Anhinga rufa - The African darter is sometimes referred to as the “snake bird.” It is native to tropical sub-Saharan Africa and found near bodies of water. The diet of the darter consists of fish and not snakes as its name implies. It is called a snake bird because the darter’s plumage does not have a waterproof coating of oil found in most water fowl. This makes the bird less buoyant. When the darter takes to water, only the long neck remains above water and gives the bird the appearance of a snake.
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Yorùbáland is a region of Africa encompassing 50 million people of Yorùbá ancestry. The region spans across Benin, Nigeria, and Togo, with the largest concentration of Yorùbá living in Nigeria. The Oyo Empire was founded by the Yorùbá people in the 14th century; the empire endured until 1905, reaching its apex between 1608 and 1800. Having a highly organized central government and a formidable military contributed to the Oyo Empire becoming a powerful African state.
