grasses

• Grasses are the most important plant family in the world.

• Over 30% of earths land area is covered with natural grasslands.

• There is 9700 species in the world (10% of that in SA) 
• Grasses protect the soil from erosion, and put nutrients in the soil.
• Grasses may be tufted, erect, creeping, flaoting, or climbing
• Grasses consists of inter nodes, associated node, leaf, bud, adventitious root
• The roots won't grow deeper than 2m
• Pollinated by wind
• Grass have growing points at the bottom protecting them from overgrazing.

Veld types:

• Sweet veld: grows in frost free areas, sensitive to overgrazing, recover quick from disturbances.
• Sour veld: Grows in lower temperatures, may tolerate overgrazing,  Recovers slowly after a disturbance.

Types:

• Red grass: indicator of a good veld condition, Grows mainly in clay soil.
• Thatching grass: Use on roofs of houses
• Narrow leaved turpentine grass: smells like turpentine
• Spear grass: if it is wet it turns into ground(reproductive)
• Natal red top: Turns from red to white when it matures.
• Guinea grass: very nutritious
• Wire grass: non Pallatable

Birds

Birds are characterized by position of feathers(only animals in the world that have feathers)

5 Types of birds

• Predatory birds
• Passerines
• Non passerines
• Waterfowl and marshald birds

 
When you want to identify a bird you look at:

• Size
• collour
• Bill shape and collour
• Leg collour
• Habitat
• Activity
• Region

Bird anatomy:

• Passerines: Foot structure that can hold onto a branch, 60% of all birds are passerines, Nurture their chicks.
• Non-Passerines: Land birds, don't nurture their chicks

Feathers:
Types

• Philoplume
• semiplume
• down
• Bristle

Preening
They do it to clean themselves, to take old feathers out, and to spread oil through all the feathers.
Beaks:

• cracker-eats seeds
• shredder- birds of prey
• chissel- insect eaters
• Probe- nectar
• strainer-small fish and plants
• tweaser- insects
• swiss army knives- eat anything

Breeding

Males try to impress ladies with sounds, collour change, dance, long tails.
To make nests they use different materials like grass, mud, in tree holes ext.
Migration
Its a regular seasonal journey, they do it, because of food availability, weather and habitat.
Interesting facts:

• The Hammerkop makes very big nests (1.5m) 
• Red billed hornbill nests in holes in trees
• Forktail Drongo is very aggressive and will even attack birds of prey if threatened 
• Crested Barbet do not fly easily
• Crimson breasted shrike take its killng and stick it on thorns to mark its territory
• Hoopoe's eggs are pale blue
• Helmeted Guineafowl can walk 10km a day
• Shaft tail whyda lay a egg a day for 3-4 days
  

trees

 Ecological role:

• Provide shelter and food
• Bind soil
• When they die nutrients will be released back into soil
• Produce oxygen

Types of trees:
Maroela tree:

• Female's branches spread to the side, where the male's branches spread upwards
• The inside bark of the tree is believed, to relieve headaches and even slow the proses down of cancer. 
• The female bare more fruit than male. 
• The inside bark has a lot of vitamin C

  Sickle bush:

• Spread very quickly, one root go straight down, the rest grows horisontally and make new plants from there.
• Spikes can puncture a tractor wheel.
• Use wood for fire.
• They prepare for winter, pods can be eaten when there is no more leaves.
• Put the branches on overgrazed grass, so the place can recover.

Silver cluster:

• Prefer deep sandy soil.
• Kudus love eating it
• Secretes tanine for protection
• Outer layer of roots can be used for diarroea

Weeping wattle:

• Name comes from a spittle bug that secretes fluids on leaves.
• Wood can be used for furniture and fuel.
• Can use leaves for toilet paper

Buffalo thorn:

• Thorns in shape of buffalo horns
• Thorns Represents the past and future, don't forget about your past.
• Put leaves in your mouth, then on a cut and it will stop the bleeding.
• When some one dies they take a branch and clean that place and put it on the grave.

Puzzle bush:

• You can bend it as you like over fire.
• Make wooden spoons, and walking sticks.
• Use roots for small cuts 

Velvet tree: 

• Leaves are soft like velvet
• Can eat berries, but animal don't eat the leaves
• Make bow and arrow and woven baskets out of it. 

Jacket plum:

• Fruit are edible 
• leaves are unpalatable
• Jelly and vinegar are made from berries

weekend 25-27 March

The weekend we did a lot of game drives, I learnt a lot and feel confident enough to do one myself. I did a game drive as well, It was very interesting, We saw a lot of owls and a jackal. when you shine the spotlight on the animals it looks like city lights. The caravan park game drive was also nice.I like working with the people, so far all of  the people was very nice.

I also worked at entertainment, I really enjoyed working with the kids. I painted their faces, played kleilat and Bingo with them. 

I feel more confident and at ease with doing welcoming. 

Mammals

Small 5

• Elephant shrew
• Ant lion
• Buffalo weaver
• Rhino beetle
• Leopard tortoise

Big 5

• Elephant (biggest land mammal)
• Lion ( biggest cat, represent pride)
• Buffalo(strength, aggression)
• Rhino (Unique, strong)
• Leopard (Very strong, brave, smart)

Facts about Mammals
Blue Wildebeest:

• Other name: Gnu
• They sleep in rows on ground
• Lifespan=20 years
• Calves can stand and run within 3-7 minutes

Impala:

• Females wander in and out of male territories, when they go out, males try to herd them back to the center.
• Males mark their territory by rubbing secretions of fluid from his face onto twigs and grasses.
• They can leap 3metres
• They secrete a scent of their heels, if their running from predator, so the herd can stand together 

Zebra:

• Their stripes are unique, they recognize each other by their stripes
• Zebra's keep their foals for 2-3 days away from the rest of the herd, so the foal can learn its mother's smell and recognize her from other animals.
• Adult males are quick to defend their families.
• When babies are born their legs are the same length as their mothers so predators won't see that they are young. 
• Babies eat their mothers dung, for the good bacteria that help them with a good immune system.
• Zebra's manes are always up, if it's lying down, it's sick

Blesbuck: 

• Babies have black  faces to absorb the heat, they need. Adults have white faces to reflect the heat away from their face, so they won't over heat.
• The name comes from their white faces, that looks bles.
• The Tsetse fly lie her eggs in their noses, so the larvae is in their noses and it's irritating them that's why they always shake their heads

Gemsbuck:

• Their horns are 85cm long
• Female horns are most desirable than male horns
• Their horns can be made into a natural trumpet
• They do not depend on drinking
• They can run up to 56km/h

Warthog:

• Name  comes from their warts on their face
• Warts are used to defend themselves, and to reserve fat
• They're the only pig species that has adapted to grazing and the savanna
• They have been observed allowing mongooses to groom them and remove their ticks

Common duiker:

• Height:50cm
• They're the only meat eating animal
• They avoid grasslands ( where there's no shelter)
• Gestation period: 3months

Eland

• They can jump 2 meters easily
• They are the biggest anthelope.

Giraffe:

• They have 7 vertebra's in their neck, same as humans
• their tongue is 45 cm long
• Their heart is 12kg as big as a basketball

Red Hartebeest:

• They are the 2nd fastest anthelope
• Male and females have horns