Mon 14 Sep - Pit Bull Puppies

Pit Bull Terriers are members of the Molosser family of dogs. - this includes Staffordshirre Terriers, and Bull Terriers as well as the Pit Bull.

Pitbulls were bred for fighting bulls and a sport developed where a pit was dug, like a boxing ring. Pitbulls were thrown in the pit to fight each other. Bets were taken on the outcome of the fight.
It is essential to take a pitbull puppy to a puppy socialising class as these dogs grow up to be very strong and can be aggressive. Puppies need to learn discipline and to mix with other dogs.

Some famous Pit Bull owners include:
* Mark Twain
* Jessica Alba
* Michael J. Fox
* Alicia Silverstone
* Jessica Biel owns three Pit Bulls
* Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson have a Pit Bull named Penny Lane

Pit Bull dogs are known for their powerful and sleek bodies and a large square head.
They have rather large floppy ears, and a large nose. Their coat is normally very short, and can be practically any color.

Mon 24 Aug - Whale Sharks

Today we’ve got the largest fish to be found in the big blue – the Whale Shark!
This is one really big fish that can grow as long as 12 meters, that’s the same size as a BUS!

Fortunately for most sea dwellers, and for everyone who likes to swim in the sea, their favorite meal is plankton. They use their enormous jaws to suck up everything in the area, including plankton and any other fish that happen to be around. The whale shark then shuts his mouth, forcing excess water to filter out of his gills; everything that remains becomes the Whale Shark's dinner.

These creatures prefer warm waters and populate all tropical seas. They are known to migrate every spring to the west coast of Australia. Despite their title of Shark, they are actually docile fish and don’t mind giving a ride to other swimmers in the sea.

Mon 17 Aug - Sea Horse

Welcome to Kreature Feature where we are exploring a truly unique creature called the Sea Horse!

You can find sea horses in their natural habitat in shallow tropical waters throughout the world. These upright swimming fish can range in size from 1.5 centimeters to 35 centimeters and to be honest, they really do have horse like looks!

These fishy creatures are especially distinctive from any other creatures in the world, as they are the only species on earth where the males actually give birth to live young! Male Sea Horses are equipped with a brood pouch in the front of their stomachs. The female deposits her eggs in the brood pouch where the male fertilizes them and keeps them safe till they hatch as a fully formed miniature Sea Horses.

They are not the best swimmers because of their interesting body shape; they can become exhausted quite easily and get caught in some nasty stormy sea currents! They move around using a small fin on their back that flutters up to 35 times per second and then even smaller pectoral fins on the back of their heads are used for steering.

When it comes to meal time, the Sea Horse will look for plankton and small crustaceans that drift by, but don’t under estimate these little creatures, they can put it away, they’ve been known to eat up to 3000 shrimp a day!

Mon 10 Aug - Chilean Rose Tarantula

The Chilean Rose Tarantula is originally from the northern Atacama Desert in South America.

The Atacama is known as one of the harshest environments on the planet. There are parts of it that have never had rain in recorded history! In the wild, these tarantulas get their of water from the food they eat and the fogs that drift in from the Pacific Ocean. These spiders eat crickets, other large insects, and an occasional baby mouse. These are very popular spiders to keep as pets, because they are hardy, can handle all sorts of conditions, and are quite friendly. They are usually active in the evening or night since they are nocturnal. This means that you must never leave your spider's home in the sunlight.
However, it is important to make sure that the tarantula can easily tell the difference between day and night or its body clock will become confused, and it won't know when to eat.

Why do some people like to keep spiders as pets?
They're pretty hard to cuddle, and you can't take them for walks, or put bows in their hair! Some people who choose to keep spiders like the idea of having an unusual pet. Also, it is often the case that someone that is frightened of spiders will buy one in the hopes that by facing their fears they may learn to overcome them.

What would make you keep a spider as a pet?

Mon 3 Aug: The Turtle

Today, we’re looking at a member of the reptile family, one that dates back 215 million years ago and there are over 300 different species! Have I got you stumped? It’s the Turtle!

The Turtle is a cold-blooded creature that may live in the ocean but breaths air. They can stay under water for up to 35 minutes, which is a really long time! Turtles are thought to have exceptional night vision, but a poor speed of movement to get away from predators, but then again that is why they wear such large and hard shells. They also have rigid beaks to cut and chew their food. The carnivorous turtles usually have knife sharp beaks to cut through their prey, including their favorite food the jellyfish. There are also herbivorous turtles that have serrated edges to their beaks to use for cutting through various plants.

These creatures are an endangered species, but they survived the dinosaurs and I’m sure with our help they can survive everything else!

Mon 27 Jul: Kreature Feature - Soles

*Hi everyone, I’m Nick reporting from the tip of Africa, Cape Town of course!
*We are here at the Two Oceans Aquarium, where we are going to learn all about the magical fish called the Sole!

