Category: Agriculture- Animals (Others)
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Four-toed Hedgehog, Atelerix albiventris, oval bodied nocturnal insectivore with long snout, short limbs, and short tails, called Túrùkú oraya in Yoruba, belonging to the Erinaceidae family of placental mammals. Their body is covered in over 3,000 short spines, which are simply modified hairs made from keratin. Only this spike is exposed, offering protection against predators…
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Greater Cane Rat, Thryonomys swinderianus, also known as Grasscutter, is one of the two species of Cane Rat, a large rodent genus distinguished by its stocky body, and a large, blunt head. Because of its size, this animal, called Oya in Yoruba, is valued for food and has become popular meat in western Africa. The…
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Bay Duiker, scientific name, Cephalophus dorsalis, as a member of the Cephalophinae family, is a ruminant under the cattle group. This species, found in the southeastern-most part of Nigeria is a duiker, a family of antelopes having a compact body, relatively short legs, and strong hindquarters. The name, ducker, the Afrikaans for “diver” had been…
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Apiculture is a branch of Agriculture that is concerned with the keeping of honey bees, especially for commercial purposes. It dates back to ancient times when man learnt to drive bees away from their hives so as to harvest the combs in which the bees store honey. About two decades ago, agriculturalists began to sensitize…
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The African Spurred Tortoise, Geochelone sulcata, called Ìjàpá in Yoruba and celebrated in many of its folktales as a wise animal, is found in the north of Nigeria and other Sahel regions. They adapt to arid environments through a few means; their thick skin which limit moisture loss, very little discharge of urine, and burrow…
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Spotted Tilapia, Tilapia mariae, is a fresh- water and estuarine teleost that occurs naturally in West Africa, from Cote d’Ivoire to Cameroon. This species, called Èpìyà in Yoruba, has a wide distribution in the fresh and brackish water rivers of southern Nigeria and flourish in Ethiope River of Nigeria. Spotted tilapia vary in appearance according…