‘The eensy weensy spider…’

Baboon spiders or tarantulas, as they are known outside Africa, are the giants of the spider world. The last two leg segments resemble the finger of a baboon hence, the common name, baboon spiders. These harmless giants are often negatively portrayed as villainous monsters especially in the movie industry. Southern Africa has a rich fauna of baboon spiders, represented by seven genera and 42 species. They belong to the family Theraphosidae.

Description

Baboon spiders are large, with a body size varying from 13-90 mm. They are very hairy and their colour varies between hues of brown, grey, yellow to black. Baboon spiders are ground living animals and construct silk-lined burrows under stones and rocks. They are found in a variety of habitats such as dry acacia scrubland, grassland or savanna woodland. They are predominantly nocturnal sit-and-wait hunters and most species await the approach of prey within the entrance of their burrows. The silk threads warn the spider of approaching prey. Prey is usually captured at or near the retreat entrance.

The hunter and the prey

They hide in their burrows during the day and the entrances are frequently silked over during daylight hours by a thin, transparent cover. Prey are ambushed and dragged into the burrow. Baboon spiders use different mechanisms to defend themselves against their enemies. They use their ability to produce venom and with their large fangs they are able to deliver a nasty bite. When alarmed, baboon spiders will throw their front legs backwards and open their chelicerae. Some are able to produce a hissing sound similar to snakes, when setae on the chelicerae and palp are rubbed together.

To fear or not to fear

Theraphosids are harmless to man although the bite is painful and mildly neurotoxic. If bitten, one will experience an intense burning pain in the region of the bite where two red blood spots will develop from the fang punctures. There will be no evidence of discolouration and swelling. Depending on the species, the pain will subside after 2-18 hours. There might be symptoms of shock. The only treatment required would be a painkiller and antihistamine. However, Harpactirella lightfooti is thought to be harmful to man although there is no evidence of this.

Leave and let live

Due to the slow maturity rate and high mortality of immatures, the collecting of baboon spiders is strongly discouraged, as this has led to the decimation of populations. These spiders do not make ideal pets as they are inactive during the day and move around very little even at night. Once the novelty of scaring ones friends has worn off, most spiders in captivity eventually die of dehydration, stress from handling and sheer neglect.

Owing to the demand for baboon spiders as pets, they are classified as Commercially Threatened. Therefore they may not be collected, transported or kept without a permit.

Sources:

http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2002/november/baboon.htm

http://www.treknature.com/gallery/Africa/South_Africa/photo27.htm

Not an ordinary life

We are still working on a routine, January has been a bit upside down but the classroom is set up and we have begun with the CLONARD system and our own ideas of an all round education; identifying spoor, making plaster of paris casts of the tracks, fixing injured horses, going on Rock art walks and fishing for baboon spiders…

Fishing for spiders

January 25th, mid morning, Peter and Finn set out with their apparatus. String, camera, tripod, bait and high spirits – Pete perhaps more so than Finn, who wasn’t quite sure what to expect. He has been watching BBC’s Human Planet where some children in the rainforest go off to catch dinner plate size tarantulas for lunch. Fascinated with nature and keen to follow Pete anywhere, Finn is not necessarily one for picking up and handling creepy crawlies and certainly not one for eating them!

Bravery and getting the shot

In order to get everything on camera, Pete realised that he would have to take the pictures by holding the camera and that the tripod would not work. This meant that Finn would have to do the fishing and would therefore have to get up close and personal with one of Africa’s most intimidating creatures – the BABOON SPIDER. 

Patience is the name of the game

Slowly dangling the string with some bait and tickling the entrance to the silk-lined burrow, the waiting game began. Sorely tempted to retreat at the first sign of the spider darting out to claim his prey, Finn managed to find his nerves of steel, keep his position and draw the spider out 3 times, allowing Pete to get the shots.

Not quite ABC

Not exactly ABC, unless you count ‘b’ for baboon (spider), brave and bold but a great life experience. After all, we need to learn about and understand all the little creatures that make up the amazing diversity we are surrounded with on this most magnificent earth.

