Okavango Photo Gallery — Page 11

Crocodiles, Pangolins, and Other Wildlife


Crocodiles

A large crocodile lies on the bank of the Boro River in the Okavango Delta.

I took this photo from my hut of a large crocodile on the opposite bank of the Boro River. It was the largest crocodile I had seen near Baboon Camp in nearly three years and put a damper on our occasional trips to the nearby swimming hole. download small


A medium-sized crocodile lies on a sandbar along the Boro River.

This fellow was on a sandbar along the Boro River about a mile south of our camp. download small


A medium-sized crocodile slides into the Boro River.

The croc was not too happy as we positioned the boat for a closer look.download small


Snakes


A black mamba snake crawls up a tree trunk.

A black mamba crawls up a knobthorn tree (Acacia nigrescens) above my hut. Camp Troop baboons often slept in this stand of trees at night. In the upper right is a Cape starling, whose alarm calls alerted me to the snake. download small


A cape starling mobs a black mamba snake crawling up a tree trunk.

The Cape starling harrasses (“mobs”) the snake. Most likely, this was the same black mamba that had recently crawled in bed with me. download small


A cape starling mobs a black mamba snake along a tree trunk.

One night, I woke to the sound of my flashlight falling from beside my pillow. As I reached for the flashlight, I hesitated — maybe it hadn’t fallen on its own. After getting up and lighting a match, I saw a 6–7 foot mamba draped over the corner of the bed. My mistake for not using the mosquito net on a cool night. (I never slept in that hut again. Nor did I sleep without a mosquito net.) download small


An adolescent male baboon jumps away from a hidden python.

A startled adolescent male baboon leaps away from a python lying in the grass (sorry I didn’t get the python in the photo). download small


A siamese cat lies next to a green snake it has killed.

Our cat Hodi brought us this mangled green snake as a gift. download small


Spiders


Ventral view of a garden orb spider in its web.

Ventral view of a garden orb spider (Argiope australis). Some spider species built webs between reeds above the floodwaters. A ride through the reeds in a dugout canoe (“makoro”) guaranteed picking up a few extra passengers. download small


Rear view of a garden orb spider in its web.

Rear view of a garden orb spider (Argiope australis). download small


Leopard Tortoise


A leopard tortoise in open grassland.

Stigmochelys pardalis. download small


Cape Pangolin


A Cape pangolin hides in the tall grass.

I encountered rare and elusive Cape pangolins three times, each time when seeing the faint rustling of grass along tire tracks as I drove past. download small


The head and shoulders of a Cape pangolin hiding in the tall grass.

Pangolins are sometimes referred to as “scaly anteaters.” download small


A Cape pangolin adopts a defensive posture.

A Cape pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) adopts a defensive posture . download small


African Civet


An African civet runs through a grassland on Chief's Island in the Okavango.

This African civet (Civettictis civetta) ran in front of us while we we driving to the top of Chief’s Island. This was my only sighting of a civet. download small


Large Birds


An African fish eagle perches along the bank of the Boro River.

While driving the boat to Xaxaba Camp, we passed this African fish eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) along the bank of the Boro River. Fish eagles were common in the Okavango, and their loud calls were ubiquitous (sometimes referred to as the voice of Africa). They belong to the same genus as the North American bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). download small


A group of wattled cranes in an open grassland.

A group of wattled cranes (Grus carunculata) out for a stroll. We sometimes saw crowned cranes and saddle-billed storks, but I failed to get any photos. download small


A red lechwe and a wattled crane in a floodplain.

Note the red lechwe antelope partially hidden in the sedges to the left of this wattled crane. download small


A group of maribou storks.

Maribou storks (Leptoptilos crumenifer). download small


A maribou stork takes flight.

Maribou stork taking flight. download small