On our walking safaris, we see things big and small. On the small scale, we see holes made by antlions. These critters are neither ants nor lions but insects that prey on other insects, particularly ants. The larvae burrow backwards down into loose sand, leaving conical pits in their wake. Here they lie in wait.
When an ant comes along, it slips on the slopes of loose sand and has difficulty escaping. From its place of hiding, the antlion emerges and flicks sand over the ant to make escape even harder. With its pincers, the antlion then grabs the hapless ant and sucks the juicy insides out of its prey.
Throughout the several stages of its life, the antlion only poops once. That’s right – just one bowel movement in its total lifespan of larva, pupa and adult! How scientists discover these odd but interesting facts never ceases to amaze me.
The mighty baobab tree
Besides seeing interesting holes in the ground, we also see interesting vegetation. My favourite is the baobab tree, the largest succulent in the world. One African legend has it that when the being that was the god at that time gave the animals plants, the hyena was given a baobab tree.
The hyena was grumpy about this choice and complained. Well, it is not good policy to complain to a god, so the god in its wrath pulled the baobab up by its roots and planted it upside down. That is why the baobab looks the way it does now.
The iconic baobabs can grow very old (up to 2500 years has been reported) and enormous. During their lifetime, their bark, seeds, flowers, fruits, fibres, leaves and roots can provide nourishment, moisture, pollen and fibre to animals and humans. Elephants gouge the trunks to obtain water from the bark and heartwood.
Baobabs can survive an amazing amount of destruction by elephants. The trees just continue to grow into weird shapes. Holes in baobab trees provide protection for animals and create reservoirs for water. They can provide room for grain storage, burials, hiding, imprisonment or even living.