Interesting & Amazing Information on Monkeys

• Monkeys never catch cold.
• Yawning of a monkey means that either he is tired or he is mad at something.
• Monkeys never eat a banana as it is; rather they peel it first and throw away the peel.
• Monkeys live in groups, known as troops, and travel together to find food.
• Monkeys can breed at any time of the year.
• Monkeys use vocalizations, facial expressions and body movements to communicate.
• Grinning or pulling the lip is a sign of aggression in monkeys, along with head bobbing and jerking the head and shoulders forward.
• Monkeys express affection and make peace with others by grooming each other.

source: http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/facts-about-monkey-1600.html

Description

The Vervet Monkey, which is sometimes known as the green monkey, is a medium sized primate that is actually a member of the Old World monkeys. The Old World monkeys make up six different species and the Vervet Monkey makes up the whole genus Chloroecbus.

Diet

Vervets eat leaves, young shoots, bark, flowers, fruit, bulbs, roots and grass seeds. Their mainly vegetarian diet is supplemented with insects, grubs, eggs, baby birds and sometimes rodents and hares. Vervets rarely drink water.

Predators

They have a number of predators including leopards, servals, baboons, caracals, crocodiles, pythons and large eagles.

Life Span

Vervet monkeys commonly live in groups or "troops" of 20 or more. Its gestation period is 7 months with a single offspring produced. The Vervet Monkey is known to have a life span of up to 20 years.

Jenny returns to Leshiba…

Jenny Schneider, an artist and a friend, came up from Johannesburg to spend 3 weeks at Leshiba, helping to design and create the stone work patterns in the floors of the new buildings. The pictures tell the story…

We are often asked what makes Leshiba different from the 28 000 other lodges in South Africa and I have always given the same answers. We are nestled on top of one of the most beautiful mountains in South Africa, we have an authentic African Venda Village Lodge, you have the opportunity to walk unguided amongst a range of wildlife from giraffe and leopard to pangolins and porcupines, we have over 330 tree species… I can go on and on but I know that many lodges are set in beautiful surroundings and tempt you with amazing game experiences.

Whilst pondering how to encourage people to come and see what we have to offer, I recently had an ‘Ah Ha!’ moment as I realised that the description above does not cover one of the most important features of Leshiba.

Without any question we do have something that makes us completely unique. It is the people at Leshiba that make us who we are and no one stands out more than John Rosmarin – the owner of Leshiba.

J – JUBILANT

O – OPTIMISTIC

H – HARD WORKING

N – NOVEL

and if there was a ‘P’ and an ‘E’ in his name, I would add Passionate and Enthusiastic!

John is the eternal optimist that we all aspire to be. He is a visionary and a determined , sometimes bull-headed, forward-thinking idealist who makes things happen. Where we are the cart that carries the load, John is the person ho steers us. He is Leshiba’s unique selling point. Passionate about his family, the bush, the local community, and the country and continent as a whole, John practices sustainability and the preservation of our shared heritage as a way of life, not a marketing campaign.

The Venda Village was his dream and he made it happen. Where others would have raised the dilapidated buildings to the ground and built afresh, John saw the potential in the traditional character embedded in the broken walls and so began the journey of Leshiba, where we have tried to stay true to the roots of the land and its people.

When challenges arise, as they do in these economic times, and we feel like we can’t keep going, John will decide that what we need is to think harder, plan better and keep going. There is no one who holds the passion for Leshiba like he does and the belief that not only will it be successful but that what Leshiba offers is something so special that it must be shared with everyone. And invariably when our guests visit they agree with him!

What Leshiba offers is not just bed nights with luxury linens and private plunge pools, as lovely as those are. Leshiba offers you a place with a soul, a heritage and a vision. John will tell you about the incredible artists and artisans that helped create his dream. He will encourage you to visit them and tell you stories of the surrounding area and the communities that need development, support and training in order to achieve their vision for the future.

Where some are getting on planes and leaving the country of their birth behind, John is ploughing the fields of the unknown, working to grow a new crop of thinkers and giving them the skills to make a difference.

When Eskom was laying new lines, long before the electricity crises, John, embracing innovation and new ideas, was putting up solar panels and with the fuel crises ever present, solar pumps and water heaters. Today we are 95% self-sufficient at Leshiba.

