Showing posts with label Zambia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zambia. Show all posts

Dung Beetle - Zambia


The Khoi-san people were the original inhabitants of Zambia. They were culturally divided into two groups; the Bushmen and the Khoikhoi, formerly referred to as Hottentots. Zambia became a British protectorate in 1911, then known as Northern Rhodesia. In 1964, Zambia was granted independence from Great Britain.

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Dung beetle - There are over 35,000 species of dung beetles belonging to the super family Scarabaeoidea. Dung beetles are divided into three groups: dwellers, rollers, and tunnelers. The dwellers live within the dung heaps they find. The rollers shape dung into balls and roll them to secure sites to use as a food source or brooding chamber. The tunnelers will bury dung where they find it, using it as a food source and brooding chamber. Dung beetles perform an important agricultural role by recycling animal waste.

Lilian's Lovebird - Zambia


Agapornis Lilianae - Lilian’s lovebird is one of nine lovebirds endemic to Africa. Lovebirds are parrots of the Agapornis genus and are named for their strong monogamous pair bonding. A typical Lilian’s lovebird attains a height of 13 centimeters, making it the smallest African parrot. It feeds primarily on the seeds of grass, millet, wild rice, and flowers. Lilian’s lovebird is under threat through habitat loss. The current population is estimated to being less than 20,000 individuals.

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The Zambezi River forms in the marshy dambos of Central Zambia and stretches for 2,574 kilometers; a dambo is a local term describing an area of shallow wetlands. The Zambezi River is the 4th longest river in Africa and the largest river emptying into the Indian Ocean. Victoria Falls, known as Mosi-oa-Tunya locally, marks the end of the upper river and beginning of the middle river. Two large dams, the Kariba and Cahora Bassa, have significantly reduced the size of the Zambezi Delta.