Glen Publisher_Dainfern In Focus_Issue 0717

after tasting this substance. The sharp spines are also a
deterrent and few animals eat these crickets, although
the Kori Bustard and Bat Eared Foxes seem to like them.
NATURE NEWS
by Wim Spronk
Strange
behaviour
Recently in the Kruger National park when
everyone was looking for lions and leopards, I was
fascinated by this insect that looked like it had
come straight out of a horror movie.
Grasshopper spiked on thorn tree.
Frog spiked on barbed wire by Fiscal Shrike.
I had never seen an Armoured Ground Cricket this
colour before. Normally they are grey or light brown.
They certainly have quite an arsenal of anti predator
weapons.
Firstly they have extremely strong jaws and sharp teeth
that can draw blood on humans when bitten. If that
fails to repel a predator they release a yellow substance
that smells and tastes terrible.
I actually filmed one being attacked by a Red Tailed
Skink that grabbed it by a leg and immediately let go
Wandering around Dainfern we often come
across insects and other small animals being
“spiked” on thorns or on barbed fences . Many
years ago I was told that this was the work of the
“Butcher Bird” or “Fiscal Shrike”. It was known
as the “Shrikes Pantry” because the bird would
come back and eat it later.
While I still lived in Blairgowrie I had one of
these shrikes in my garden who used a large
aloe for this purpose. It would continually spike
small items of food i.e. beetles, pieces of cheese,
biltong, bacon, spiders and once a small wolf
snake on the thorns at the end of the aloe leaves.
NOT ONCE DID I SEE THE SHRIKE EAT ANY OF
THESE MORSELS
and I am convinced that it is merely a territorial
display warning other shrikes that, “This is my
territory, keep out and stay out!!”
IMPORTANT
Please remember to keep on reporting any interesting sightings in your garden using my email address
thespronks@telkomsa.net. I would also welcome any sightings you may have had on a recent trip.
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