UMary Allen
Umbungu ocothayo licikilishe. Embindini weYurophu, sesinye sezona zirhubuluzi zixhaphakileyo. Abantu abaninzi bayayibhidanisa nenyoka: i-slow worm ayinayo imilenze kwaye umzimba ufana nenyoka. Umahluko omkhulu kukuba umsila we-slowworm unokugqabhuka ngaphandle kokuwenzakalisa.
Ngaphandle kwegama layo, umbungu ocothayo unokubona kakuhle kakhulu. Izilwanyana zimalunga neesentimitha ezingama-50 ubude. Zinezikali kumphezulu womzimba. Zenziwe ngezinto ezifana neminwe yethu okanye iimpondo zenkomo. Umbala ubomvu-mdaka kwaye ufana nobhedu.
IiSlowworms zihlala kulo lonke elaseYurophu ngaphandle kweyona ndawo isemazantsi nakumantla. Bafikelela kumphakamo oziimitha ezingama-2,400 ngaphezu komphakamo wolwandle. Zihlala kuzo zonke iindawo zokuhlala ezomileyo nezimanzi ngaphandle kwemigxobhozo kunye namanzi. Ebusika bawela kwi-torpor ebandayo, ngokuphindaphindiweyo kunye nezilwanyana ezininzi.
Ziphila njani iiblukhwe?
I-Slowworms itya kakhulu i-slugs, imisundululu, imibungu engenaboya, kodwa kunye neentethe, ooqongqothwane, iintwala, iimbovane kunye nezigcawu ezincinci. I-Slow worms ke ngoko ithandwa kakhulu ngamafama kunye nabalimi.
I-Slowworms ineentshaba ezininzi: ii-shrews, amaxoxo aqhelekileyo kunye namacikilishe adla izilwanyana ezincinci. Iinyoka ezahlukeneyo, kodwa neempungutye, iibheja, iihagu, iihagu zasendle, iimpuku, izikhova, kunye neentaka ezitya inyama ezahlukahlukeneyo zithanda ukutya iintshulube zabantu abadala. Iikati, izinja neenkukhu nazo ziyaleqa.
Kuthatha malunga neeveki ezili-12 ukusuka ekukhuleni ukuya ekuzalweni. Emva koko imazi izala amathole amalunga neshumi. Ziphantse zibe lishumi leesentimitha ubude kodwa ziseseqokobheni leqanda. Kodwa batyibilika bemka ngoko nangoko. Kufuneka baphile iminyaka emi-3-5 phambi kokuba bakhule ngokwesondo.
I-slowworms ngamanye amaxesha ibulawa ngabantu ngenxa yokoyika iinyoka. Icilikishe likhuselwe kumazwe athetha isiJamani: akunakulihlukumeza, ulibambe okanye ulibulale. Olona tshaba lwabo lwezolimo lwanamhlanje kuba lo mbungu uphulukana nendawo yawo yokuhlala ngenxa yoko. Iimbungu ezingaboniyo ezininzi nazo zifela endleleni. Noko ke, azikho sichengeni sokuphela.