The Spinders

Most of see them and ignore them even some going into an extent of killing them. Spiders exist in all over the world, both venomous and non venomous. In your adventure safari holiday is a must encounter bust most are unnoticed .Spiders form   a large and diverse group. They vary in size from tiny species less than 1 mm across, to giant exceeding 15 cm. spiders usually have unsegmented abdomen, strongly constricted at the end. With a group of finger-like spinnerets at the head. Spiders can be divided into two groups namely: mygalomorphae which are primitive and contain the big hairy spiders and Araneomorphae the true spiders. The difference between the two is the way the jawswork. The jaws of the mygalomorphae strike downwards, whereas the jaws of the araneomorphs oppose each other.

Spiders can live for a long time without food as long as they have access to water. External digestion takes place with use of venom ,which serves the function of immobilizing the prey and pouring digestive enzymes on them. These enzymes gradually digest the prey ‘s internal organs and the spider then sucks up the liquid. In order for successful mating to take place, the structure of the male palp has to be complementary to that of the female epigyne, much like a lock and key mechanism. 

Spiders produces silk which are produced by the abdominal silk glands and at least seven different kinds are known to exist. It is proteins with amazing properties, for the strongest types have a breath taking strain of that of steel wire of the same diameter. The silk produced can stretch to roughly double its length before it breaks. Spiders often recycle the protein by eating their silk before they rebuild a web. It has been shown that some species eat the silk as pollen gathers on it, as food source. Silk is produced as a liquid and is emitted from the spinnerets much as tooth paste from the tube. The spiders may climb to some point, lifts up its abdomen and releases a stream of silk which is called ballooning. This is caught by wind and the spider floats gently away. 

The longest lived spiders are those of the trap doors which may live for up to twenty years. Some common seen spiders in your Kenya safari adventure includes; of Araneidae family, cteniziade, eresidae and scytodidae.many varieties  exists in the world with black window spiders seen most with most  . They have a varying colour and other minor details but all of these species have similar lifestyle and all are dangerously toxic. Next time when you are in your safari holiday, have a look at them also since they are very interesting insects.

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The legend of Kenya heritage

Nairobi National Museum is located at the Museum Hill, approximately 10 minutes drive from the Nairobi city centre. It is the flagship museum of NMK, housing some of the most celebrated collections of history, culture and art from Kenya and East Africa. The museum aims to interpret heritage of Kenya to stimulate appreciation and learning. This museum is open daily (including public holidays) from 0830hrs -17300hrs.

The Museum was initiated in 1910 by the then East Africa and Uganda Natural History Society [currently the East African Natural History Society (EANHS)].

The group consisted mainly of colonial settlers and naturalists who needed a place to keep and preserve their collections of various specimens. Its first site was at the present Nyayo House in the Nairobi city centre. The site soon became small and a larger building was put up in 1922 where the Nairobi Serena Hotel now stands.

In 1929, the colonial government set aside land at the Museum Hill and construction work started at the current site. It was officially opened in Sept. 22 1930 and named Coryndon Museum in honour of Sir Robert Coryndon, one time Governor of Kenya and a staunch supporter of Uganda Natural History Society. On the attainment of independence in 1963, it was re-named the National Museum of Kenya (NMK).

On October 15th 2005, previous Nairobi Museum closed its doors to the public for an extensive modernization and expansion project that is now complete.  The outcome is impressive; the Nairobi Museum has been transformed into a magnificent piece of architecture that puts it in competition with other world class museums.

The artworks,  the materials used in the fabrication of outdoor sculptures, the landscaping and the botanic gardens, link to the three pillars of Kenya’s national heritage i.e. nature, culture and history. A welcoming ambience of harmony between the galleries, the non gallery spaces, the museum landscape and its entrances, make museum visits more exciting.

The galleries have been reorganized to interpret the heritage of Kenya to stimulate appreciation and learning. To capture the feel of diversity and interactivity, there are mixed galleries to show the personality of the new museum. Under the nature pillar, there are 5 exhibitions. These are Human origins, Mammalian Radiation, Ecology of Kenya, Natural Diversity and Geology. Under Culture, the exhibitions include Cycles of Life, Cultural Dynamism and Creativity. The history pillar has two exhibitions: Kenya Before 1850 and History of Kenya.
 

This is the first time that the Nairobi Museum has undergone a major development that has witnessed its closure intensive refurbishment and expansion of its facilities.

