Lion Panthera Leo Linneaus Lions are supremely adapted predators, superbly adapted to hunt. They are carnivores, their bodies being streamlined for speed and power. Lions hold pride of place at the top of the food chain. They have canines measuring up to 50 mm long (2″) and they kill their…
Leopard panthera pardus The leopard is the most secretive and elusive large carnivore found in the Aberdare Mountain Ranges. It is also the shrewdest of the large carnivores. The leopard is a solitary cat. It is very difficult to spot one in the wild. The Swahili name for leopard is…
Gaboon Viper Bitis gabonica The Gaboon Viper is an ambush hunter. Its habitat is the forest floor, so its striking coloration provides the perfect camouflage. The Gaboon Viper is a very beautiful snake. It is colorfully patterned in purple, brown and shades of pastel. Its scales give the impression of…
Cobras of Kenya There are four cobra species in Kenya. These are namely the Forest Cobra, Egyptian Cobra, Red Spitting Cobra and the Black Necked Cobra. Forest Cobra (Naja melanoleuca) This is the largest cobra in Africa. It prefers dense undergrowth. This snake can grow as long as 8 ft…
Buffalo Syncerus Caffer The buffalo is reddish brown to total black in color and belongs to the Bovidae Family. Both sexes are horned, with the males being heavier and more robust than the female. Males can weigh up to 1,765 ponds (800kg) . The dominant bull is normally the oldest…
African Rock Python Python sebae The African rock python sports perfect camouflage. It is very difficult to spot it, especially when it is sleeping among rocks. One outstanding characteristic of the African python is that it is a very large snake. It has jaws that open extremely wide to facilitate…
Africa, My Heritage Africa, My Heritage. A drum beats, beckons, boom-boom-bah-boom. It beats so quietly one can hardly catch it. It beats insistently, convincing and convicting. Boom-boom-boom-boom, a drum beats. A night so dark, indigo black. A blackness thick and concealing. A curtain, veiling for a time a sacred labor.…