Happy Postcard Friday (meme)! Read from BBC: Lion (facts, pictures and stunning videos). My worldwide stamps and RSA maxicards with Lion (Panthera leo). Lions choose their 'Valentine' in a polygynandrous way (OMG!)

Read the BBC article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Lion
and here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations/Polygynandry

These are stamps from my old collection, in high-res - click, and click again to zoom in:

"The lion (Panthera leo) is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight,^[4] it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger. 

Wild lions currently exist in Sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia with an endangered remnant population in Gir Forest National Park in India, having disappeared from North Africa and Southwest Asia in historic times. 

Until the late Pleistocene, about 10,000 years ago, the lion was the most widespread large land mammal after humans. 

They were found in most of Africa, across Eurasia from western Europe to India, and in the Americas from the Yukon to Peru.^[5] 

The lion is a vulnerable species, having seen a possibly irreversible population decline of thirty to fifty percent over the past two decades in its African range.^[6] 

Lion populations are untenable outside designated reserves and national parks. 

Although the cause of the decline is not fully understood, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are currently the greatest causes of concern."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion

For the lion below, cougars are too exotic. He chooses his "Valentine" as part of his PRIDE. However, new word you may have learned today: polygynandry.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I will create one or more dorincards with this cut-out image from a book. :)

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Happy PFF (Postcard Friendship Friday)!

Please visit: http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ (wait until Beth posts the today's Linky tool for the meme, then make your entry, if you want to join).

My post for the "Sunday Stamps" meme: cool stamp from the Republic of South Africa, with WITRENOSTER/ WHITE RHINO (Ceratotherium simum)

"The White Rhinoceros or Square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is one of the five species of rhinoceros that still exist and is one of the few megafaunal species left. It has a wide mouth used for grazing and is the most social of all rhino species. The White Rhino consists of two subspecies: the Southern White Rhino, with an estimated 17,480 wild-living animals at the end of 2007 (IUCN 2008), and the much rarer Northern White Rhino. The northern subspecies may have eight remaining worldwide — all in captivity.^[3]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_rhino

I like this stamp because it shows not only the rhinos, but it also gives you a clue, a research starting point, a spark for your mind: the map of the region of KwaZulu/Natal, in the context of South Africa.

So, the point is: don't just look at this rhino stamp and move on with your oh, so busy life.

While you are at it, at least take a quick look at the (wikipedia, for example) entry for South Africa.

Expand your horizon. Horizontally. Coz now it may be too much of a vertical horizon, ultra-specialized in your tiny square of knowledge required to do your job, whatever that is.

:)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa

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Happy Sunday Stamps!

Please visit http://viridianpostcard.blogspot.com/

Read from BBC: "Your Good Samaritan stories". Let's see if I can illustrate, if only with a collateral symbolic reference, these 10 true stories.

Read the whole article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12122809

Let's see if I can illustrate, if only with a collateral symbolic reference, these 10 true stories.

1. THE PASSING DOCTOR

"Virginia is for lovers", and the PORTABLE DEFIBRILLATOR is for restarting a heart. And a life.

2. THE PASSPORT OFFICIAL

A migratory bird flies across country borders without any passport stamp/visa...but humans may need one. Desperately. Bureaucracy vs. Open-mindedness.

3. THE MYSTERY DRIVER

Some say "we are what we drive". Others might say "we are what good deeds we can do (including while driving)". Such as quickly jumping into a car out-of-control. Then it doesn't matter "what you drive". It could be a beat-up truck, for example.

4. THE BUS PASSENGER

Maybe "the show must go on", but a bus must not, if a life is endangered and an ambulance is needed.

A bus can take you somewhere, or can have you taken somewhere.

5. THE SILENT WITNESS

You can have a fancy [motor]bike, but when you ran out of "petrol", even a 1 gallon gift can be a lifesaver.

6. THE ISLAND ANGELS

In Canada, as in any other country, some beings jump to attack you (like a hungry cougar - I mean puma or mountain lion...). Other beings jump to help you, and possibly save you from trouble.

Don't jump to conclusions until you see WHY you're being jumped.

7. THE GOOD NEIGHBOURS

It's good when you can afford to pay for your food.

It's also good to get a little help until you are able again to pay for your food.

Starving is avoidable, in many cases.

8. THE POLICE OFFICER

Some people become great winners, great champions, like Muhammad Ali. He never was an alcoholic or a smoker, said Lonnie Ali, his wife. His sports regimen and his religion did not welcome alcohol.

But even ordinary people can be winners at something, when they get good advice and gather enough self-will to conquer a potentially deadly addiction, such as alcoholism.

