Fieldguide

1. Herpestidae (Mongoose family):

   • Meerkat

2. Canidae (Dog family):

   • Black-backed Jackal 

Easy Example:

• Lions and leopards both belong to the genus Panthera because they are big cats and are similar.
• Genus is one step above species in how we group living things.

So, genus = a group of similar species.

The inflorescence of a grass plant is:

• The part of the grass where the flowers and seeds grow.
• It is usually at the top of the grass and can look like a spike, panicle, or bunch of small flowers.

Simple: It is the flower head of the grass.

• Wind:

  • Seeds are light and blown by the wind (e.g., grass or dandelion).

• Animals:

  • Seeds stick to animal fur or are eaten and dropped later (e.g., berries or sticky seeds).

• Water:

  • Seeds float on water and travel to new places (e.g., coconut).

• Exploding: Some plants burst open and shoot their seeds far (e.g., pea pods).

1. Perennial plant:

   • Lives for many years and grows every season (e.g., trees, bushes).

2. Annual plant:

   • Lives for only one season, grows, makes seeds, and dies (e.g., maize, sunflowers).

Sweetveld.

Easy Reason:

• Sweetveld grass is soft and tasty for animals.
• Animals eat it a lot, so it can get damaged quickly if too many graze there.

Sourveld.

Easy Reason:

• Sourveld grows in areas with poor soil and cold winters.
• If damaged, it takes a long time to grow back.

Arthropods are classified into 3 main groups:

1. Insects – e.g., ants, butterflies.
2. Arachnids – e.g., spiders, scorpions.
3. Myriapods e. g millipedes,cemtipedes

Chitin is a hard, protective material that makes up the outer shell (exoskeleton) of arthropods, like insects, spiders, and crabs.

• Movement: They help arthropods walk, run, swim, or climb.
• Catching Food: Some use their legs to grab prey (e.g., spiders).
• Sensing: Legs can feel vibrations or touch objects.
• Special Jobs: Some legs help with digging (e.g., mole crickets) or jumping (e.g., grasshoppers).

Curling into a ball to protect its soft parts and release a bad-smelling chemical to scare predators away.

• The Jacobson’s organ is used for smelling in snakes and some other reptiles, but not in crocodiles.
• Crocodiles smell with their nostrils, not with a Jacobson’s organ.

Male Tortoise: Plastron is curved inwards (concave) to help with mating.

Female Tortoise: Plastron is flat to hold eggs.

• Most snakes have poor eyesight, see better when things move.
• Good for close-up vision, but not far away.
• Some snakes see heat (e.g., pythons, pit vipers).
• Fishs:
• Good underwater vision for seeing nearby.
• Some see colors, but not all fish.
• Eyes on the sides give a wide view, but depth vision is not so good.

Ichthyology is the study of fish.

The period when fish slow down their metabolism is called Torpor.

The African Fish Eagle is considered a true eagle, but it lacks feathered legs.

• Platform nest:

  • African Fish Eagle  (Famous for its call, known as the "Voice of Africa")

• Floating nest:

  • African Jacana (Common waterbird, seen on lakes and wetlands)

• Hole nest:

  • Rosy-faced Lovebird  (Popular and colorful parrot, often seen in groups)

• Cup nest:

  • Cape Robin-Chat  (Famous for its beautiful song, often seen in gardens)

The name mammal comes from the Latin word "mamma," which means breast.

This is because mammals feed their babies with milk from mammary glands (breasts).

None in Southern Africa

Example of a near-ungulate:

• Rock Hyrax (Dassie)

Characteristic of a near-ungulate:

• Has teeth and digestive system similar to hoofed animals (ungulates), and eats plants (herbivore).

• Mixed feeders:

  • Eat both grass and leaves (e.g., Elephant).

• Piscevores:

  • Eat fish (e.g., African Fish Eagle).

• Bulk grazers:

  • Eat large amounts of grass (e.g., Buffalo).

• Omnivorous:

  • Eat both plants and meat (e.g., Baboon).

• Solitary:

  • Animal lives alone.
  • Example: Leopard.

• Harem:

  • One male lives with a group of females.
  • Example: Zebra.

• Temporary Association:

  • Animals come together for a short time, then split up again.
  • Example: Impala (often form herds in certain seasons).

Pangolin.

It has hard scales to protect itself from predators

• Sound:

  • Example: Lions roar to mark territory.

• Body Language:

  • Example: Elephants flap their ears to show excitement or warn others.

• Scent (Smell):

  • Example: Hyenas mark their territory with scent.

Head Fire: Fast with the wind, burns tall plants but not soil.

Back fire: Slow against the wind, burns close to the ground.

Black wattle

American Agave

• Hippopotamus – Very famous, lives in rivers and waterholes, needs water to stay cool and safe.
• Nile Crocodile – Well-known predator, lives in rivers, lakes, and dams, and depends on water for hunting and survival.

1. Gemsbok (Oryx) – Well-known in deserts like the Namib, survives long without water.
2. Steenbok – Small antelope, gets moisture from leaves and plants, rarely needs water.

Both can live in very dry areas.