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The Rothschild Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi)

Family: Giraffidae Genus: Giraffa Species: G. camelopardalis Subspecies: G. c. Rothschild

Is among the most endangered giraffe subspecies with only a few hundred members in the wild. Rothschild Giraffes have a gestation period of 14 to 16 months. Rothschild Giraffes are easily distinguishable from other subspecies. The most obvious sign is in the colouring of the coat, or pelt. They are also taller than many other subspecies, measuring up to six metres tall (20 ft). They live in small herds, with males and females (and their calves) living separately, only mixing for mating. Males are larger than females and their two 'true' horns are usually bald from sparring. They also tend to be darker in colour than the females, although this is not a guaranteed sexing indicator. A giraffe's heart, which can weigh up to 10 kg (22 lb) and measure about 60 cm (2 ft) long, must generate approximately double the normal blood pressure for an average large mammal to maintain blood flow to the brain. In the upper neck, a complex pressure-regulation system called the rete mirabile prevents excess blood flow to the brain when the giraffe lowers its head to drink. While giraffes are usually found in groups, the composition of these groups is more fluid than in other social ungulates. They are a largely transient species with few strong social bonds and aggregations usually disband every few hours, although calving groups can last weeks to months.

 

The Somali Giraffe, or more commonly known as Reticulated Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata), is a subspecies of giraffe native to Somalia, northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia. Its coat consists of large, polygonal liver-colored spots outlined by a network of bright white lines. The blocks may sometimes appear deep red and may also cover the legs. Reticulated giraffe are herbivorous, since they eat mostly plants, although giraffe have been seen eating the carcass of an antelope. A giraffe’s favorite snack is the acacia bushes and trees that frequent the African landscape. While these leaves are preferred, a giraffe will munch on many other kinds of vegetation. Giraffe food preferences change according to seasons: in the dry season, they seem to be fine with pine like needles. Giraffe feed by browsing, which typically means they eat continuously throughout the day. A male is able to eat 75 pounds of food in a single day. Giraffe use their sense of smell to locate the leaves they want. They ingest everything on the branch when eating, including insects, bark, and thorns. The giraffe uses its massive tongue (up to eighteen inches long) to scrape off the leaf. Giraffe have very tough lips to guard against scratching. While the acacia tree is their favorite, giraffe have also been known to eat mareola berries and other fruits. The Sentinels of the Savannah, the giraffe stomach has four parts, with food passing through the first and water going directly to the second. The first stomach partially digests the twigs, leaves, and whatever else the giraffe has ingested whole. During the day, when the animal is not feeding, parts of this fermented mixture are brought back up from the stomach in hard lumps. Giraffe chew on these lumps, called cud, throughout the day, helping to further break the food down. Once they are done chewing on the piece of cud, it is sent to the third stomach, and finally the fourth stomach to be digested fully.Giraffe are able to conserve and maintain their body temperature in part because of their shape- their long thin legs allow heat to release quickly.

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Kenya most attractive bird

The African Jacana (Actophilornis africana). The jacanas are a group of waders in the family Jacanidae, which are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. These are conspicuous and unmistakable birds. They are 30cm long, their dramatic markings include dark, chestnut brown feathers at their wings, and yellow-orange breast feathers. 

The front of the neck is white and the back of the neck and head is glossy black. The bill is bluish-gray, the eyes are dark brown, and the legs and toes are long in relation to the bird’s body size. Eggs are brown in color, glossy, with black scribble-like markings. The African Jacana's feeds on insects, aquatic larvae, small crabs, snails, and seeds and other invertebrates picked from the floating vegetation or the water’s surface. It lays four black-marked brown eggs in a floating nest.

African Jacana prefers lagoons, stagnant pools, weed-fringed dams, swamps, and calm rivers, where there are lily pads and other types of floating vegetation. They are found throughout Zimbabwe, Mozambique, northern Namibia, northern Botswana, and eastern South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania.  African Jacanas are sociable birds, often gathering together near swamp-like habitats. African Jacanas are not known to be monogomous in their mating patterns. A mating pair can have up to 30 clutches of eggs each season, resulting from either the same partner or various partners. This species of birds are known as ‘lily walkers’ because their slender legs and toes give them the gracefulness to walk on the lily pads that blanket their wetlands. Due to their smaller size, males are more graceful ‘lily walkers’ than females. The female African Jacana lays several clutches of eggs between December and April, The clutches may be from a variety of mates or only one mate, depending on the circumstances.

The male African Jacana is the main caretaker of the offspring, incubating the eggs and carrying the baby chicks under his wings to keep them warm and dry until the chicks are approximately 18 days old. Snakes, otters, water mongooses and other birds are predators of the African Jacana’s eggs. Since African Jacana’s eggs and young chicks are often preyed upon, the survival of this species is largely dependent on the mother’s ability to lay several clutches of eggs in one season.  

These graceful birds are good divers and strong flyers. They squawk during flight and carry a pitch that resembles a loud, mournful, whining sound. Like most birds, the African Jacana has a keen sense of sight and hearing and relies little on its sense of smell.

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The Cheetah’s most appetizing meal

Thomson Gazelle Gazella thomsonii: named after explorer Joseph Thomson. Thomson gazelle weighs up to 18-27 kilogram’s (35-55) pounds and reaches a height of about 22 to 26 inches at the shoulder is a browser and mostly inhabits the open plains and grassland, Thomson gazelle have a gestation period of about 6 months and  have a longestivity of 11 years in wild. One of the most common gazelles in Africa's savannas and grassland habitats, particularly the Serengeti region of Kenya and Tanzania, the graceful "tommie" is distinguished from the similarly colored.


