Aardvarks

All about Aardvarks 
 Orycteropus afer

Aardvarks are just really ugly an pretty unknown so I thought why not write about this special animal on the other hand these animals became, strange enough, my favorite animals. Another reason to found out more about them.
Aardvarks live in almost all parts of Africa Southern from the Sahara.They live in dry savanna's to rain forests.  Altough they have many features that are pig-ish like the snout, and their name suggests that they are like pigs they are in no way related.  

In this picture (on the left) is a description of there main features. They've got strong claws to dig burrows. They are as long as average humans and have a sticky tongue to help extract termites (their favorite food) from termiteshills.  They are omnivore,  can be 50 to 80 kg and live about 23 years.
There claws are spades formed to dig.


Aardvarks are nocturnal. They spend the hot African  afternoon holed up in their cool underground burrows.

Aardvarks are mammals and female aardvarks give birth every year to one newborn. This newborn will stay with mama for 6 months and then move out digging its own burrow.

Aardvarks have to deal with two big challenges: There predators like lions hyena's and leopards but also hunans hunting them for their meat and teeth believed to prevent humans from illness.
The second problem is their decreasing habitat because of roads, agriculture or other human needs.

...



bronnen:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/aardvark/

http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/aardvark



Review: Scapinoballet Rotterdam; the great bean.

The Great Bean, a dance act that you will remember for a while...     

A few weeks ago I went to the theatre in Dordrecht in het Energiehuis. A cultural centre with (music)theatres and classrooms for people to practice their art (music lessons, dance lessons, painting lessons and what so ever.) Anyways, I went to the performance of The Great Bean. A performance by dance acts (Scapino Ballet.) The performance was devided in three pieces. The first was about growing older, the second was about appearing (I believe) and the third was the actual Great Bean about the early twenties. The first two performances lasted both about twenty minutes, the third was somewhat longer, about forthy five minutes. I'll tell you all about the third act:

The twenties, time of celebration after a period of war. People started to dance on happy songs and the haute couture transformed into twirling skirts above the ankles. It was a happy time. It was also the time of the fast raising entertainment branche. Films were made, bands got formed and fancy dance styles emerged. For one of the main characters in this play the world changes to fast. The creepiest clown I have ever seen. His part in entertainment is hard to keep up with. He struggles.

Although he wasn't successful in his time, here he is the star of the show. 

Sun and palm trees with sunglasses, please?

Imagine, you've got all the money in the world (metaphorically speaking), what would you do?

I think most people would include a plan for a huge, wealthy and luxurious holiday. In short; your dream vacation. to me a picture of palm trees is included although its not the only thing. 
I would love to travel around the world seeing whatever I want to. But not all in one time. I would spread it over a long time (such as my lifetime.) But the first place I would go now is probably Africa. To be precise: South Africa. I would incredibly like that because my stepbrother, who I am really admiring (he kind-off has the same interests as me), will probably soon be leaving this country to get settled there. 
He got married  two winters ago with his African wife. My stepdad and mam were there and told me all those beautiful stories about the flora and fauna but also about the people there. Those stories were intriguing to me. So when I get all the money I need, I'll go to my stepbrother with my stepdad and mom. She at least promised that next time they go to S. Africa I'll be allowed to go with them.      

But where did those palm trees go? I am sure that there are palm trees in South Africa but that's not what I meant. The idea written above is one very social dream holiday. But I've also thought of a more selfish vaca. 
Like... The Maldive or so or the island my friend is planning to buy (if she is grown-up and rich) or just an island somewhere with a tropical climate and a bright/clear sea around it. But it has to have at least a restaurant a beach bar and small wooden or bamboo-ish houses with huge doors that open to a terrace with a beautiful view to open sea. O! and maybe also some accommodations like hiking paths and a beach ball field so that when I want to do something social I at least can meet some humans. But who I'll take with me? I don't know.

'I want one bottle of Sun and palm trees with sunglasses, please?'