*You may have seen this creature listed on the menu, but we’re looking at it while it’s still in the water!
*They are extremely flat fish that can be found at the bottom of the ocean hidden beneath the sand.
*The reason it can lie so flat is because both eyes are located on the right side of its body, so they lie on their left side and their sandy coloured bodies blend in with the ocean floor, and its eyes keep a lookout on its surrounding for predators!

*The sole can be found in temperate and tropical oceans all over the world, but there are 13 known species living in Southern African waters!
* The Sole gets its name from Solea which means sandal or sole of the foot, because of its flat shape.

*Now that is what I call a Kreature Feature, I hope all you guys enjoyed it because there is a new one every week for you to learn about!

*I’m wrapping it up here and I hope to see you all again soon. I’m Nick in Cape Town, bye everyone!

Mon 20 Jul: Kreature Feature – Samango Monkey

Hello to all you Kreature lovers! It’s Kreature Feature time in Durban with me, Daniel, where I’m going to tell you all I know about the Samango Monkey!
If you think you have seen one, check to see if they have a creamy white belly and throat, dark grey to black head and shoulders and a tail that is a third longer than it’s body.
The Samango Monkey can vary in size, the males could weigh anywhere between 7-9kg and the females tend to be smaller between 4-5kg. Another difference on the males is their muzzles; they are more protruded to accommodate larger teeth.

The Samango Monkey loves different kinds of foods including fruits, insects, flowers and leaves.
They can be found locally in the deciduous sand forests of northern KwaZulu Natal and have been known to live in the Eastern Cape as well, but is said to be another breed.
That’s it for this week's Kreature Feature, see you all back in Durban soon. Bye.

Mon 13 Jul: Kreature Feature – Dolphins

*They’re the most intelligent and charismatic stars of the ocean and many aquarium shows.
*If you have not guessed which creatures we’re looking at today, it’s the Dolphin!
*In the wild these sleek swimmers can reach speeds of over 30 kilometers an hour.
*We get to see them often in the sea, as they need surface to breath, quite often actually, up to 2 or 3 times a minute.
*The Dolphin is the friendliest creature you could meet, it has a natural curve to its mouth that gives the appearance of a permanent smile!
*They’re also the most sociable; they travel in large social groups and communicate to each other using a complex system of squeaks and whistles!
*When it’s feeding time these mammals target bottom dwelling fish, but they also love shrimp and squid!
*Here are some fun facts for you: in the wild the Dolphin can live up to 45 – 50 years old.
*These creatures love to swim and play and have been known to jump as high as 4.9 meters out of the water!
*Hope you enjoyed the Kreature Feature with me Daniel in Durban, but now it’s out of the water and back to the studio.

Mon 6 Jul: Kreature Feature - Starfish / Sea Star

It’s Kreature Feature time here in Cape Town! I’m Nick reporting from the Two Oceans Aquarium, and we’re looking at the Star Fish today!

The funny thing is that this creature is not even a fish! It’s actually an echinoderm, but they are trying to replace this creatures name to Sea Star, but I’m sure it’ll take a while to stick.

*There are over 2000 species of Sea Star living in the world oceans, from tropical habitats to the cold sea floor.
*The five arm varieties are the most common, but species with 10 – 40 arms exist too!
*These creatures are actually famous for their ability to re-grow limbs, even entire bodies!
*They are able to do this by keeping all their vital organs in their arms so that all they need is one arm to grow back!
*Sea Stars have a very rough skin, which protects them from most predators and many wear striking colours that camouflage them.

*Most Sea stars also have the unique ability to consume prey outside their bodies.
*They use tiny suction cupped feet to pry open clams or oysters, and their stomach emerges from their mouth and then the stomach envelopes the prey to digest it!
*Sounds totally crazy, but it’s probably totally normal to them!
*That is calling it a day on Kreature Feature, I’m Nick reporting from Cape Town, back to the studio!

Mon 22 Jun: Kreature Feature – Jelly Fish

They’re the drifters of the Ocean that inspired science fiction movie makers to create the designs of alien space ships!
Welcome to Kreature Feature, if you have not guessed already, we’ve got the Jelly Fish to check out today!
We mainly see these creatures on the beach when they look like lumps of transparent goo washed up on our beeches.
When they’re in the water it’s a different story.
Jellies in motion are graceful to watch in their tranquil environment, they move with little effort and look like they’re drifting, but in fact they are swimming, by contracting muscles that are situated on the rim of the umbrella shape of their bodies.
The movement looks like an umbrella being opened and closed VERY SLOWLY!

They have a simple body structure with only two layers that contain a jell-like substance that keeps them afloat.
They are bell shaped with long tendrils that float around them in the water.
A unique feature of the Jelly Fish that we try to keep away from, is their highly specialized stinging cells, which are situated on the tentacles.
When the cells come in contact with their victim the effect is immediate and paralyses them!
They feed on all kinds of marine animals ranging from microscopic plankton to larger fish, sometimes even other jellies!

Hope you found that as fascinating as I did, and I’ll see you again soon for another Kreature Feature in Cape Town! BYE!

