Theses spells and muthi work quite well, as long as the recipient is aware of them...I've seen it!
As far as I know proper traditional healers will not destroy/ringbark trees and are quite careful, but times may have changed.
Magical Maputaland
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Richprins
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Re: Magical Maputaland
Superb stuff, Klippies!
Theses spells and muthi work quite well, as long as the recipient is aware of them...I've seen it!
As far as I know proper traditional healers will not destroy/ringbark trees and are quite careful, but times may have changed.
Theses spells and muthi work quite well, as long as the recipient is aware of them...I've seen it!
As far as I know proper traditional healers will not destroy/ringbark trees and are quite careful, but times may have changed.
Please check Needs Attention pre-booking: https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=322&t=596
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Klipspringer
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Re: Magical Maputaland
The Tongaland Red Bush Squirrel
There are a number of squirrels in Southern Africa, all belonging to the family Sciuridae. The various genera include Xerus, Heliosciurus, Funisciurus and Paraxerus. The prominent species in South Africa are Xerus inauris, the Cape Ground Squirrel or South African Ground Squirrel, common in drier western parts of SA, Paraxerus cepapi, the Smith's Bush Squirrel or locally in SA called Tree Squirrel in the northern parts of South Africa, very common in the Kruger Park. And the third species is the cutest of all: Paraxerus palliatus, the rare Red Bush Squirrel of Maputaland.
Paraxerus palliatus has a red or orange ventral surface, a rufous head, a deep red tail and a skull length between 45 and 52 mm. Paraxerus cepapi ha a whitish underside, a dull grey head and its tail is not red at all. It has a shorter skull (between 29 and 45 mm). Their distribution range does not overlap. The Tongaland Red Bush Squirrel only occurs in Maputaland as far south as lake St. Lucia. The tree squirrel is absent from Maputaland.
Red Bush Squirrels prefer sry or moist evergreen forests, thick woodlands or riverine thickets. In dry conditions, they get moisture from fruits, dripping water of leaves or from water in tree holes.
They are arboreal and diurnal. They leave their shelters early in the morning and retire for the night in the early evening. They are generally solitairy, but a female may be accompanied by her young. Temporary associations af a female and a male occurs when the female is in oestrus. The main diet consists of nuts, berries, wild fruits, roots, leaf and flower buds, bark and lichens.
Their home range is between 2 and 3 ha. They focus their activity in fruit-bearing trees.
They are often seen fluffing their tails and have a variety of vocalisations, a murmuring contact call, growling and hissing under stress. Urin dribbling or anal dragging are their olfactory means of communication.
The species is perhaps in need of revision as there are large amounts of variation in size and pelage between isolated populations, and at least seven subspecies are currently recognised, some of which may represent valid species, in SA two subspecies are listed, P. p. ornatus from
Ngoye Forest and P. p. tongensis from Maputaland.
National Red List status:
P. p. ornatus Critically Endangered
P. p. tongensis Endangered
Current population trend: Declining, inferred from ongoing habitat loss in the region although there are secure forest habitats in Maputaland.
There are a number of squirrels in Southern Africa, all belonging to the family Sciuridae. The various genera include Xerus, Heliosciurus, Funisciurus and Paraxerus. The prominent species in South Africa are Xerus inauris, the Cape Ground Squirrel or South African Ground Squirrel, common in drier western parts of SA, Paraxerus cepapi, the Smith's Bush Squirrel or locally in SA called Tree Squirrel in the northern parts of South Africa, very common in the Kruger Park. And the third species is the cutest of all: Paraxerus palliatus, the rare Red Bush Squirrel of Maputaland.
Paraxerus palliatus has a red or orange ventral surface, a rufous head, a deep red tail and a skull length between 45 and 52 mm. Paraxerus cepapi ha a whitish underside, a dull grey head and its tail is not red at all. It has a shorter skull (between 29 and 45 mm). Their distribution range does not overlap. The Tongaland Red Bush Squirrel only occurs in Maputaland as far south as lake St. Lucia. The tree squirrel is absent from Maputaland.
Red Bush Squirrels prefer sry or moist evergreen forests, thick woodlands or riverine thickets. In dry conditions, they get moisture from fruits, dripping water of leaves or from water in tree holes.
They are arboreal and diurnal. They leave their shelters early in the morning and retire for the night in the early evening. They are generally solitairy, but a female may be accompanied by her young. Temporary associations af a female and a male occurs when the female is in oestrus. The main diet consists of nuts, berries, wild fruits, roots, leaf and flower buds, bark and lichens.
Their home range is between 2 and 3 ha. They focus their activity in fruit-bearing trees.
They are often seen fluffing their tails and have a variety of vocalisations, a murmuring contact call, growling and hissing under stress. Urin dribbling or anal dragging are their olfactory means of communication.
The species is perhaps in need of revision as there are large amounts of variation in size and pelage between isolated populations, and at least seven subspecies are currently recognised, some of which may represent valid species, in SA two subspecies are listed, P. p. ornatus from
Ngoye Forest and P. p. tongensis from Maputaland.
