13Nov 2024 by safarisense No Comments
The Nile Monitor Lizard: East Africa’s Water Dragon

The Nile Monitor Lizard: East Africa’s Water Dragon

Conservation, Maasai Mara, Wildlife Safari
Image | Ernest Nyamasyo The Nile monitor lizard (Varanus niloticus) is a formidable and fascinating reptile indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa. This impressive creature can reach lengths of up to 7 feet, with males typically larger and heavier than females. Males can weigh between 44 to 55 pounds, while females are slightly smaller, averaging around 33 to 44 pounds. With a lifespan extending up to 20 years in the wild, these lizards are a testament to the resilience and adaptability of reptilian life. East Africa is home to a variety of monitor lizard species, each with unique characteristics. Apart from the Nile monitor, the region hosts the savannah monitor (Varanus exanthematicus) and the rock monitor (Varanus albigularis). The savannah monitor, smaller and more robust, is often found in drier areas, distinguished…
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11Apr 2021 by safarisense
Book of The Month: Theodore Roosevelt’s African Game Trails

Book of The Month: Theodore Roosevelt’s African Game Trails

Conservation, Excursion, Game drive, History, Holiday, Maasai Mara, Nakuru, Samburu, Wildlife Safari
It was a wild sight; the ring of spearmen, intent, silent, bent on blood, and in the centre, the great man-killing beast, his thunderous wrath growing ever more dangerous. At last the tense ring was complete, and the spearmen rose and closed in. The lion looked quickly from side to side, saw where the line was thinnest, and charged at his topmost speed. The crowded moment began. With shields held steady, and quivering spears poised, the men in front braced themselves for the rush and the shock; and from either hand the warriors sprang forward to take their foe in flank. Bounding ahead of his fellows; the leader reached throwing distance, the long spear flickered and plunged; as the lion felt the wound he half turned, and then flung himself…
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