Meerkat Mobs

Mobs, gangs and clans - these are the words used when referring to a group of meerkats. Really? Anyone would think we were referring to a terrifying group of animals that are terrorising other animals or even your local neighbourhood - making us all too scared to come out at night. It certainly doesn't make you think of a meerkat, does it? I think whoever decided a group of meerkats would be referred to as a mob or gang possibly had never seen these animals before or was having a laugh.

Lemurs

Lemurs belong to the primate order and are native to Madagascar and there are nearly 100 species of lemurs today. Prior to humans arriving on Madagascar approximately 2000 years ago, there were many more species of lemurs. Even today, many of the species of lemurs are threatened with extinction as they have to adapt to the loss of their habitat (they now only have 10% of the area to live in they once had) and they are also hunted, which has had a significant impact on their survival in Madagascar.

Ring-tailed lemur photograph poster by Funcards
Browse through more Lemur Posters at Zazzle.com

There is great variety and diversity across the species of lemurs. The world's smallest primate, Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, is a lemur and at one time in recent history one of  the largest primate was also a lemur, although now extinct. They share many traits of the ancestral primates but they evolved independently on Madagascar.

Leopards and Their Spots

Leopards are one of the four big cats along with lions, tigers and jaguars and is the smallest cat within this group. Leopards are known for their agility and strength, including the ability to climb trees even when they are carrying the carcass of their latest kill. Leopards are incredibly fast animals and can reach speeds of almost 60 kilometers and hour.

The leopard print is quite distinctive and has rosettes (rather than spots as they are most commonly called). There are variations in the color of the coats and the shape of the rosettes depending on the habitat of the leopard.

J is for Jackal

The black backed Jackal, pictured below, is one of three species of jackals found in North Africa. It has black hair on the back which contrasts with the rusty red color of the hair on the rest of its body and a black tip on its tail.

In mythology, jackals are often depicted as clever sorcerers which probably reflects their nature in the wild, where they are resourceful.

Jackal black backed monogram name postcards by Rowood

Cute Hippos

Yes, it's true - hippos are considered one of the most aggressive and dangerous animals in Africa, but who could be scared of these cute hippo illustrations - so sweet! Perfect for the person who loves hippos - they almost seem cuddly!

Hip Hip Hippos

In ancient Greek, hippopotamus means horse of the river but the hippo is not a relative of the horse! So what is a hippo? It is a large, semi-aquatic mammal in Africa and is most closely related to whales and dolphins (I kid you not!) of all the animals in the modern animal world.

Hippopotamus Swimming On The Surface Posters by thekingchivas
Find other Hippo Posters at zazzle.com

While the hippos in these images may look calm and even possibly a little lazy, they are very aggressive animals and are often regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. Now I wouldn't have expected that!

Giraffes Galore

Giraffes are the tallest terrestial animals currently inhabiting the earth and is found in many parts of Africa. Images of giraffes grazing the African savannahs come to mind when thinking of these large animals.

Giraffes are a favourite for both photographers and artists alike. Perhaps it's their appearance which can at times appear graceful and elegant, and at other times appear gangly and awkward.

Giraffes are a favourite for children (and adults) everywhere. Their distinctive looks make them a perfect candidate for the creation of cute illustrations and cartoons. Who could resist these cute giraffes below?

Cows, cows and more cows

Did you know that there are over 1.3 billion cows in the world today? Now that sure is a lot of cows!

Cows have been domesticated and raised as livestock for their beef and veal and for their milk and other dairy products. They have also been used as working animals all over the world.

In some countries, such as India, cows are considered sacred animals. According to Vedic scriptures "the cow is thy mother" because of the milk it provides.

Aardvark Fun - Did you know?

How much do you know about aardvarks? I knew it is the first animal to be listed in the dictionary, but that isn't an awful lot, is it? So here are a few facts and bits of trivia I have learnt about aardvarks.

Aardvark means earth pig
The name originates from Africaans - aarde means earth and varken means pig - and it was given this name because of its burrowing habits. But, they are not a pig, or related to pigs!

AB- Funny Cartoon Aardvark Shirt
by inspirationrocks

Aardvarks love termites!
The aardvark is often called an anteater because of its love of termites and they have all the right tools for the job:

• They use their claws to dig into the termite mounds
• They trap the termites with their long tongue which is covered in sticky saliva
• They can also use their nose by pressing it against the opening of the mound and suck the termites up
• Their long nose and keen sense of smell means they can easily hunt for termites at night which are moving around outside the mounds.

Blue Aardvark Chasing Ant
by pinkpanther

Aardvarks live underground

The aardvark is from Africa, south of the Sahara Desert and spends its day underground in its burrow. It is a nocturnal mammal, so it comes out night to feed on its favourite food - ants and termites!

Brown Aardvark Illustration. Cartoon. Custom
by Animal_Art_By_Ali