2012 Animal & Nature Calendars

Now available – a selection of outstanding animal and nature poster calendars for 2012. Subjects include African animals and landscapes, Arctic animals, birds, butterflies and insects, orchids, waterfalls, plus photography by renowned nature photographers.

For the full selection of 2012 calendars now available for ordering online, see the Calendars page.

Puzzled by Monkey Names

If you’re puzzled by taxonomy and how scientific names are allocated to wild animals, then you’re certainly not alone.

Take, for example, the vervet monkey, which is commonly found throughout much of Africa. It’s very difficult to find consensus on the scientific name, with the most popular being Cercopithecus aethiops, Cercopithecus pygerythrus and Chlorocebus pygerythrus.

There are evidently at least six species of vervet monkey and scientific advances, particularly in the field of DNS, mean that new discoveries are constantly being made, which in turn mean changes to animal names.

For a basic overview and fact sheet on the vervet monkey without too much scientific mumbo jumbo, see Vervet Monkey Information.

Animal Jigsaw Puzzles will Reward the Patient

If you’re looking for animal jigsaw puzzles, there’s a great selection available from the above site. Subjects include not only wild animals, but also butterflies, birds, and domestic pets like dogs and cats. Most the puzzles are 1000-piece and feature eye-catching and colorful artwork.

Remember that animal jigsaw puzzles can provide dual pleasure to puzzle enthusiasts:

• the satisfaction of reaching completion by fully assembling the puzzle
• enjoying the beautiful artwork that the completed puzzle now reveals

While a good eye for detail is required when doing jigsaw puzzles, it helps to have patience — which is why assembling puzzles is seen by some as good for developing resolve and discipline. It’s “character-building” they say, but for most of us, it’s simply a fun way of passing the time.

So do yourself a favor and go check out this selection of Animal Jigsaw Puzzles at Wildlife Pictures Online.

Puzzled by the name “White Rhinoceros”

Caption: White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) front-on view, Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Camera: Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi); Lens: Canon EF70-300mm IS zoom; Focal Length: 130mm; Shutter speed: 1/200; Aperture: f5.6; ISO: 400.

If you’re puzzled by the name “White Rhinoceros” when this huge, prehistoric-looking animal is not white in color, then you’re not alone!

The name, in fact, has nothing to do with its color — its hide is actually a gray color, although what you see is largely influenced by the color of the dust or mud in which it rolls or wallows.

The white rhino has a square lip for grazing grass, while the black rhino, also confusingly named, has a hooked lip for browsing twigs and leaves. So it’s more accurate to call them “square-lipped rhino” and “hook-lipped rhino” and this naming is becoming more widely accepted.

To find out more about these interesting animals, see:

White Rhino Information

Black Rhino Information

The Amazing Ostrich

Caption: Male ostrich (Struthio camelus) on the move, Okavango Delta area, Botswana.

If you’ve ever been puzzled by the question, “Which is the largest living bird in the world?”, the picture above provides the answer: the ostrich of course!

While the ostrich can’t fly, it’s equipped with powerful thighs and long legs that can propel it along the ground at speeds up to 70 km/h (about 44 mph) over short distances, and over longer distances at around 60 km/h (37 mph). The male is predominantly black with white wing tips and tail (as above), while the female is a more uniform grey/brown color.

Are You Puzzled By the Zebra’s Stripes?

Caption: Burchell's Zebra (Equus quagga) close-up, photographed in the Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve, KZN, South Africa.

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel (EOS 350D); Lens: Canon EF 80-200mm F/2.8 telephoto zoom; Focal Length: 80mm; Shutter Speed: 1/200; Aperture: f4; ISO: 400

Are you puzzled by the zebra’s stripes? Did you know that, like human fingerprints, each zebra individual has a unique stripe pattern?

To find out more about zebra, their behaviour, diet and reproduction, see Zebra Information. See also African Buffalo Information to read more about these big animals that resemble cattle but are notorioulsy ill-tempered and extremely dangerous.

New Wildlife Calendars for 2011

If you’re looking for the ideal Christmas gift — one that’s inexpensive, visually appealing, useful and will last for a full 12 months — then you should consider a 2011 wildlife or nature calendar.

Captivating images of wild animals, birds, butterflies, and landscapes have universal appeal, so it’s difficult to go wrong when choosing a calendar showcasing these subjects.

For an outstanding selection of wildlife and nature calendars, please see 2011 Wildlife Calendars.

Cool Wildlife Videos

There are thousands of wildlife videos on YouTube. Nowdays virtually everyone who goes on safari or visits a game park carries some form of camera that can shoot video, so it’s not surprising that so many are shared on the Web. If you enjoy watching wildlife videos, the problem of course is sorting the gems from the junk.

Fortunately someone has done the hard work and “collected the 50 coolest wildlife videos on YouTube. From birth to death, they show the true circle of life, while getting in some laughs and tears as well”. See 50 Coolest Wildlife Videos On YouTube and enjoy!

Fearsome Crocodile on Riverbank

This picture of a large Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), one of Africa’s most fearsome animals, was taken from the water while on a photographic cruise along the Zambezi River in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park.

The park offers a compelling variety of activities for those on safari, including game drives, bush walks, canoe trips, tiger fishing, and photographic cruises. For more, see Safari Lower Zambezi and Zambia Safari Pictures.

The Zambezi River is renowned for the large numbers of hippos that inhabit its waters. You’ll often hear it said that “hippos kill more people in Africa than any other animal”, although there doesn’t appear to be any hard evidence to back this up.

Safari guide Roddy Smith, who’s been working for more than 25 years in the Lower Zambezi and has had numerous close encounters with wild animals, is one who disagrees – see his fascinating articles Hippo’s Bad Reputation and Africa’s Most Dangerous for the inside story from someone who’s most definitely been there, done that.

Lion Males are Lazy and Inconsiderate!

Caption: Young male lion (Panthera leo) standing side-on in warm afernoon light, Moremi area, Botswana.

Did You Know? Female lions do most of the hunting for the pride because the males, with their prominent manes and larger size, are more conspicuous and more easily spotted by potential prey. On group hunts, males will usually trail behind without taking part.

However, when a prey is brought down, they soon arrive and force their way to the front so they can eat first.

Once on a kill, the males will gorge themselves, eating on average about 18kg (about 40lb) of meat in one session, but can stuff themselves with nearly double that amount. Only once they’re done, is it the turn of the females to eat, with the cubs getting the leftovers.

Because adult male lions have manes, the lion is the only member of the cat family in which adult males and females can be distinguished from each other by appearance.

For more information and facts about lions, including their social structure, breeding habits, and hunting techniques, see Lion Facts and Information.