Glossary

Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most populated continent. Africa has more than 900 million people that live in Africa's 53 countries. This number includes Madagascar and all the island groups. This great population accounts for 14% of the world's human population. Asia is the largest and most populated continent.

The continent of Africa is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

It is thought that the origins of human life originated in Africa, particularly central eastern Africa, where our tale takes place. Evidence of early human like mammals and their possible ancestors, the hominids, were found in this region and date back to around seven million years ago.

Map of Africa

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The earth Has many climate zones. Examples of climate zones would are the lush green forest, the dry in sandy desert, or the very cold and icy tundra.

A savanna is a transition zone between the forest and a desert or prairie.

It is a grassland with scattered trees and shrubs. Savannas have a dry tropical climate with adequate rainfall only one season of the year.

But the vegetation, the trees, grass and shrubs on a savanna, as well as all the insects and animals are drought resistant.

Drought resistant means that plants and animals living in the savanna, can go for long periods without rainfall.

The African savanna is a savanna located in Africa.

Anger is a person's emotional feeling response to a perceived threat or pain.  The expression of anger is intended to make the threat or pain go away.

To do this, animals and humans make loud sounds, bare their teeth, stare with wide open eyes, or make themselves look physically larger, for example, by waving hands around to putting hands on the hips.

These behaviors are intended to be threatening and are intended to tell the other person or animal to stop doing what they are doing and to go away now!

A grazing animal related to cows, goats, and deer.  They live in a wide range of habitats, such as woodland, forest, savannahs, grassland plains, and marshes.

Antelope typically have a light and elegant frame, slender, graceful limbs, small cloven hoofs, and a short tail. Except for the smallest species which hide in thickets or long grass, their principal defense against predators is to run and jump, skip, kneel, beg, and bop. 

Male antelope are noted for their permanent, long and elegant horns.

both of these insects have musical talents by rubbing parts of their body and making their characteristic scratchy board sound.

To come together, usually for a purpose.

A deer is a ruminanting animal. This means that it has two stomachs and digests its food in two steps.

In the first step, the deer chews up the raw material, swallows it then brings up the partially digested material, known as cud, back into his mouth and choose it again and again until it is ready to pass into the second stomach.
In the second step, the soupy cud is passed to the main stomach for digestion for its food value.

Also, male deer lose their horns every season, whereas, male Waterbuck do not lose their horns but keep them for life.

1. eat grass: the cow grazed in the pasture.

2. a slight wound to the skin: a bullet grazed his left arm

A large gathering of animals, particularly grazing animals, such as cows, sheep, dear, horses, antelope, and Waterbuck.

Other names are used to describe large gatherings of other animals. For example, a large gathering of geese is called a gaggle, a large gathering of whales is called a pod and a large gathering of birds is called a flock.

A hut is a small, inexpensive, and simply built dwelling using local construction techniques and materials.

A class of animals who:

• have a backbone
• breathe air using lungs
• regulate their own body temperature
• have hair or fur covering their skin
• Give birth to live young
• care for their young
• and who's females give milk to nourish their young.

same as new moon

A phase of the moon in its monthly orbital motion around the earth. During the new moon phase, the moon comes between the sun and the earth so the side of the moon facing the earth cannot be seen. The moon is still there, but there is no light from the sun on the side facing us, and so we cannot see it.

the animation below shows and describes the four phases of the moon. 

In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator organism feeds on another living organism or organisms known as prey.

Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them.

A lion is a predator and a Waterbuck is prey.  The lion eats the waterbuck. 

A wolf is a predator and a rabbit is prey.  The wolf eats the rabbit.

To become aware of something:

"I suddenly realized I had in my pocket."

"She realized she had been mean to her brother earlier today."

"He realized the stranger meant him no harm."

Animals and people who gather in herds or groups scatter in all directions in the presence of severe danger.

Scattering in all directions is a survival strategy. If all go in different directions, then the likelihood of every body been hurt, captured, or preyed upon is reduced.

Scattering in all directions ensures that many members of the group will survive.

To feel good about oneself.

Thinking that you are a good person who can do different things.

Knowing that you are likable.

That's because, you are a good person!

• To make a threat against someone; to use threats.

   He threatened me with a knife.

• To menace, or be dangerous

   The rocks threatened the ship's survival.

• To portend, or give a warning.

   The black clouds threatened heavy rain.

Tribesmen are people ( men, women and children) who belong to a tribe.

A tribe is a grouping of people who share a common ancestry and who share common customs and traditions which are based in a shared cultural or ethnic identity. Members of a tribe are united under a common leadership and law. Members of a tribe possess strong cultural or ethnic identity and feeling of belonging and kinship that separates oneself as a member of one tribe from the member of another.

Tribes are usually composed of indigenous people, these are the people who are considered the original inhabitants of a land before settlers came in from other lands. Tribalism is the very first social system that human beings ever lived in and it has lasted much longer than any other kind of society to date.

There are thousands of tribes on earth and most of them came long before state or federal governments. It is possible, even likely, that you have a tribal heritage.

On the African continent, there are at least 75 different tribes.

The Masai tribesmen are well-known for their tribal dance.

Masai young men having fun "Jumping".

Waterbuck

The Waterbuck is an antelope found in Western, Central, East and Southern Africa.

Waterbuck live in scrub and savanna areas near water where they eat grass. Despite its name, the waterbuck does not spend much time in the water, but will take refuge there to escape predators.

Waterbuck stand about 3 1/2 feet at the shoulder and weigh from 70 to 100 pounds. They have reddish brown coats which become progressively darker with age. They have a white 'bib' under their throats and a white ring on their rump that surrounds their tails. Both male and female have a shaggy mane around their neck.

Waterbuck live in herds of about 20, although females will occasionally gather in herds of 200 to 600. Males, during their prime, keep territories in size of about three hundred acres, which is about half of a square mile. They usually lose their territories before the age of ten.

Males have long heavily ringed horns they use to protect their territory and establish dominance among other males. Females do not have horns.

Waterbuck family
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeSD1xyMPrc

Male Waterbuck Figuring out Who's Boss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaiCjoBgij4

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In Africa, the waterhole is a low point in the ground that collects water as it runs off the surrounding land.  All the animals gather around the waterhole to drink. 

Some animals who are prey, take refuge from predators in the water.  Other animals, who are predators, hunt for food, their prey, around the waterhole.

Elephants wallow in the mud of the waterhole and when they get out of the hole they take a lot of mud along with them.  This has the benefit of deepening the waterhole so that the waterhole can hold more rainwater.

A type of inexpensive paint made with calcium hydroxide and chalk.

After the Whitewash is applied to the house, barn, fence, or whatever is being painted; the Whitewash reacts with air and becomes very hard and so creates a durable and sanitary surface.