Wildthings

1.Is he a cat or is he a monkey? He may look very cat-like and sport a long monkey-like tail, but the fossa’s closest relatives are members of the mongoose and civet families.

1. HISTORICALLY SPEAKING The monarch is believed to be the first butterfly ever to be documented. Ancient Egyptians drew pictures of butterflies on tombs as far back as 3,500 years ago and these images resemble the monarch.

The caracal may not be large in stature, but this cat is a formidable hunter, able to take down prey far bigger than himself

1.Say what? There are actually a few different kinds of kangaroos in Australia, ranging from the popular grey kangaroos of the east and west, to the lesser-known antilopine kangaroo of the north. Interestingly enough, grey kangaroos can live up to 18 years, although some kangaroos have been found to live up to 20 years. Kangaroos in captivity usually have a lifespan of about 23 years.

Walking on the wild side- Domestic cats are believed to be descendants of the African wild cat 

1. Strange relations The elephant’s closest living relative is the dassie. This might sound odd, but recent discoveries have shown that the elephant’s oldest ancestor was about the size of a rabbit.

Q. What causes laminitis in ponies and how can it be prevented and treated? Laminitis is one of the most painful, crippling diseases of horses, ponies and donkeys.

1. Proudly South African The Cape grey mongoose (also sometimes called the small grey mongoose) is a small mammal indigenous to southern Africa, spreading from the Cape province to the western and eastern province, through Lesotho, to parts of the ...

1| AFRICAN REPTILE The brown house snake (Boaedon capensis) is a common African snake, spanning from southern Africa up to the west and east of the African continent. Belonging to the genus Boaedon, there are about seven different species of house snakes with the brown house snake being the largest of them all.

The crocodile rocks: A crocodile dozing off next to the water might look like a slow and clumsy animal, but in actual fact his anatomy is rather complex. We take a look at how he is well designed to thrive in his habitat.

1.Superman of the ocean The mantis shrimp has a very strong punch. Two very powerful front claws are used to punch prey with vicious force.

My parrot enjoys spending time in the garden (I place his cage in a nice shady spot), but I’m worried about diseases he could pick up from wild birds. Can parrots be infected by viruses, bacteria or parasites affecting wild birds and is there anything I can do to protect him?