag: Insect
Dung Beetles lay their eggs in dung. They roll the dung along the ground. They then bury the dung ball. When the larvae hatch, they eat the dung as nutrition for a few weeks.
Lion
Date spotted: February 2012
Place first seen: Savuti, Botswana
Tag: Mammal
Seven lionesses appeared on the side of the road in a lightning storm. There were two herds of impala standing stock still 500m away. They fanned out and started hunting the impala but then took shelter from the rain in nearby bushes.
Chameleon, Cape Dwarf
Date spotted: January 2012
Place first seen: Pomene, Mozambique
Tag: Reptile
This lovely chameleon was climbing up Bea’s top and opened its mouth wide just before it reached her face. It was bright orange inside and we all got a big fright. Imagine what a fly feels like…
When it ran to hide in the bushes, big grey splodges appeared on its skin (camouflage). Its tail is longer than its body.
Bee-eater, Carmine
Date spotted: February 2012
Place first seen: Savuti, Botswana
Tag: Bird
We sat on the top of the car as they swooped around the Landrover, diving for crickets that were jumping out of the way of the car. Lisa’s favourite bird (and Bea and Mila’s)
Wildebeest, blue
Date spotted: February 2012
Place first seen: Savuti, Botswana
Tag: Mammal
Very weird looking. Often found hanging out with zebras. They can see and hear rain falling up to 25km away.