Mon 15 Jun: Kreature Feature - Honeycomb Moray Eel

It’s Kreature Feature time with me Nick in Cape Town! I’m here at the Two Oceans Aquarium and they have a Honeycomb Moray Eel for us to check out!

Many people may be a little scared of this creature because it looks so much like a snake, but don’t worry because they are not snakes at all!
They are fishes that live in caves or hidey holes in the sea.
They don’t get out much as they prefer the quiet life, but do pop out and say hello when they get hungry.
When this happens they go in search for small fish and octopus, but sometimes they will catch prey that is too large to be swallowed!
But the eel won’t just give up there – it will clamp its jaws onto the prey, knot its tail and move the knot towards its head.
The knot is then pushed against the prey while the head is pulled back through the knot, enabling the eel to rip off a bit-size piece of prey! Talk about getting tied up in knots!

These Honeycomb Moray Eels that we are looking at were collected off the south coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The saying ‘slippery as an eel’ is very true - when they tried to collect these Honeycomb Moray Eels, it took lots of patience and time to transfer them from the sea to the aquarium.
Eels are not aggressive creatures – but they will bite to defend themselves if you get too close to them. Like all animals, we need to respect them in their own territories.
We gotta go, but we’ll see ya again soon for another Kreature Feature in Cape Town!

Mon 8 Jun: Argentine Tegu Lizard

* Our little friend comes all the way from the tropical rain forests of South America today!
* The Argentine Tegu is part of the reptile family and is one of the largest lizards around, they can grow up to 1.2 meters!
* They are normally green in colour but their skin fades to a black and white colour as it grows older.
* The Argentine Tegu makes a great pet for your home, as they become very attached to their owners and become very relaxed as they get older.
* Because of it's tropical habitat, they prefer warmer climates, and if kept in captivity their homes must be kept at a regular temperature of 21 degrees Celsius.
* They also LOVE to burrow with their strong claws when looking for their favorite foods, so again, if you're planning to keep it as a pet make sure they have tons of mulch for them to dig, and a lots of fresh water for them to soak in!
* This Tegu is primarily a carnivore but it is good for them to incorporate fresh fruit and vegetables into their diets as they mature.
* Their diet should mainly consist of large insects, raw meat such as chicken or turkey, and eggs. Tegus are prone to obesity and will happily over-eat if allowed.
* In the wild they are used to eating as much as they can, because they store the food and hibernate during the autumn season.
* These creatures do have a jealous streak, and are known to become very defensive during feeding time and when females have new borns to protect.
* That is it for today's Kreature Feature. We're going to let our little friend out, while we check out the line up sandwich for tomorrow!

Mon 1 June: Manta Rays

It’s time for another Kreature Feature with me, Daniel in Durban!
It’s the largest of the rays known to grow up to 7.6 meters across, and can weigh up to 2 300 KG, it’s the Manta Ray.
This big fish loves the tropical warm waters of the world and likes to hang out around coral reefs.
They frequent the reef-side as if it’s a cleaning station, where small fish like the angelfish, swim in the manta’s gills and over its skin to feed, in the process cleaning it of parasites and removing dead skin. It’s like going to the car wash, but better!
Manta Rays feed on plankton, fish larvae and other small creatures that happen to pass through their gills as they swim.
These creatures are very curious around humans and are fond of swimming around scuba divers.
If you swim with one of these, try not to touch them, if touched you removed their mucus membrane, which will make them more vulnerable to infection.
We wouldn’t’ want that! That’s it for today, so I’ve got to say goodbye creature lovers, see ya all again soon.


Mon 25 May - Kreature Feature: Senegal Parrot

* The Senegal Parrot comes from west Africa, but because it is such a friendly, colourful fellow, they are often kept as pets all over the world.
* In the wild, they live in woodlands and on the edges of the savannah, and feed on seeds, fruit and grain.
* They are a often considered a pest by local farmers, because of the raiding trips they make to fields of mielies, and the fact that they like to steal peanuts that have been laid out to dry in the sun.
* Wild Senegal Parrots nest in hollow trees.
* Because they are such friendly birds, and are really good at mimicking human speech, they have been popular as pets for decades, and at one time, they actually had to ban their export from Africa, as too many were being taken out of their natural habitats.
* Nowadays, the ones kept as pets are hand reared, which means that west Africa's wild Senegal Parrot population can be left in peace.
* If you are considering one of these lovely birds as a pet, they will need a varied diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts, and high quality pellets.
* They also have to have exercise - needing at least one hour a day to play outside of their cages.
* Apparently, they love to climb and can be quite the little acrobats, so many Senegalese appreciate a variety of swings, ladder, and other toys to explore.
* They are very easy to train if you have patience and a love for working with birds.
* As far as their mimicking ability goes, they will learn to talk and imitate sounds such as the creak of the garage door, the ping of the microwave, the ring of the telephone which sounds quite entertaining, if a little confusing at times!

Mon 18 May: Kreature Feature

Butterfly Fish

Hello again everyone, nice to see you all back in Durban for another Kreature Feature!