I could have used here, for this BBC story, the American stamp "Alcoholism: You can beat it!", but I don't have it. :)

9. THE SELFLESS STUDENTS

You don't necessarily need a sports car to be happy. Sometimes, a simple taxi at the right time is all the transportation you need to have a good time with friends and be happy.

10. THE THIRD MOTORIST

Pigs are not the only animals who produce a lot of manure. 

Sheep do it, too.

"Pigs" have also their own "manure".

The question is with whose "manure" should we put up, and for how long, if you get my drift. :)

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Happy PFF (Postcard Friendship Friday)!

Please visit: http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/

"BBC: African elephant is two species, researchers say". Also, Part 2: The African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana) - maximum card/ maxicard/ dorincard from the Republic of South Africa, and WWF maxicards about Uganda

Thank you, my friend Fi from Jo'burg [Johannesburg, RSA], for creating this UNICATE (only 1 in the world in this configuration, AFAIK= "as far as I know") maxicard specially for me! 

You have chosen the perfect position of the postmark on the postcard, when you handcancelled "under the supervision"/ "in front of" the cooperating postal clerk from the village of Krugersdorp. :)

Isn't it cool when the postmark is really visible?

WWF maxicards about Uganda

Please read: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12054343#

"The African Elephant is the largest living terrestrial animal, normally reaching 6 to 7.3 metres (19.7 to 24.0 ft) in length and 3 to 3.5 metres (9.8 to 11.5 ft) in height at the head, and weighing between 6,000 to 9,000 kg (13,000 to 20,000 lb).

The largest on record, shot in Angola in 1965, was a bull weighing 12,274 kg (27,060 lb) and standing 4.2 metres (13.8 ft) high, the body of which is now mounted in the rotunda of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.. (The museum's website states that the specimen weighs only 8 tons^[4].) The Bush Elephant normally moves at a rate of 6 km/h (4 mph), but it can reach a top speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) when scared or upset."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_elephant

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Loxodonta_africana

Dentition (or lack of proper dentition) may be hazardous to you:

The last set of [molar] teeth last approximately until the age of 65–70. 

"Not much later, the animal dies of starvation from not being able to feed correctly. There are known cases of over 80 year old specimens in captivity."

A male elephant is called a BULL elephant.  And you thought that bullshit is always a bad thing ("that's bullshit" = "that's bad/ false/ useless!" - right?)

"These animals typically ingest an average of 225 kg of vegetable matter daily, which is defecated without being fully digested. That, combined with the long distances that they can cover daily in search of more food, contributes notably to the dispersion of many plant seeds that germinate in the middle of a nutrient-filled feces mound."

"Elephants also drink great quantities of water, over 190 liters per day."

You can talk all you want, but can YOU emit infrasounds?

"Mating happens when the female becomes receptive [MY NOTE: raping is not an option here], an event that can occur anytime during the year. When she is ready, she starts emitting infrasounds that attract the males, sometimes from kilometers away. The adult males start arriving at the herd during the following days and begin fighting, causing some injuries and even broken tusks. The female shows her acceptance of the victor by rubbing her body against his. They mate, and then both go their own way. After 22 months of gestation (the longest among mammals), the female gives birth to a single 90 cm high calf which weighs more than 100 kg. The baby feeds on the mothers milk until the age of 5, but also eats solid food from as early as 6 months old. Just a few days after birth, the calf can follow the herd by foot."

If you MUSTH know:

"Although it has often been speculated by zoo visitors[1] that musth is linked to rut, it is unlikely there is a biological connection because the female elephant's estrus cycle is not seasonally-linked, whereas musth most often takes place in winter. Furthermore, bulls in musth have often been known to attack female elephants, regardless of whether or not the females are in heat. There has been speculation that there may be a connection between musth and dominance behaviour.

Often, elephants in musth discharge a thick tar-like secretion called temporin from the temporal ducts on the sides of the head. Temporin remains largely uncharacterised, due to the difficulties of collecting samples for analysis; however, secretions and urine collected from zoo elephants have been shown to contain elevated levels of various highly odorous ketones and aldehydes. The elephant's aggression may be partially caused by a reaction to the temporin, which naturally trickles down into the elephant's mouth. Another contributing factor may be the accompanying swelling of the temporal glands; this presses on the elephant's eyes and causes acute pain comparable to severe root abscess toothache. Elephants sometimes try to counteract this pain by digging their tusks into the ground.

An African elephant chases a giraffe during musth.

Musth is linked to sexual arousal or establishing dominance, but this relationship is far from clear. Cases of elephants goring and killing rhinoceroses in national parks in Africa have been documented and attributed to musth in young male elephants, especially those growing in the absence of older males. Studies show that reintroducing older males into the elephant population of the area seems to prevent younger males from entering musth, and therefore, stop this aggressive behavior.^[2][3]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musth

Triple-concordant maximum card from a DEAD COUNTRY, in philatelic terms (TRANSKEI, an ex-bantustan inside Republic of South Africa): The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus), the second-best cursory hunter. The best (the ultimate) would be The Dhole, in my opinion.