National Red List status:
P. p. ornatus Critically Endangered
P. p. tongensis Endangered
Current population trend: Declining, inferred from ongoing habitat loss in the region although there are secure forest habitats in Maputaland.
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Richprins
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Re: Magical Maputaland
Some say the squirrel has also histirically been found in far northeastern Kruger, coming in from Moz!
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Klipspringer
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Lisbeth
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Re: Magical Maputaland
Not as cute as our European red one though 
but it is very sweet and I never heard about that one 
Not much "red"; it has more or less the same colour as the normal bush squirrel.....or not
but it is very sweet and I never heard about that one Not much "red"; it has more or less the same colour as the normal bush squirrel.....or not
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
and quite histirical!! 
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Richprins
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Re: Magical Maputaland
It is just mentioned in some old lists, will try and find out!
Most were wiped out on the Moz side in the war anyway!
One can try here?
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... wANaMv6idH
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Klipspringer
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Re: Magical Maputaland
Maputaland is home to the last patches of sand forest, as you might know. And these sand forests have some special inhabitantas: You already met the Red Tongaland Squirrel. Other characteristic mammalian fauna includes Nyala (also common in places outside Maputaland), Red Duiker, Suni and two elusives: the rare Four-toed Sengi and the Yellow Golden Mole Calcochloris obtusirostris, quite a cutie, would love to see one.
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Klipspringer
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Re: Magical Maputaland
The Tiny Maputaland Suni Nesotragus moschatus zuluensis
There are two subspecies of the Suni within southern Africa: Neotragus moschatus livingstonianus from northeastern Zimbabwe northward, and Neotragus moschatus zuluensis from Maputaland, southern Mozambique and southeastern Zimbabwe.
The Suni is a woodland and thicket dwelling (especially sand forest) species on the edge of its range in Maputaland, where their southerly limit is around Lake St. Lucia. Although anecdotal reports suggest Suni presence in northeastern Kruger National Park, no recent records confirm this. You really have to get to Maputaland to see one and that is even pretty difficult. They occur in several PAs, such as Tembe Elephant Park, Ndumo Game Reserve, and in coastal areas such as sections of the iSimangaliso World Heritage Site including False Bay Park and Mkhuze Game Reserve, as well as private reserves, such as Phinda.
Suni prefer vegetation types with high undergrowth stem density for both predation evasion and access to food. In Maputaland, they occur in dry
woodland, bushveld and thickets on sand or clay soils. They display highest densities in sand forest, but also occur in sandveld woodland thickets and riparian woodlands.
They occur mostly as solitary adults, sometimes in pairs or in families consisting of a male, female and offspring. They are shy and, if disturbed, they freeze, before jumping away into the nearest thicket. They have small territories beween 0.005 and 0.046 km2
Males reach maturity at eight months; females at 12 months. Intercalving interval is approximately seven months and the generation length is four years.
Suni cannot digest cellulose properly, and feed primarily on leaves, with a preference for freshly fallen leaves, but also eat wild fruits, flowers and tips of shoots and mushrooms.
“Nhlengane” is the Zulu name for the Suni and means “why is it beautiful?”. According to Northern Maputaland folklore this came from King Shaka declaring the Suni the most beautiful animal in his forest.
TBC
There are two subspecies of the Suni within southern Africa: Neotragus moschatus livingstonianus from northeastern Zimbabwe northward, and Neotragus moschatus zuluensis from Maputaland, southern Mozambique and southeastern Zimbabwe.
The Suni is a woodland and thicket dwelling (especially sand forest) species on the edge of its range in Maputaland, where their southerly limit is around Lake St. Lucia. Although anecdotal reports suggest Suni presence in northeastern Kruger National Park, no recent records confirm this. You really have to get to Maputaland to see one and that is even pretty difficult. They occur in several PAs, such as Tembe Elephant Park, Ndumo Game Reserve, and in coastal areas such as sections of the iSimangaliso World Heritage Site including False Bay Park and Mkhuze Game Reserve, as well as private reserves, such as Phinda.
Suni prefer vegetation types with high undergrowth stem density for both predation evasion and access to food. In Maputaland, they occur in dry
woodland, bushveld and thickets on sand or clay soils. They display highest densities in sand forest, but also occur in sandveld woodland thickets and riparian woodlands.
They occur mostly as solitary adults, sometimes in pairs or in families consisting of a male, female and offspring. They are shy and, if disturbed, they freeze, before jumping away into the nearest thicket. They have small territories beween 0.005 and 0.046 km2
Males reach maturity at eight months; females at 12 months. Intercalving interval is approximately seven months and the generation length is four years.
Suni cannot digest cellulose properly, and feed primarily on leaves, with a preference for freshly fallen leaves, but also eat wild fruits, flowers and tips of shoots and mushrooms.
“Nhlengane” is the Zulu name for the Suni and means “why is it beautiful?”. According to Northern Maputaland folklore this came from King Shaka declaring the Suni the most beautiful animal in his forest.
- Tembe EP.jpg (348.93 KiB) Viewed 551 times
TBC