Today we’re learning more about the Butterfly fish, which is unmistakable with it’s array of colours and patterns that catches the eye, and is found quite easily on many reefs throughout the world.

There are 114 different species off butterfly fish, so not all of them are bright and cheerful, some are dull with intricate patterns.

Many have dark bands across their eyes and eye-like dots on their flanks to confuse predators as to which end of the fish to strike and in which direction they’re likely to flee.

They have thin disk shaped bodies, which is about the size of a teacup, and they spend their days tirelessly pecking at coral and rock formations with their long snouts.

Butterfly fish love to eat worms and other small creatures they can find, and travel in small schools until they find their partner, with whom they mate for life! How romantic! I’m Daniel ending off this story on Kreature Feature!

Bye! Mon 4 May - Kreature Feature:

Albino Burmese Python
The Burmese Python is the largest subspecies of the Indian Python and one of the 6 largest snakes in the world.
It is native to rain forest areas of Southeast Asia.

The Burmese python is one of the largest snakes, on average growing up to 5.5 metres and weighing up to 71 kilograms. It continues to grow throughout life and the great length is due to the presence of a large number of vertebrae. Females are usually larger than males.
A Burmese Python at Serpent Safari Park in Gurnee, Illinois, USA was billed as the heaviest living snake in captivity. It weighed 183 kilograms at a length of 8.2 metres!
Albino Burmese Pythons start out life as bright orange and yellow on a white background color. As they mature, they become a pastel yellow color.
Because of their gentle natures, they are often kept as pets - but that means you have to keep them fed with a steady supply of live mice!
The snake uses its sharp backward-pointing teeth to seize its prey, then wraps its body around the prey at the same time contracting its muscles, killing the prey by constriction.
T They are not poisonous
The albino form of the Burmese Python is especially popular due to it's butterscotch yellow colouring.
Albino animals lack certain pigments in their skin, causing them to be lighter in colour to the original creature.

Mon 27th April - The Grizzly Bear:

* Hi folks! We're about to introduce this week's furry beast - The Grizzly Bear!
* There are no Grizzlies in South Africa, in fact, they only live in the colder forested areas of North America.
* The name 'grizzly' comes from the colour of their fur, which is shaggy and brown, with white tips, also known as grizzled tips.
* Grizzlies are enormous bears, weighing up to 800 kilograms, and if they stand on their hind legs, they can be as tall as two grown men standing on top of each other.
* They have huge teeth, and massive claws on their paws, and are so strong that they can kill a human with one swipe of their paws.
* Despite the fact that are such powerful, top-of-the-food-chain predators, most of their diet consists of nuts, berries, fruit, leaves, and roots!
* They also do eat animals, from tiny rodents to giant moose.
* This bear doesn't see very well. Smelling is what he does the best, and his super sensitive nose can detect food from miles away.
* Grizzlies like to live in dens or caves, and will hibernate throughout the whole of winter, snoozing through the snowy times, and surviving off the stored fat that they have built up from their Summer foraging.
* For such a big animal, these bears are surprisingly fast runners too.
* Grizzlies are most dangerous to humans in the wild, if they get surprised, or if someone comes between a mother and her cubs.

Monday 20 April - The Pelican:

* Pelicans live near water, on coasts, beaches and bays, and fly around searching for fish swimming below the surface of the water.
* Once they spot their lunch, they dive down from a great height, and plunge headfirst into the water.
* The bird then scoops up fish into the expandable pouch beneath its bill.
* Once the water has drained out of the pouch, the pelican throws its head back and swallows.
* And that's how they get their food.
* Many pelicans fish by in groups that all work together, driving fish into the shallow water where they'll be easier to catch by forming a line and beating their wings on the surface.
* When fish swim into the shallows, the pelicans simply scoop them up.
* Pelicans do not store fish in their beak pouch, but simply use it to catch them.
* To give you an idea of how elastic these bills can be, the American white pelican can hold up to 11.5 litres of water in its bill.
* Pelicans are found on many of the world's coastlines and also along lakes and rivers, and they like to live in large groups.

Monday 13 April - The Alligator:

* Today we're meeting a rather toothy creature - the alligator.
* Let's start off by giving you the lowdown on the difference between alligators and crocodiles, because at first glance, they look very alike.
* But the best way to tell them apart is the shape of their snouts: alligators have broad, U-shaped snouts whereas crocodiles have narrower, V-shaped snouts.
* The alligator is actually a living fossil, a throwback to the time of dinosaurs.
* Alligators have hardly changed over the last 65 million years.
* Alligators like to live in freshwater lakes, marshes and swamps, where they can be seen floating half in and half out of the water, waiting for a meal to come by.
* They eat fish, turtles, snakes and small rodents, which they snap up and devour whole.
* They can also catch larger prey, like fully grown wild boars or even antelope! These are are dragged below the water's surface and held in a vise like grip until they drown, then are devoured piece by piece.
* Alligators lay eggs in a nest, which they build out of mud and bits of grass and leaves.
* Baby alligators have a special tooth on the edge of their snout to help them break out of their egg shells. This disappears as they get older.
* Here's a freaky alligator fact: their tongues are completely attached to their lower jaws, which means that they have to throw their heads back to swallow prey - letting gravity help the food go down.

