Almost all terrestrial animals have some type of claw. Vertebrates like mammals, reptiles and birds have claws made from a protein called keratin, while invertebrates for example insects, spiders and mites have claw-like structures made from a combination of chitin, calcium carbonate and sclerotin. A typical claw is a curved, strong, often hard appendage at the end of a limb. Nails in humans are also made of keratin, but don’t end in a sharp or curved point. Claws have various functions such as walking, climbing, digging, catching and self-defense. Anyone who owned a cat can confirm their claws are very efficient for defense!

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (1936–2018) in front of her banishment house in Brandfort’s Majwemasweu township, c. late 1970s. (Photo: South African History Online)

The Soweto uprisings of 16 June 1976 have become firmly entrenched in South African popular memory. However, the school boycotts that happened in Mangaung (Bloemfontein) in the aftermath of the Soweto unrest are neither well-known nor well-documented. This article briefly discusses the Mangaung riots of 1976, 1977 and 1980. In addition, the article provides contextual historical information to explain the main causes of the unrest.

The tail and sting of a South African burrowing scorpion (Scorpionidae: Opistophthalmus sp.) © Jan A. Neethling 2012

Scorpions have been around for more than 420 million years. Originally aquatic, they were some of the first creatures to venture onto land and have since taken up a completely terrestrial lifestyle. They occur on every continent except Antarctica, and are most prevalent in arid regions, though many species do occur in the tropics. They are amongst the most recognizable arachnids and are characterized by an elongate body, pincer-like grasping appendages (called pedipalps), four pairs of walking legs and a tail that terminates in a sting (telson).

Every year, thousands of insects visit our gardens. While some are purely pests (such as plant lice), and others are pollinators (such as honey bees); there is a group of insects that skirt the knife’s edge between being both pests and pollinators, with the added bonus of being pretty too: Butterflies (and sometimes moths).

The age- old joke of “What do you call a fly without wings? A walk!” is to most just a typical dad-joke. But what many people don’t realise is that flies (Insect order Diptera) have quite a few species that are indeed “walks”.