When out and about in the Kruger National Park, even in winter, there’s always a chance of spying some cold-blooded creatures, many of them extremely dangerous to humans!
Puff adder, poised to strike
Puff adder, poised to strike
Medium-sized African Rock Python seen at Middelvlei, between Letaba and Mopani
Medium-sized African Rock Python seen at Middelvlei, between Letaba and Mopani
Nle crocodile slipping into the water
Young Nile Crocodile basking next to a small pool
Big adult Nile Crocodiles sharing a piece of shoreline
Basking Nile Crocodile
Armoured ground crickets abound in the mopaneveld in the north of the Park
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Die pofadder is maar n aaklige slang as mens so kan sê. Ek het op kleinhoewe buit Pta grootgeword en ons het gereeld pofadders daar gekry. Hul het huistoe gekom om weg te kruip-selfs in die huis gekom. Daar was ook rinkhalse. My gedagtes het darem nou ver teruggegaan met die creepy crawlies.
Slange in die huis is omtrent grillerig! My Ouma-hulle het naby Bethal geboer en ek onthou ook gereelde besoeke van rinkhalse daar by hulle.
Dis maar nie lekker nie. Hul moes ook maar meestal dood gemak word. Dan was daar die moontlikheid van n metgesel wat ook verby kom.
Ek het al baie gehoor mense se hulle kom in pare – was dit jul ervaring, Ineke?
Beslis waar en dis of hul weet die eerste een het langs daardie pad gekom. Hul volg seker maar die reuk/aanvoeling van mekaar.
Ek bly maar uit hulle pad uit!
Ek dink dis die heel beste raad, Tina!
Great photos of these creepy-crawlies, Dries. The Cricket is the scariest for me…..I think. 😆
I agree with you entirely, Sylvia – those “crickets” really gives me the heebie-geebies!
😳
I can count my snake sightings in Kruger over 40 years or so on one hand – seeing two in one trip is really special!
We were especially surprised considering that it is winter, as eventhough the Lowveld days are quite balmy the nights and early mornings were freezing!
Van die klomp is die kriek vir my die grillerigste en die pofadder die gevaarlikste!Besonders om ‘n luislang te sien.Mooi foto’s,Dries.
Baie dankie Dina!
Ek dink nogtans sou ek meer tekere gaan as die kriek op my klim as die adder…
Dit was maar die 4de wilde luislang wat ons al ooit gesien het, so ons was baie in ons noppies!
Dis voorwaar besonders en maak my ook opgewonde!
Ever see those cartoons of people running in the air?? That’s what my hubby does when he see’s a Gardner snake!! they are totally harmless and only grow to about 1 ft! He was at a ball game once watching a game and someone crept up behind him and dangled a poor little Gardner snake in his face….Well I won’t say what happened next but the guy really regretted it!! He says it’s his Irish heritage that makes him terrified of them! (the soil is too acidic for snakes there!) Good excuse….Not!! But I guess we all have our phobia’s! mine’s spiders and moth’s!!
Great creepy photo’s!!
Thanks for sharing the smile, Teresa!
I have to admit that I do appreciate snakes for being awesome creatures, but I won’t venture too close to one on purpose either!
Excellent captures! An armoured cricket? Yikes
Thanks Sue. I think I’d rather have the adder slithering over me than have the armoured cricket crawl over me!
But it probably isn’t poisonous?
When attacked they squirt a bloody substance that may well be toxic, and at the very least tastes bad enough that nothing except other armoured crickets seem to eat them. They’ll also protect themselves with a painful bite!
Yikes, not a very endearing insect!
Definitely creepy!
Shivers down the spine!
You have to have eyes in the back of your head! I saw an Adder in Africa but it had met its demise and was being eaten! Great post de Wets!
Thank you Jane! Indeed, you need to be watchful and use your common sense out in the bush.
These photos had me shaking in my shoes, but they are wonderful.
Thanks Lois!
Hope you had a good telephoto lens for these shots. 🙂
janet
No kidding! That thing looks serious.
It was not amused 😀
Yup! For all except the cricket, and if he had jumped at me I probably would have screamed to high heaven!