Monday 6 April - Scarlet Ibis:

* This astonishing red bird comes from the tropical rain forests of South America.
* They eat insects, fish, meat, seeds, and fruits, but like the flamingo, the colour of their feathers comes from the pigments in the bodies of the shrimp that they're crazy about.
* The bright red colour intensifies as the bird gets older, because it has had more time to munch down on shrimp.
* The Scarlet Ibis has a long curved beak which is used to probe for food in mud and shallow water, guided mostly by touch.
* The bird also uses its long beak in a process called preening to clean and smooth its feathers.
* The males perform courtship displays (attention-getting movements or songs) to attract a mate.
* Ibises are family birds, nesting in large breeding colonies.
* The young are first featherless, and then a dark brownish color, which slowly changes to the red of their parents as they age.
* Ibises are an ancient species with fossil records going back 60 million years.
* The scarlet ibis is the national bird of Trinidad and Tobago.

Monday 30th March - Rhinoceros:

* Today we're going to be looking at a fascinating African animal - the Rhino.
* First up, you've probably heard the names for the two different rhino species, the black rhino and the white rhino... but seeing as these guys are all coloured grey, these names are a bit of a mystery.
* The reason for the names all starts with case of 'lost in translation'... the early Dutch settlers called one of the rhino's 'weit' meaning wide, because it had a wide, square mouth as opposed to the other kind of rhino.
* When the English settlers heard the word 'weit' they thought it was white, and so decided to call the other kind of rhino the black rhino.
* The white rhino uses its wide square mouth to graze on grass, and the black rhino uses it's pointed lip to pick leaves off trees.
* both are herbivores, meaning they eat only plant stuff.
* Rhinos are solitary creatures and are very defensive of their territories. They use their horns not only in battles for territory but also to defend themselves from lions, tigers and hyenas.
* Each rhino has two horns made from keratin, which is the same protein that makes up human hair and nails... these horns are the reason that the black rhino is almost extinct - people have hunted rhinos for these horns believing that they have medicinal powers.
* But seeing as the horn is just like a big toe-nail, it's all pointless!
* Luckily, conservationists are working very hard to protect these endangered animals, and to track down and stop the rhino poachers.
* Rhinos are seldom seen without their bird friends, the oxpeckers - these birds ride on the rhinos back and pick off the ticks, they also warn the rhino of danger by making a noise.

Monday 23rd March - Cheetah

* It's Kreature Feature time, here on KTV, and today's featured creature is a great big cat.
* Yup, the cheetah is known for being the fastest animal on the planet, able to go from 0 to 96 kilometers an hour in only three seconds!
* That's faster than almost any car, even the Ferarris.
* this super-speedy cat is a one of South Africa's endangered animals, and they are now a protected species.
* they are naturally found in savanna grassland, where they hunt their prey by stalking it slowly, and then finally chasing it down in a mad sprint.
* So, how do you identify a cheetah? Firstly, it has 2 stripes on its face - one stripe running from the corner of each eye down its cheek to its mouth.
* Also, unlike any other cat, the cheetah can't pull in its claws. They use these claws to help them run raster, and turn quicker, kind of like cleets on running shoes!
* Their long thick tails also help them to balance when turning corners at high speed.
* Cheetahs do not roar, but make a chirping noise like a bird, growls, hisses, and purrs.
* Although the cheetah is happiest in the wild, they have often been kept as pets because they are easy to tame because they are so gentle.
* But of course, they are dangerous animals, and should always be respected, even when they are purring!

Mon 16 March - Wildebeest:

* Hello folks! You're tuned to the K, and we're about to meet another interesting creature to feature...
* Today we are checking out the Wildebeest, which is the Afrikaans name given to an antelope called a Gnu.
* The wildebeest has a very heavy body, but skinny little legs, which give it a strange kind of graceful prancing walk.
* They live on the grassy plains and open woodlands of central, southern, and eastern Africa.
* These antelope are very social and they travel in large herds.
* The migration of the wildebeest happens each year, when the herds move north in search of greener pastures.
* This migration is considered one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth, involving up to 1.5 million wildebeests as well as hundreds of thousands of other animals, including zebra and gazelle.
* The wild wildebeest is only found in Africa, and is just one of the unique and amazing animals that share our home.