Notice the cool, pictorial, concordant, detailed, clean and clear postmark.

If Transkei could do it (or their philatelic contractor...), then why couldn't ALL the "developed" countries do it? Too many awful postmarks are still being applied today, around the world. Wake up and smarten up, National Postal Administrations! Improve your business appearance, "will ya"? :)

See my previous blogpost for more maximum cards/maxicards with this phenomenal hunter.

"From Africa, with Love": Good Samaritan Hippo saves wildebeest, zebra babies - see this YouTube sensation

Hippo saves wildebeest, zebra babies: "Videos showing a hippo rescuing a wildebeest calf and then a zebra foal from drowning in a strong-flowing river are causing a sensation."

Beware, safari-goers!
"Aggression

Hippopotamuses are by nature very aggressive animals, especially when young calves are present. Frequent targets of their aggression include crocodiles, which often inhabit the same river habitat as hippos. Nile crocodiles, lions, and spotted hyenas are known to prey on young hippos.^[50] Hippos are very aggressive towards humans, whom they commonly attack whether in boats or on land with no apparent provocation.^[51] They are widely considered to be one of the most dangerous large animals in Africa.^[52][53]

To mark territory, hippos spin their tails while defecating to distribute their excrement over the greatest possible area.^[54] Hippos are retromingent, likely for the same reason.^[55]

Hippos rarely kill each other, even in territorial challenges. Usually a territorial bull and a challenging bachelor will stop fighting when it is clear that one hippo is stronger. When hippos become overpopulated, or when a habitat starts to shrink, bulls will sometimes attempt to kill infants, but this behavior is not common under normal conditions.^[49] Some incidents of hippo cannibalism have been documented, but it is believed to be the behavior of distressed or sick hippos, and not healthy behavior.^[8]"

"Adult hippos cannot swim and are not buoyant. When in deep water, they usually propel themselves by leaps, pushing off from the bottom. They move at speeds up to 8 km/h (5 mph) in water. Young hippos are buoyant and more often move by swimming —propelling themselves with kicks of their hind legs. Adult hippos typically resurface to breathe every 3–5 minutes. The young have to breathe every two to three minutes.^[8] The process of surfacing and breathing is automatic, and even a hippo sleeping underwater will rise and breathe without waking. A hippo closes its nostrils when it submerges."

"Even though they are bulky animals, hippopotamuses can run faster than a human on land. Estimates of their running speed vary from 30 km/h (18 mph) to 40 km/h (25 mph), or even 50 km/h (30 mph). The hippo can maintain these higher speeds for only a few hundred meters.^[8]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippopotamus

Well, not faster than "a human"; faster than SOME humans, I would say.

I don't have maximum cards with the regular hippo species, so here are MCs with Pygmy Hippopotamus species:

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Happy PFF (Postcard Friendship Friday)!

Please visit: http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/

Frog species from Africa (Part 4): is this The Big-eyed Tree Frog (Leptopelis vermiculatus), or one of the other similar 48 species from genus Leptopelis? - dorincard/maxicard from Venda

Can YOU identify this species?

"Leptopelis genus of frogs found throughout Africa. They are medium sized, semi-arboreal frogs, with distinctively large eyes. They vary greatly in color and patterning, but as juveniles tend to be bright green in color, and as they age they turn to a brown. There are 49 species currently recognized, but most are not well understood and their taxonomic status can vary greatly by source. They have a number of common names, including forest tree frogs, leaf frogs and big-eyed frogs."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptopelis

Frog species from Africa (Part 3): The Grey Foam-nest Treefrog or Southern Foam-nest Treefrog (Chiromantis xerampelina) - maxi card from Venda

The Grey Foam-nest Treefrog or Southern Foam-nest Treefrog (Chiromantis xerampelina).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiromantis_xerampelina

Frog species from Africa (Part 2): The Angola River Frog or Common River Frog (Afrana angolensis) - maxicard from Venda

I found it in wikipedia.org not as Rana angolensis, as on the postcard, but as The Angola River Frog or Common River Frog (Afrana angolensis).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angola_River_Frog

Frog species from Africa (Part 1): Anchieta's Ridged Frog or Plain Grass Frog (Ptychadena anchietae) - maximum card from Venda

Anchieta's Ridged Frog or Plain Grass Frog (Ptychadena anchietae).

Check this out: 

"Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marches, hot deserts, arable land, rural gardens, urban areas, and ponds."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptychadena_anchietae

Venda: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venda