Grant's gazelle by the dark stripe that runs from the shoulder to the flank and the white patch on the rump as well as its smaller size. Male tommies are larger than females and have strongly ridged horns that curve backwards with the tips curving forward. Female tommies have short, smooth, pencil-slim horns or none at all. The face is accented by a black stripe running down from the eye, a dark marking on the nose and a light patch on the forehead.The strongest tommie males set up territories in home ranges using an exaggerated display posture and marking boundaries with scent gland secretions. 

The females and their immature offspring form groups of 5 to 50 that wander through male territories. A male gazelle will follow a female and sniff their urine to find out if she is in estrous, a process known as flehmen.
If so, he will continue to court and mount her. Female Thomson's gazelles will leave the herd to give birth to single fawns after a 5–6 month gestation period. The relatively silent tommies rely on visual awareness of one another to stay in contact. Tommies breed twice a year. Although births occur throughout the year, they peak right after rainy seasons. After giving birth the mother hides the newborn in the grass, returning several times a day to nurse it. 

With their tawny coloring and ability to remain motionless for long periods, the young are surprisingly invisible when hidden in open country. Tommies congregate with Grant's gazelle and with larger ungulates such as wildebeest and zebra and even cattle, which trample and graze on tall grass, making it easier for the tommie to feed on short grass. Although grasses make up about 90% of the tommie's diet in dry season, it also eats seeds and browses on shrubs. When the tiny new green shoots of grass begin to grow in areas that have been burned, tommies often gather in large numbers to feed. 

The Thomson gazelle is exceptionally alert to sounds and movements, and its fine senses of hearing, sight and smell balance its vulnerability on the open plains.Males vigorously defend their territories. If challenged, the defending male and his rival clash horns with the winner claiming the territory. Tommies are often found on ranches and farmlands after many animals have left, subsisting on the short grasses exposed by the cattle. There, they are often shot or snared for the pot. with the most predators being lions, cheetahs, baboons, leopard, hunting dog and hyenas.

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The most dreamy mammal on earth

The warthog Scientific Name: Phacochoerus aethiopicus: swahili : Ngiri Weighs about 60- 120 kilos (120 to 250 pounds) and have a gestation period of 175 days ,attaining a height of about 30 inches at the shoulder, is a grazer . The warthog is neither graceful nor beautiful, warthogs are nonetheless remarkable animals. They are found in most of Africa south of the Sahara and are widely distributed in Ethiopia, Somalia, kenya Uganda and tanzania. They are the only pigs able to live in areas without water for several months of the year. 

The warthog is a tough, sturdy animal. Males weigh 20 to 50 pounds more than females, but both are distinguished by disproportionately large heads and “warts”—thick protective pads that appear on both sides of the head. The warthog's large tusks are unusual: The two upper ones emerge from the sides of the snout to form a semicircle; the lower tusks at the base of the uppers are worn to a sharp cutting edge.

The long tail ends with a tuft of bristles. 

The warthog characteristically carries its tail upright when it runs, the tuft waving like a tiny flag. Warthogs are not territorial but instead occupy a home range.Warthogs live in groups called sounders. Females live in sounders with their young and with other females. Sometimes two families, often of related females, will join together. Warthogs sleep and rest in holes.

Although they can excavate, warthogs normally use those dug by other animals, like aardvarks. Before giving birth to a new litter, the female chases away the litter she has been raising and secludes herself. These juveniles may join up with another solitary female for a short time before they go on their own. Female warthogs only have four teats, so litter sizes usually are confined to four young. 

Each piglet has its "own" teat and suckles exclusively from it. Even if one piglet dies, the others do not suckle from the available teat. The warthog is mainly a grazer and has adapted an interesting practice of kneeling on its calloused, hairy, padded knees to eat short grass. Using its snout and tusks, it also digs for bulbs, tubers and roots during the dry season. They may eat earthworms and other small invertebrates during the wet season.

The warthog has poor vision (though better than most other African wild pigs), but its senses of smell and hearing are good.When alarmed, the warthog grunts or snorts, lowers its mane, flattens its ears and bolts for underground cover. Warthogs are  omnivorous, composed of grasses, roots, berries and other fruits, bark, fungi, eggs and carrion.the diet is seasonably variable, depending on availability of different food items. 

During the wet seasons warthogs graze on short perennial grasses. During the dry seasons they subsist on bulbs, rhizomes and nutritious root. Although capable of fighting, with males aggressively fighting each other during mating season, a primary defence is to flee by means of fast sprinting. The main warthog predators are humans, lions, leopards, crocodiles, and hyenas. Cheetahs are also capable of catching small warthogs.

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