Mon 9 Mar - Kangaroo:

* Hi everyone, it's nearly the end of Monday, which means that it's time for the Kreature Feature!
* Today we're going down under to find out about that weird bounce creature from Australia, the kangaroo.
* Did you know that the kangaroo is the only large animal that uses hopping as a form of movement?
* In fact the kangaroo hops so well that it can easily hop at speeds as high as 40-45mph.
* Even though the kangaroo has such a fast and energy efficient hopping technique, it can't actually walk in the normal sense.
* Instead, it uses its huge strong tail and fore limbs to help it pivot and almost crawl if it needs only move a few steps.
* Kangaroos use their long tails for balancing as they jump.
* Their bodies are covered in thick, coarse, wooly hair that can be shades of gray, brown or red.
* Kangaroos are marsupials, which means that females carry newborns, or "joeys," in a pouch on the front of their tummies.
* They are large herbivores, feeding on grass and roots, and they chew cud like cows do.
* Here's a few fascinating roo facts, guys: One red kangaroo made a record breaking long-jump of almost 13 meters in just one leap!.
* A group of Kangaroos is called a mob.
* Kangaroos can't walk backwards.
* And now you know more about Kangaroos than you did a few minutes ago, which means that today's Kreature Feature has come to an end!

Mon 2 Mar - The Elephant:

* Hey guys, it's Kreature Feature time, and today we're checking out the largest land animal on earth, the African elephant.
*African elephants are slightly larger than their Asian cousins and can be identified by their larger ears that look somewhat like the continent of Africa.
* Elephant ears radiate heat to help keep these large animals cool, but sometimes the African heat is too much. And elephants will cool down by wallowing in waterholes and showering by sucking water into their trunks and spraying it all over themselves.
* Afterwards, they often spray their skin with a coating of dust to protect them against the sun's rays.
* Elephants also have very thick skin to help with the heat and the sun.
* An elephant's trunk is actually a long nose used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking, and grabbing things—especially food.
* The trunk contains about 100,000 different muscles! That's one muscly nose...
* Both male and female African elephants have tusks they use to dig for food and water and strip bark from trees. Males also use the tusks to battle one another.
* Elephants eat roots, grasses, fruit, and bark in huge amounts, an adult elephant can chomp up to 136 kilograms of food in a single day.
* They are very social animals, and form very close family bonds with a big female as the leader of the herd.
* They are also really smart and have long memories, this helps the herd leader to guide her family to watering holes that they remember from the past.
* Recent discoveries have shown that elephants can communicate over long distances by producing a sub-sonic rumble that can travel over the ground faster than sound through air! Cool.
* The other elephants pick up the messages through the sensitive skin on their feet and trunks.

Mon 23 Feb - The Flamingo:

* Hi guys, it's Kreature Feature time again.
* Seeing as this is the last week of Feb, the month of love, we might as well do a bird that fits into the love colour scheme, the flamingo!
* Yup, flamingoes are known for their amazing pink feathers, but what else is cool about these birds?
* Firstly, these pink creatures are not small birds, they can reach up to 1.5 meters in height.
* They are very sociable, living in large flocks to protect themselves from predators.
The reason for their pinkish colour, is actually the food they eat! Flamingos feed on shrimp-like creatures which are high in carotene, this makes the birds pink.
* If they live in captivity, they will only be a pale yellowish colour unless they get carotene supplements in their diet.
* Their bent bills allow them to feed on small organisms—plankton, tiny fish, fly larvae, and stuff.
* In muddy flats or shallow water, they use their long legs and webbed feet to stir up the bottom. They then bury their bills, or even their entire heads, and suck up both mud and water to access the tasty morsels within.
* They draw water into their beak, then force it out with their tounge trapping the food particles on tiny hairs in their beaks.
* They're big eaters, managing to filter as many as 20 beakfuls of algae-rich water in a single second.
* An adult flamingo’s legs are longer than its body.
* Here's a quick weird fact: The flamingo's eye is LARGER than its brain!!

Mon 16 Feb - The Eel:

* Hello Kreature fans! We've got another animal for you today, only this one is not so cuddly...
* He's a bit slippery, to be exact; today's featured Kreature is an eel
* Despite their snake-like looks, eels are actually fish
* They elongated fish that can range in length from 5 centimeters, to 4 meters long depending on the species.
* Eels can be found in freshwater as well as salt water.
* And they have over 100 vertebrae in their spines, which makes them very flexible.
* Eels hatch from eggs into a small larva which changes over time to become an adult eel.
* Many eels migrate over long distances to breed and to eat.
* Most kinds of eels prefer to live in shallow waters or hide at the bottom layer of the ocean, sometimes in holes called eel pits.
* Here's an interesting eel fact, guys, just listen to this: despite being eaten

Mon 9 Feb - The Tiger:

* Hey all, today's featured Kreature is a tiger! These stripy wild cats are the largest cats on the planet, and sadly, they are a very endangered species…
* They come from the jungles of India and Asia, but they are dying out due to the destruction of the jungle habitats, and hunting.
* Here's a snippet of tiger info: Most tigers have more than 100 stripes, and no two tigers have identical stripes! Just like our fingerprints, their stripes make each one unique.
* Although a Tiger's stripes look colorful and bold, they actually help the animal hide, because the stripes blend in with the tall plants in its environment.
* These great hunters feed on antelope and other plant eating animals, and they use their sharp claws and massive teeth to bring their prey down.
* They are most active at night, preferring to snooze in the shade during the heat of the day.
* Unlike most other cats, tigers love water and swimming, and often take dips in the river to cool down!
* Here's a random fact or two: a tiger's roar is so loud that it can be heard over 2 kilometers away...
* And a group of tigers is called a 'streak' - very suitable considering their patterned coats.

