Grasshoppers are generally known for their jumping ability. Anyone who has tried to catch one will know that this is an invaluable defence mechanism for getting away from predators. But what if you don’t need to get away from predators? The koppie foam grasshopper, Dictyophorus spumans, is such a creature…
We have strong links with Addo Elephant National Park because of Anna’s research on the elephants there. Moving to Phillipskop, we knew that finding elephants on the reserve was never going to happen but we were surprised to find that we did have another of Addo’s famous inhabitants: the Cape…
When you are up on a mountain slope far from any town, it is inevitable that your lights at night attract moths and other nocturnal insects (if you want to understand why then read this explanation). This gives one a chance to examine the night-time fauna of the area, but…
Over the last few days we have been graced by numerous sightings of hares. They have come very close to our house, on the lawn in the early morning and evening, as well as along the approach road to the self-catering chalets. The hares have come to nibble on the…
There is no doubt that among the greatest masters of disguise in the invertebrate world are stick-insects. In the normal course of events, one will not casually spot them just walking through the fynbos. However, I was fortunate to find this one crawling up my leg after such a walk.…
The great aspect of photographing plants is that they don’t move away from you, so one can take one’s time getting into the right position. With animals one is never quite sure how long they will hang around once they have seen you. Digital photography has transformed the photographing of…
