EXCERPTS FROM: “Who am I?” “Who are We?” – Short Riddles Posed by African Animals – Series 1

Each series contains fourteen short riddles. These are posed to the young reader by six species of mammals, five bird species, two orders of insects and one group of ‘reptiles’. Each riddle is illustrated with superb images. Learn more about each species’ or group’s distinctive personality, characteristics and quirks by attempting to answer the questions “Who am I?” and “Who are We?”.

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My Name is Galago moholi – Who am I?

I am especially famous for my jumping abilities – I do not climb about in trees, I skip and jump from branch to branch, from tree to tree. That is why I have a long tail – my tail helps me to keep my balance. My tail also helps me to keep my direction while I am sailing through the air during a particularly long jump. If I have to move along the ground because the trees are growing too far apart from each other, I also jump on my back legs in long, high curves – you will never see me run along the ground.

My Name is Struthio camelus – Who am I?

My mummy and dad are the largest birds on the entire Earth. Unfortunately, they can not fly because they are so large. My mummy’s feathers are of a dull brown colour. Only the feathers on her belly and flanks are a grubby white. My mummy actually always looks dusty. My dad boasts with black feathers on his back and wings – the feathers on his belly and flanks are pure white. My dad loves to spread his wings out wide and to waggle; in this way he shows off his feather costume.

As you know, people like to tell stories about the animal kingdom. One of these stories is that I struggle to make a decision and that I would rather bury my head in the sand than to solve a problem. I can tell you now that I never do this. Why should this be so in any case? Indeed, I am very clever and nimble.

We are the Day-active Scale-winged Insects of the Order Lepidoptera – Who are We?

If we are busy clambering about on a flower while we are searching for nectar, our bodies become covered in the pollen of the flowers. Thus we are responsible for the pollination and survival of very many plant species. The flowers themselves could not survive if we would not drink their nectar. This is how we have always still collaborated with flowers – they give us nectar and we carry their pollen to another flower, but always only from one particular species of flower to the same flower kind.

My Name is Equus burchelli – Who am I?

My body is still covered in longer hairs so that I still look a little woolly. When I get older, my fur will be much shorter. My body is striped with black and white lines. If you look very carefully, you will see that there are also thin light-brown lines between the white and black stripes. From the top of my head, across the top of my neck, up to my shoulders, I carry a dense mane of long, black hairs that always stand up proudly.

I also have a long tail that is decorated with long black hairs. I use my tail constantly to keep biting flies away from my body. Humans always believed that my stripes acted as a sort of camouflage in the bushveld – however, my stripes actually confuse the flies that want to suck my blood. Therefore, these bloodsuckers plague me less than other large game animals.

My Name is Merops bullockoides – Who am I?

Now that I have chatted a lot already, you will surely also wish to know what I look like and who I am. I will describe my parents first because they are more colourful than I am; you remember that I am not yet an adult. For birds, my parents are of average size – their bodies are quite long and slender. The feathers on an adult’s back and wings are a pretty dark, green colour. The feathers on the underside of the tail or a dark blue. The feathers on the chest, as well as the neck feathers and feathers on the crown of the head, are of a light orange-brown colour.

My Name is Phacochoerus aethiopicus – Who am I?

My tail is long, thin and naked, except for a bushel of short hairs at its end. When I trot, I hold my tail straight up in the air; in this way, my family can see where I am running to between the tall grasses and shrubs. Thus my mummy will not lose her children easily in the bush. Now this is an excellent way to let each other know whereto you have disappeared. I am surprised that not more animal species have thought up this plan.

We are the Non-poisonous, Four-legged Animals with a Scaly Skin of the Order Squamata – Who are We?

Before we can begin with our riddle, we just need to clear one problem out of the way. You humans have always called us ‘reptiles’, but we have never been just one natural collection of animals. Some ‘reptiles’, as you continue to call us, are closer family of birds than they are family of the other ‘reptiles’.

It is only now that the scientists realise that they made a mistake by placing all of us together in one big group. We have no difficulty at all in welcoming the birds into our group as well – a superb and scientifically acceptable solution as well! However, the birdwatchers will have a fit when they realise that they have only ever been ‘reptile-watchers’ all of this time! Who are we now actually?

My Name is Haliaeetus vocifer – Who am I?

I also said at the beginning of this riddle that I am famous the world over. Now, this is not really me, but actually my parents. Every day my dad patrols a long stretch just along our river to make sure that no other bird will come to catch our fish there. You will be able to see my dad and mummy easily while they are perched in trees for hours on end to keep an eye out for invaders in our area. My dad also glides regularly in wide circles over his territory, or he flies just above the treetops along the banks, down-river and up-river.

My Name is Canis mesomelas – Who am I?

I am certain that you have heard a story or two about us before. Humans say all of the time that we are very intelligent, but also that we are sly and cunning. I do not like these stories at all. We are certainly very intelligent; moreover, we are very nippy. I think that there are some humans who spread these stories because they are not as smart or as nimble as we are.

My Name is Streptopelia capicola – Who am I?

It is now already a week ago that my sister and I learnt how to fly. I have to confess that I have not yet completely mastered the art of flight perfectly, but I can at least fly quite quickly and well in good, calm weather. We children still always follow our parents as they search for food – they also still share much of their food with us. There is still a lot to learn; about how to be safe in the veld and about what types of food are to be found where. I am thrilled (but also a little bit scared) that I will have to go my own way in a week or so – unlike you, I may not remain with my parents and stay dependent on them for more than three weeks.

We are the Fast-flying Hunting Insects of the Order Odonata – Who are We?

So that we can see the small prey that we hunt, and so that we do not fly into anything, we have huge, compound eyes. This means that each eye has many lenses and not just the one, as in your eyes. Therefore, we easily see any movement in the veld around us. Our eyes are so large that they take up almost the whole surface of our heads. On the other hand, we do not have a good sense of smell; our antennae, or feelers, are actually very short. We can also turn our heads because they are attached to our thoraces by a very short neck. Again, we can keep careful watch easily over the whole world around us.

We are the fast-flying, formidable hunters of the water’s edges. To see us, you have to have sharp eyes and you must keep watch very carefully. If once again you can linger for a short while at a water source like a river or dam, be on the lookout for a colourful flash that is zooming through the air very speedily. This will be one of us!

My Name is Tragelaphus strepsiceros – Who am I?

I already sport two short horns on top of my small head. My mummy always laughs; she says these are not horns yet; they are still only short spikes. I think she is a little bit jealous because she never had horns. My dad and uncles brag with the most beautiful, long, twisted horns. They look like spirals, a little bit like the corkscrew your dad uses when he is opening a bottle of wine. One day, I will also be able to show off with a pair of horns because I am a male.

My Name is Alopochen aegyptiaca – Who am I?

Almost immediately after I and my sisters and brothers had burst out of our eggs, my mummy called us to follow her to the dam. You would have been surprised to see that I could walk so soon and that I could even swim – even if I simply bobbed about on the water and shuffled my feet in order to move forward. Mummy and dad kept us safe – we stayed only in a shallow pool and we were never allowed to move far away from the banks so that crocodiles could not snatch us.

My Name is Panthera pardus – Who am I?

While you are asleep at night, I am awake and busy hunting in the pitch dark. While you are sitting in school to learn more, I lie pleasantly in a small spot of sunlight and rest. If the day becomes hot, I like to lie down on a broad tree branch and sleep. You might possibly see my tail hanging down – the rest of my body will simply have vanished amongst the patches of sunlight and the shadows falling upon the leaves.