KTP 2024 - 27 Years Later...

[ExFmem]

A "Supermom" lioness who is supporting her 3 cubs all by herself, and seems to be doing a fabulous job, as they all look healthy and happy. They were encountered on several different days, all in the area of Dertiende waterhole.









With the sightings being few and far between on some days, we decided to go from Mata Mata straight to Dertiende to see if they were still staying in that area. Much to our delight, not only was mom there, but she had taken down a wildebeest for breakfast!

[ExFmem]

Thanx Mom, you're the best mom EVER!

[Pumbaa]

Thanks so much, ExFmem,

what very special super mom plus cubs shots

Also great bird photography - Love my beloved bateleurs

[ExFmem]

Now on to a few smaller treasures...





A long-horned beetle of some type





A real cutie jumping spider





A not-so-cute spider





I have photographed antlions mating before, but this time I observed the female exhibiting a behavior I hadn't seen. I looked it up, and the explanation is below...










"Mating is a rather acrobatic affair. As the female clings to a twig, the male attaches his tail to hers. He then hangs below her, suspended only by his genital apparatus. Copulation lasts nearly two hours. After separation the female cleans up by feeding on the remaining spermataphore (Yasseri and Parzefall 1996a, based on field observations in 1992)."
https://www.antlionpit.com/reproduce.html

[Lisbeth]

Sis, excuse me for my intervention, but your bateleurs are an adult and a juvenile Males and females look the same apart from males having all-black secondaries and inner primaries, while females have broad white bases to these feathers.

Lions: Bringing up three exuberant cubs to that age, really demands special abilities, like taking down a wildbeast on her own Strange that they have not joined a pride

Those Antilleans have a complicated sex life

[ExFmem]

Sis, THANK YOU for the correction on the Bateleurs I'll correct it later and repost. (Next thing you know, I'll be calling an ostrich a hummingbird. ) Please do continue to correct my dodo birdbrain IDs/info.

[Lisbeth]

Your brain is certainly not a birdbrain and least of all a Dodo one ....although I do not know what kind of brain it had

[Pumbaa]

Thanks so much, ExFmem,

as always incredible shots from all the insects and spiders What fantastic antlions pictures

[Richprins]

What sightings, Ex!

And clever to go back to Dertiende, why not!

Exquisite mother and cub shots.

And fascinating info on the antlions, who would have thunk!

[ExFmem]

Sis, Pumbaa, and RP - always appreciate you each taking your time to comment, thank you.