With people locking themselves behind stronger barricades and fearing the unknown, John has committed himself to knocking down barriers wherever he can, welcoming communication between communities and fighting for the creation of a sustainable future for the entire area, not just Leshiba. When we first moved to Leshiba we met all the Venda wood carvers and besides investing in beautiful works of art, John envisioned the passing on of indigenous knowledge and the Indigenous Knowledge Centre at Leshiba was realised. Here, the Venda artists have trained students from the local area as well as collaborated with international artists to keep their art alive and to pass it on to younger generations. Pushing hard to realise the dream of preserving the biodiversity of The Limpopo, John rallied for the formation of a Biosphere Reserve, which has since been established and which he chairs.

Now, if you had to ask me why you should come to Leshiba, I will tell you it is to see this vision in practice. To be inspired by what one man (and a very dedicated team!) can do and what an impact it can make on your very being, to be part of this positive energy. To be inspired by optimism. To be healed of patterns of negativity. To look to the future with a smile on your face, aiming high and honouring the world we live in. To become a fellow optimist. Hmmm….

Another reason is personal identification, as the pattern of stripes in one zebra cannot exactly match the pattern of another one.

Biomimicry and Zebras

Disruptive Markings: As opposed to cryptic camouflage as a form of concealment, disruptive camouflage seeks to obscure the individual organism with colouration and markings which disguise the form and shape. Although these markings may appear quite distinctive to an outside observer, disruptive camouflage often interacts exceptionally well with shadows and light. The classic example is the African Zebra. While tourists are amused by the "quirky" stripes of these herd animals, the overt disruptive markings make it much more difficult for a hunting lioness to distinguish and single out an individual zebra from a large, rapidly moving striped mass. In a sense "disruptive" means "disruptive to common predators" or disruption of the individual's visual patterns in the context of the immediate environment. Disruptive camouflage is often highly effective.

It has been suggested that a zebras stripes help the zebras in cooling down during hot season. As the colour black tends to absorb radiation, the air near the black stripes get hotter, thereby forcing down the cooler air in the surroundings to the white stripes. This process eventually cools the animal and also forms a shimmer around it. This shimmer causes a blurred vision in the predator. Another contention is that these stripes save the zebras from the blood-sucking tsetse fly, which cannot easily recognize animals with stripes.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/interesting-facts-about-zebras.html

Fun facts

• Like horses and other ungulates, zebra can turn their ears in almost any direction.
• Zebras are considered to be black with white stripes, not white with black stripes.
• Zebras have great eye sight and also great night vision.
• Zebras have their own 'smile' – a bared-teeth grimace that is a greeting and helps prevent aggression.
• Each zebras stripes are as unique as fingerprints, no two are exactly alike. However each of the three species has its own general pattern.

http://www.funfunnyfacts.com/Fun-Zebra-Facts.html

Fearless…

According to the 2002 Guinness Book of records, the honey badger (Mellivora capensis), also known as the ratel is the ‘most fearless animal in the world’.

Description

Honey badgers are jet black except for the gray mantle, separated by a white stripe, extending from the crown to the base of the tail. The colour of the mantle and stripe may vary from one individual to another and often becomes darker with age.

• A fully grown adult male can stand as high as 30cm, and be up to 1m in total length
• They are normally solitary animals, and are one of the lesser seen African mammals
• They have skin which is very thick and rubbery, to defend them from bites
• they are able to catch and eat even the most deadliest and poisonous snakes
• Honey badgers can be very aggressive animals, and have few predators.

Lead them to honey

Honey badgers have a unique relationship with the greater honey guide. The little bird leads a honey badger to a beehive, and then waits good-naturedly for the honey badger to open up the hive and enjoy the honey and bee larvae. Once the honey badger leaves the hive, the honey guide will then feed on the remaining beeswax.

Threatened

Sadly, Honey Badgers are near threatened in South Africa due to attacks by bee- keepers, poultry and sheep farmers.

Famous fighters

The South African Defense Force named their Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), the Ratel, after the Honey Badger.

Honey badger in other languages

• Norwegian – Honninggraevling
• French is “blaireau mange-miel”
• In those parts of Africa where Swahili is spoken, the honey badger is called Nyegere.

