Fingerprints of Africa - Square

Fingerprints of Africa is a curated set of photographs taken in different parts of South Africa, and is a tribute to the beauty of nature’s patterns. Every and every individual of these four species has its own unique pattern, just like our fingerprints.

Jagged Spots

Researchers have been debating the genetics and taxonomy of giraffes for many years, but as it stands, there are 9 subspecies of giraffe. This is the South African Giraffe and even within this subspecies, each individual has a distinct look about them. Some are darker than others while some have much larger or more defined ‘spots’ than others. I personally enjoy looking at the pattern from the opposite perspective with beautiful light cream fractures carving through the rich brown coat before reconnecting with each other. 

Spots

With cheetahs mostly found in grassy plains, you would think vertical lines would do a better job of blending them in with their environment. But, you’d be surprised at how effective spots are at blurring the shape of these fast runners, especially with a bit of added movement. Cheetahs are seen as a sign of good fortune by many African cultures. I certainly feel fortunate when having the privilege of spending time with them.

Rosettes

A series of dark spots over a central brown patch of fur, surrounded by lighter fur. What this creates is simply mesmerizing and tends to play a trick on your eyes. When finding a leopard, the first thing I notice is this beautiful pattern. I receive a jolt of adrenaline and the heart seems to slow down and speed up simultaneously. A leopard’s rosettes help researchers identify unique individuals when conducting population surveys using camera traps. On numerous occasions, I’ve looked directly at a leopard without even realizing it for a few seconds!

Stripes

The most recognizable pattern in Africa. There are 3 species and 11 subspecies of zebra throughout Africa. This particular image is of the Burchell’s Zebra, the most common in Southern Africa. They have a much lighter ‘shadow stripe’ over the white stripes near their rumps. Their stripes help them regulate their temperature and recent research finds that flies are confused by the pattern which deters them from landing. When running in a group, predators can find it difficult to single out an individual. This earns them the collective noun of a ‘Dazzle of Zebra’.