for the birds…

bats..

a little about bats from wikipedia…
A bat is a mammal in the order Chiroptera. Their most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals in the world naturally capable of flight (other mammals, such as flying squirrels and gliding phalangers, can glide for limited distances but are not capable of true sustainable flight). The word Chiroptera can be translated from the Greek words for “hand wing,” as the structure of the open wing is very similar to an outspread human hand with a membrane (patagium) between the fingers that also stretches between hand and body.

There are estimated to be about 1,100 species of bats worldwide, accounting for about 20% of all mammal species. About 70% of bats are insectivores. Of the remainder, most feed on fruits and their juices; three species sustain themselves with blood and some prey on vertebrates. These bats include the leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) of Central America and South America, and the related bulldog bats (Noctilionidae) that feed on fish. At least two known species of bat feed on other bats: the Spectral Bat, also called the American False Vampire bat, and the Ghost Bat of Australia. One species, the Greater Noctule bat, is believed to catch and eat small birds in the air. Despite the cold weather, there are 6 species of bats in Alaska.

Some of the smaller bat species are important pollinators of some tropical flowers. Indeed, many tropical plants are now found to be totally dependent on them, not just for pollination, but for spreading their seeds by eating the resulting fruits. This role explains environmental concerns when a bat is introduced in a new setting. Tenerife provides a recent example with the introduction of the Egyptian fruit bat.

the skeleton coast.

the skeleton coast

this morning i caught the end of a national geographic channel documentary called ‘living wild, secrets of the night’. the segment i watched was about the strandwolf or brown hyenas that live in what is called the skeleton coast in namibia. i was fascinated not just by the animal and it’s characteristics but by the landscape of it’s habitat.

i watched about a female hyena and her pups and their possiblity of survival. a nomad male was spotted in her territory and the battle of dominance between the two began. later, the documentary went to show how the nomad male crossed boundaries where clans of seals laid about off the shore, claimed a seal pup and brought it back to the female and her pups as an offering. he was accepted into her clan with much enthusiam by his new adoptive pups. the narrator went on to mention that their survival rate went on to be the best it could because of the offering and that the next litter of pups would likely be his.throughout the documentary, they showed scenery of the skeleton coast. amazing. heavily fogged, it looks haunting and yet still inviting, especially to someone with taste like my own. according to wikipedia, the bushman called it the region “the land God made in anger”, while portuguese sailors once referred to it as “the gates of hell”. interesting, isn’t it? also, the coast is named for the shipwrecks caused by rocks offshore and from the skeletons of those who died in the desert.

other wildlife existing there are some of my favorites such as elephants, lions and giraffes along with rhinos, vultures, ghost crabs (seems appropriately named), jackals, gemsbok, springbok and the common cape sparrow (ah, i love sparrows).

while ‘writing’ this blog, i’ve been going through several websites. if you are interested in finding out more about the skeleton coast and its wildlife visit the following sites:
skeleton coast safaris, namibia skeleton coast, skeleton coast namibia safari parks, brown hyena research project, naturetrek, etc…

..

(photos googled)