Further reading: http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2003/march/badger.htm

Sources: http://www.honeybadger.com/

Cayenne pepper —also known as the Guinea spice, cow-horn pepper, aleva, bird pepper, or, especially in its powdered form, red pepper—is a red, hot chili pepper used to flavor dishes and for medicinal purposes. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayenne_pepper)

An ancient herb…

For centuries, Cayenne pepper has been used as a medicinal and culinary herb. Historians assert that it was a staple of the Aztec diet and although Predominantly used for spicing up food, it is so much more.  

Amazing uses

The webpage: http://www.cayennepepper.info/ offers the following information:

• It can stop heart attacks
• nourish the heart with vital nutrients
• remove plaque from the arteries
• help rebuild flesh destroyed or harmed by frostbite
• heal hemorrhoids
• re-build stomach tissue
• heal stomach ulcers
• fortify your overall health
• it improves circulation
• rebuilds blood cells
• lowers cholesterol
• emulsifies triglycerides
• removes toxins from the bloodstream
• improves overall heart health
• It's even a great insect repellent
• it can also heal ulcers, which seems contradictory considering its native calidity or heat
• It immediately equalizes blood pressure in your system, shrinks hemorrhoids, and heals the gall bladder too
• It can be used as a diuretic as well helping in elimination both with urine and with built-up fecal matter in the intestines. It has wonderful, scientifically-proven antifungal properties as well.

Our journey with cayenne pepper began 13 years ago when we treated our 13 month old daughter when she split open her brow. Faced with a long trip down the mountain late at night and the trauma of possible stitches, etc, we packed the wound full of cayenne and watched as it stopped the bleeding almost immediately. We have used it for all bleeding and shock situations since. To stop bleeding, apply liberally to the wound. The bleeding will stop immediately although the wound will certainly sting for a minute or two. Cayenne will disinfect the wound and usually helps prevent the necessity of stitches.

Cayenne is described as the No. 1 herb for emergency situations

For any person in shock, put 1 teaspoon of cayenne in a little water and let them drink it.

Anecdote

Cayenne is also known to treat eye infections although I have to admit that I tried this once on a poor friend and although the treatment specifies that one should administer cayenne to both eyes, to create a balance even if only one eye is infected, having done one eye, you stand very little chance of ever getting to the second one. So unless there are a few of you brave and strong enough to hold the poor suffering individual down, I don’t recommend this usage.

All hell breaks loose

Gale force winds churned up a huge dust cloud, which was suddenly replaced with the battering of hail stones as big as golf balls. Guests out on a game drive took cover underneath the game vehicle and one guest crouched under a tree, huddled beneath his umbrella, awaiting rescue.

Animals know best

Peter and the girls attempted to keep the horses calm and under shelter but they chose to stand out in the full force of the storm. The noise on the stable roof was too much for them.

Damages

A few broken windows, some bruises and minor scratches and trees left standing leafless. Dust bashed from the thatch roofs covering everything – a real nature’s spring cleaning!

Calm after the storm

A magnificent rainbow and crystal clear blue sky, washed clean, was all that remained after the 20 minute storm. 3 weeks later, Leshiba is a paradise of nitrogen rich green grass and new leaves on all the trees.

Peter's approach requires no background in botany only an interest in trees and wanting to know more about them and how to find them in a tree identification book. Using Prof Braam Van Wyk's, Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa , Peter teaches people how to use the extremely user friendly key, Tree id'ing can be seen as a very complex and intimidating exercise, especially when one considers all the scientific names attached to trees but running through the basic terminology and gaining a comprehensive understanding of how the key works, makes finding trees and naming them far simpler than one thinks.

Peter's Tree course will open up a whole new perspective of your environment

Peter has put together a tree course that he is now offering to anyone who is interested. Professor Braam Van Wyk has given Peter permission to use his books and for reproduction of his material. Participating in Peter's tree course will open up a whole new perspective of your environment and show you how animals, insects and birds interact with plants and trees. From medicinal plant and tree remedies to how trees are utilised, you will never again see them as just lovely, shady, green organisms. There is a huge movement in this country to plant indigenous gardens. The tree course covers which trees to plant to attract mammals, birds and butterflies, which will increase the diversity of friendly creatures that will be attracted to your garden and what indigenous, edible fruit trees are good to plant for your personal use.

For more information on one of these tree courses and for tree courses for rangers, please contact Peter at: peter@leshiba.co.za