Warthog Watercolour Illustration

Warthog watercolour illustration

Warthogs are so named because of the unsightly, hard, wart-like bumps on their skin, which offer protection. They are mostly bald with some sparse hair and a mane extending the length of the back. They are related to domestic pigs. They may look ferocious and possess four tusks (which can grow very long) but they are herbivores and usually prefer flight over fight, being able to run a top speed of 30 mph! They hide out in dens made by aardvarks, where they also raise their young, typically reversing in so that their tusks face outside danger.

Bactrian Camel Watercolour Illustration

Bactrian-Camel-Watercolour-Illustration

Unlike its better known Arabian relative, the dromedary camel, Bactrian camel has two humps. The humps store fat which can be converted to water and energy when supplies are scarce. These camels can survive for several weeks on plants alone. When they do find water, they can consume gallons in minutes. The camel lives wild in the deserts of central and Eastern Asia where temperatures can be extremely cold as well as hot. The camel’s grow a woolly coat to keep warm in the winter. They have eyebrows and two sets of long eyelashes to keep out sand and for the same reason they can close their nostrils.

Bactrian Camel | National Geographic

Bactrian Camel watercolour illustration.

Ostrich Watercolour Illustration

Watercolour illustration of an Ostrich

Not only are Ostriches the world’s tallest bird, standing up to 2.7 metres tall, they can run at a top speed of 70 km per hour! They live in herds in the savannahs, grasslands and woodlands of Africa. They are flightless birds. The males dance to court females. They have large eyes framed by long lashes and excellent eyesight.