UMary Allen
Amaxoxo zizilwanyana ezihlala emanzini nasemanzini, oko kukuthi, izilwanyana ezinomqolo. Amasele, amasele kunye namasele ziintsapho ezintathu zamasele. Amasele anzima kunamasele kwaye anemilenze emifutshane yangasemva. Yiyo loo nto bengakwazi ukutsiba, kodwa bachwechwele phambili. Ulusu lwakhe lomile kwaye lineentsumpa ezibonakalayo. Oku kubavumela ukuba bakhuphe ityhefu ukuze bazikhusele kwiintshaba.
Amaxoxo afumaneka phantse kuyo yonke indawo ehlabathini. Banqongophele ngakumbi apho kubanda kakhulu. Indawo yabo yokuhlala kufuneka ibemanzi, ngoko bayawathanda amahlathi kunye neendawo ezinomgxobhozo. Kodwa baziva besekhaya kwiipaki nasezigadini. Zikwasebenza kakhulu ebusuku nangokuhlwa kuba ziphepha ilanga.
Ezona ntlobo zixhaphakileyo kumazwe ethu yixoxo eqhelekileyo, ixoxo le-natterjack, kunye nesele eliluhlaza. Isele elibelekisayo lihlala kwiindawo zaseSpain, eFransi, eSwitzerland, kwinxalenye encinane yaseJamani kodwa kungekhona eOstriya nasempuma ngakumbi.
Atya ntoni amaxoxo kwaye zeziphi iintshaba anazo?
Amaxoxo atya iintshulube, iinkumba, izigcawu, izinambuzane kunye nezinye izilwanyana ezincinci. Bamkelekile ke ezigadini. Ngaphandle kwetyhefu eluswini lwawo, amaxoxo amadala aneentshaba ezininzi: iikati, ii<em>martens, ii<em>hedgehogs, iinyoka, ii<em>herons, iintaka ezidla inyama, kunye nezinye izilwanyana ezithanda ukutya amaxoxo. I-tadpoles ikuluhlu lweentlanzi ezininzi, ngakumbi i-trout, i-perch, kunye ne-pike.
Kodwa amaxoxo asengozini nangabantu. Abaninzi bagilwa ezindleleni. Iitonela zamasele ke ngoko zakhiwe kwiindawo ezikhethekileyo. Okanye abantu bakha iingcingo ezinde ngezibatha zamaxoxo, eziziemele ezingcwatywe emhlabeni. Ebusuku amaxoxo awela apho, yaye ngentsasa elandelayo abancedisi abanobuhlobo bawathwala bawelise isitrato.
Azala njani amaxoxo?
Amaxoxo angamadoda avakala ekhala phambi kokukhwelana, afana namasele. Babonisa ukuba bakulungele ukutshata. Xa ikhwelana, inkunzi encinci ibambelela ngasemva kwemazi enkulu ngakumbi. Amaxesha amaninzi inokuthwalwa emanzini ngolu hlobo. Apho imazi izalela amaqanda ayo. Emva koko inkunzi ikhupha iiseli zayo zamadlozi. Ukuchumisa kwenzeka emanzini.
Njengamasele, amaqanda akwabizwa ngokuba yi-spawn. Amantshontsho amaxoxo ajinga kunye kwimitya njengomtya weeperile. Zinokuba ziimitha ezininzi ubude. Ebudeni benkqubo yokuzala, amaxoxo ayadada emanzini aze asongele iintambo zokuzalela kwizityalo zasemanzini. Noko ke, ixoxo eliyindoda lithandela imilenze yalo, kungoko libizwa ngokuba lilo.
IiTadpole zikhula ukusuka ekuzalweni. Zineentloko ezinkulu kunye nemisila. Ziphefumla ngeembilini zazo njengentlanzi. Kamva zikhula imilenze ngelixa umsila usiba mfutshane kwaye ekugqibeleni unyamalale ngokupheleleyo. Emva koko baya elunxwemeni njengamaxoxo akhule ngokupheleleyo baze baphefumle ngemiphunga yabo.