Mon 2 Feb - The Terrapin:

* Hey guys, we're about to do a creature feature on the terrapin, but before we dive into it, there's something we just want to clear up…
* Tortoises, terrapins and turtles are all reptiles with a shell on their backs...
* So what's the difference? Well, tortoises live on land, and turtles and terrapins live in water.
* And the difference between terrapins and turtles... well a terrapin is a turtle that lives in fresh, non salty water. * Ok, so here are some terrapin facts...
* Obviously, they have a shell on their backs called a carapace
* This is actually an extension of the reptile's ribs!
* Which means that it's made from a kind of bone.
* This means that a terrapin or turtle can not crawl out of its shell.
* But they can pull their head and legs inside their hard shells if danger is approaching.
* Terrapins and turtles have webbed hind feet for swimming.
* Which means that they can swim in water, and walk on land, and if there's a drought and things are really dry, they often stay buried in mud or soil to survive.
* They eat insects, fish, tadpoles, crabs, frogs, birds and plants, so that's pretty much anything!
* The earliest known turtles date from 215 million years ago, making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups and a more ancient group than lizards and snakes.
* And that wraps up today's Kreature feature, guys!

Mon 26 Jan - The Springbok

* This animal has a special place in every South African's heart, it's the Springbok!
* These guys are small antelopes that are reddish brown in colour with a pale underside.
* On each of their flanks they have a dark brown stripe, but the most distinctive feature is a pocket-like skin flap that runs from the middle of their back to their tail. When they are excited or frightened they can lift this flap which makes the white hairs underneath stand up in a crest that acts as a warning to other Springbok.
* Springbok get their name from their amazing ability to jump, they can leap up to 4 meters in the air!
* This activity is known as pronking.
* Scientists are still not completely sure why Springboks do this, but they seem to do it to show predators that they have been spotted.
* These little jumping buck are also really fast runners.
* Springboks are found in the grasslands and semi-arid regions of southern Africa and they feed on plants.
* They eat grass when water is available but switch to other more water rich plants, such as flowers, at times of the year when water is scarce.
* So now we know a little bit more the animal behind the famous South African symbol!

Mon 19 - The Peacock:

* Today we're checking out the peacock...
* Peacocks are large, colorful birds of a type called pheasants and they are known for their amazing tails.
* These shiny tail feathers spread out in a distinctive train that is more than 60 percent of the bird's total body length and boast colorful "eye" markings of blue, gold and red.
* These huge feathers are used to attract a mate. Only the males have these amazing tail feathers.
* Females are actually called peahens.
* Peacocks are ground-feeders that eat insects, plants, and small creatures.
* Peafowl such as the blue peacock have been admired by humans and kept as pets for thousands of years, but they are not very gentle birds, and don't mix well with others.
* In the wild, a peacock will live for about 20 years.
* Here's some interesting info, a group of peacocks is not called a flock, but a 'party'!
* They are quite large birds, especially when adding in the length of a 1 and a half meter tail, and a male peafowl is one of the largest flying birds around.

Mon 1 Dec - The Salamander:

* Hey guys, today's featured creature is the salamander.
* Now these little guys might look like lizards, but in fact, they aren't even related - they are amphibians, like frogs!
* Like all amphibians, they share a few things in common with their frog and toad relatives, including moist skin and the absence of claws on their toes.
* Most salamanders lay their eggs in water. When the eggs hatch, the baby salamanders look more like tadpoles than salamanders, and are called "salamander nymphs."
* The nymphs have feathery gills that extend from the sides of their necks and help the young salamanders absorb oxygen from the water.
* As the nymphs grow, and eventually develop lungs, which allows them to move on to land where they eat a variety of small insects and other invertebrates like worms, spiders and slugs.
* You can find salamanders in damp places, in rotten logs, and under rocks and logs, and because of their fondness of moist areas, they are not naturally found in hot dry Africa.
* Here's a weird fact: salamanders breathe through their moist skin – some salamanders don't even have lungs!
* Salamanders were here way before the dinosaurs! They can be considered to be an evolutionary link between fish and reptiles.
* Salamanders need healthy natural forests in which to survive … so they can be used to help monitor our environment, if the salamander numbers go down, it's a good indication that our planet is in big pollution trouble!

