Amauris ochlea The Novice is a foul-tasting butterfly that flies slowly and settles often on flowers and wilting plants. It inhabits forests and dense woodlands and the edges of these. Adults have a wingspan of 7cm and are on the wing throughout the year. In South Africa it is common along the Kwazulu-Natal coast and […]
Novice Butterfly — de Wets Wild
Merops persicus The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater visits South Africa during our summer months after migrating from their breeding grounds stretching from North Africa to central Asia, arriving from October and departing again by April, some stay as late as May. Locally, most Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters head for the north-coast of Kwazulu-Natal and locations in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and […]
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater — de Wets Wild
This morning we were treated to a very special audience with the King of the Mountain Zebra National Park at his residence on the Rooiplaat loop road. Male lion at Mountain Zebra National Park Male lion at Mountain Zebra National Park
Summertide Rambles 2 January 2021 — de Wets Wild
Buteo trizonatus As its name suggests, the Forest Buzzard is an inhabitant of temperate forests and, of late, exotic plantations, where it hunts inside and on the edges of the forest and in clearings for small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects, often swooping down from a favourite perch. Forest Buzzards are usually seen singly […]
Forest Buzzard — de Wets Wild
Rain Spiders (Palystes-species) When first confronted with the monstrously-sized Rain Spider I don’t think any person could be blamed for flinching. These arachnids can attain a leg span of up to 11cm, with their bodies alone growing to 4cm in length, and unusually for spiders both sexes are about equal in size. Their sizable fangs […]
Rain Spiders and Rain Spider Wasps — de Wets Wild
Jynx ruficollis A member of the woodpecker family, the Red-throated Wryneck is a specialist species tied closely to moist grasslands with a meagre scattering of trees. They feed mainly on the ground, dining exclusively on ants and termites, licking them up with an exceptionally long and sticky tongue. Red-throated Wrynecks are usually encountered singly or […]
Red-throated Wryneck — de Wets Wild
Phyllastrephus terrestris The Terrestrial Brownbul is a shy inhabitant of forests and thickets, skulking in the undergrowth where it turns over the leaf litter looking for insects and other invertebrates, small reptiles, fruit and seeds. Outside of the breeding season they form small groups of up to six individuals, but during the breeding season, which […]
Terrestrial Brownbul — de Wets Wild
Ispidina picta The African Pygmy Kingfisher is the smallest of the family occurring in South Africa – adults weigh only 15g! Despite their family name, Pygmy Kingfishers live mainly on insects, spiders and small reptiles and inhabit forests, woodland, savanna and thickets, often far removed from open water. They are shy, secretive and easily go […]
African Pygmy Kingfisher — de Wets Wild
Center for Biological Diversity News Release Elephants in Africa Face Grave Extinction Threat, New Expert Assessment Finds Africa’s Forest Elephants Recognized as Separate Species, Highlighting Peril GENEVA— In a long-awaited move, the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced today that elephants in Africa face a serious risk of extinction. At the same time, it […]
Elephants in Africa Face Grave Extinction Threat — Natural History Wanderings
Papilio dardanus Not only is the Mocker Swallowtail one of the biggest and most beautiful butterflies to be found in South Africa, but it can also be one of the most confusing! The males, also known as Flying Handkerchiefs, boast extravagantly shaped wings with striking black and cream-white markings, while the females are excellent at […]
The Flying Handkerchief / Mocker Swallowtail Butterfly — de Wets Wild