Mon 8 Dec - Komodo Dragon:

* Today's creature is a dude you do NOT want to mess with! It's called a Komodo Dragon, and eventhough it's not a real dragon, it is one of the most dangerous animals around.
* The Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard in the world,; the largest recorded one was over three meters long!!!
* They can run fast, but their hunting style is based mostly on stealth and power. They can spend hours in one spot, waiting for a deer, boar, goat, or anything munchable.
* They have excellent eyesight, but the Komodo uses it's awesome sense of smell to detect food.
* It uses its long, yellow forked tongue to sample the air, after which the two tongue tips retreat to the roof of the mouth, where they make contact with chemical analyzers "smell" a deer by recognizing airborne molecules.
* Komodos are not only excellent hunters, using their mighty claws and teeth to bring down an animal, but their yucky teeth are even more deadly.
* This is because rotting meat from their last meal is stored in the tooth serrations, and all sorts of bacteria thrive there.
* This makes the saliva of a Komodo highly toxic, able to cause terrible infections.
* The only animal that won't die froma Komodo bite, is another Komodo!
* Wild Komodo Dragons are only found in one part of the world, a small group of Indonesian islands, so there's no chance of running across one unexpectedly! What a relief.

Mon 15 Dec - The Lion:

* Hey guys, in today's Kreature Feature, we're going to be checking out Panthera leo, better known as the lion.
* These large African cats are the world's most social felines, living in large groups called prides.
* Lions have strong, compact bodies and powerful forelegs, teeth, and jaws for pulling down and killing prey.
* Their coats are yellow-gold, and adult males have long, dark, shaggy manes which they grow from about the age of three.
* Male lions grow larger than females, and can grow very big, even up to three meters long!
* Except for a small population that hangs on in the dry Gir Forest of northwest India, lions now live only in Africa.
* They are found in the grassy savannah, and don't like to live in the moist tropical forests of central Africa.
* The lion is listed as vulnerable on the World Conservation Union's Red List of Threatened Animals, so special care is being taken to preserve their habitats. This is why game reserves are so important.
* When it comes to supper time, lions eat primarily large animals, such as zebra and wildebeest, but when times are hard, they will go for smaller things like rodents and reptiles.
* Here's a cool fact: tigers are lions' closest relatives. Without their coats, lion and tiger bodies are so similar that only experts can tell them apart.

Mon 22 Dec - The Lynx:

* Hey guys, before we head on out of here this Monday afternoon, we're going to feature a creature...
* Today's we're looking at the Lynx.
* A lynx is a medium-sized wild cat, smaller than big cats like lions and panthers, but still much larger than the domestic kitties you have at home.
* Lynx are known for their short tails and characteristic tufts of black hair on the tips of their ears.
* Lynx that are from icy areas, have very large paws, padded for walking on snow.
* Lynx are solitary animals, active in the night time, and resting during the day in their dens, which are often found in crevices, or under rock ledges.
* Because of their night time hunting activities, they have very good eyesight and large eyes, as well as excellent hearing. * They are very shy, and it is rare to spot a lunx in the wild.
* Lynx feed on a wide range of animals from small deer, to prey such as birds, and small mammals, even sheep and goats if they can get their paws on them.
* The Lynx has often played an important role in mythology, because it is such an elusive, ghost-like animal that sees without being seen.
* In Mythology,t he Lynx are often called "the keeper of secrets of the forest", and they teache us that even the smallest can succeed in life, and that the world can unfold itself to those who stop and listen.
* Because of it's qualities of silence and watching, the Lynx has also been associated with scientists, and the search for knowledge.

Mon 29 Dec - The Seal:

* Hey guys, we're back, and the last creature we're going to feature in 2008 is the seal!
* Seals are animals that live both in the sea and on land, hunting for fish in the water, and sleeping and looking after their young on the rocks or the beach.
* Seals have streamlined bodies for swimming, and some species have ears inside their heads, rather than outside, also to help them move through the water faster.
* Seals can dive to very deep depths and can spend a long time underwater between breaths.
* Seals feed on fish, squid, or crustaceans and they communicate by slapping the water and grunting.
* Seals are able to close their nostrils as they dive, and obtain oxygen from their blood supply while under water.
* Seals use their flippers for swimming, and also to help them move along when they are on land.
* They have very thick fur to help insulate their bodies against the cold water of the ocean, because, like all mammals, they are warm blooded creatures.
* Off the coast of Cape Town, seals are often the main food source for the famous great white sharks.

Mon 5 Jan - The Duck:

* Hey everyone, it's time to feature a creature, and today, we're going to look at ducks.
* A duck is a kind of bird, but it is specially adapted to life in and around water.
* For one thing, ducks have webbed feet to act like paddles when they swim...
* And they have a special kind of oil on their feathers that makes them waterproof.
* Beneath this waterproof layer, are soft fluffy feathers to keep the duck warm.
* These are the feathers often used in feather duvets and pillows.
* They also have no blood vessels or nerves in their feet, so they can't feel cold even in freezing water!
* For hunting and eating the duck's bill is broad and flat and this allows them to sift for insects, snails and seeds from the mud.
* Ducks also feed on grasses, water plants, fish, insects, small amphibians and worms.
* Male ducks are called drakes, females are just known as ducks, and the babies are called ducklings.
* You get different kinds of ducks all over the world, and some of them even live by the ocean.

See our older Kreature Features here.