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Mammals of Botswana

Mammals of Botswana. FORS 5200-7200 International Wildlife Conservation. Mammalian Characteristics. Hair Mammary glands Enucleate erythrosytes Red-blood cells have no nucleus Determinate growth Endothermic temperature regulation Four-chambered heart Lower jaw consists of a single bone

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Mammals of Botswana

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  1. Mammals of Botswana FORS 5200-7200 International Wildlife Conservation

  2. Mammalian Characteristics • Hair • Mammary glands • Enucleate erythrosytes • Red-blood cells have no nucleus • Determinate growth • Endothermic temperature regulation • Four-chambered heart • Lower jaw consists of a single bone • Dentary bone • Three middle ear ossicles • Malleus, incus, stapes • Diphyodont dentilation • Two generations of teeth: deciduous and permanent

  3. Dentition

  4. Types of Dentition • All mammal teeth are Thecodont – set in sockets • Brachyodont – low crowned, omnivores & herbivores • Hypsodont – high crowned, herbivores • Prominent Cusp patterns: • Bunodont – quadrate with rounded cusps • Omnivores, primates, pigs • Lophodont – transverse ridges • Herbivores, elephants • Selenodont – crescent shaped ridges • Herbivores, antelope • Carnassial – blade-like cutting edges • Carnivores, Felids, Canids

  5. Carnassial Teeth

  6. Carnassial Teeth Incisors Molars Canines Pre-molars

  7. Types of Head Ornamentation • Antlers – are shed • Horns – are not shed • Used for defense, social status, sexual attraction, territory marking, etc. • Antlers – made entirely of bone, shed annually • Family Cervidae – elk, deer, caribou • True Horns – boney inner core with keratinized sheath • Family Bovidae – impala, kudu, cape buffalo, etc • Giraffe Horns – boney inner core with furred epithelium • Family Giraffidae – giraffes • Rhinoceros Horns – solid mass of keratinized epithelial fibers • Family Rhinocerotidae – white and black rhino

  8. Various forms of Head Ornamentation Antlers Horns

  9. Types of Locomotion • Cursorial – running • Ambulatory – walking • Saltatorial – hopping or jumping • Graviportal – locomotion in animals with large body sizes • Fossorial – burrowing underground • Arboreal – moving through trees • Aquatic – moving in the water • Aerial – true flight

  10. Foot Structures • Plantigrade – walking on the entire foot • Humans, primates, bears • Digitigrade – only the digits touch the ground, the heel and instep is raised • Felids and Canids • Unguligrade – adapted for running on the tips of the toes with enlarged nails (hooves) • Cervids and Bovids

  11. Foot Structures Continued • True ungulates – have hooves • Perissodactyla – odd-toed ungulates • Rhino, zebra, etc • Artiodactyla – even-toed ungulates • Antelope, buffalo, hippo, etc • Near-ungulates – have toenails • Plantigrade • Elephant, hyrax

  12. Digestive Systems • Hindgut fermenters • Digestion takes place in the stomach, then travels through the large intestine and ceacum. • Ruminants • Digestion takes place in four chambers: • Rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum

  13. Common Mammal Species

  14. Common Mammal Species • Order Hyracoidea • Family Procaviidae • Yellow-spotted Rock Hyrax - Heterohyrax brucei • Gest: 7 months, 2-3 young • Lifespan 12 years • Poor temperature regulation so huddle and bask • Order Lagomorpha • Family Leporidae • Scrub Hare - Lepus saxatilis • Gest: 77 days, 1 young • Lifespan 7 years • Practice coprophagy • Order Tubulidentata • Family Orycteropodidae • Aardvark - Orycteropus afer • Gest: 7 months, 1 young • Lifespan 18 years • Generally nocturnal • Myrmecophagy – feed on termites • Aardvark translates to “earth pig”

  15. Order Rodentia • Family Hystricidae • Porcupine - Hystrix africae-australis • Gest: 94 days, 1-3 young • Lifespan 15 years • Largest rodent in ZA • Will defend against predators by running backwards at attacker, quills standing • Feeds on roots and tubers • Porcupine translates to “quill pig” • Family Sciuridae • Tree squirrel - Paraxerus cepapi • Gest: 56 days, 1-3 young • Lifespan 8 years • Like to eat biscuits from the deck

  16. Order Primates • Family Cercopithecidae • Chacma Baboon - Papio ursinus • Gest: 6 months, 1 young • Lifespan 18 years • Oligarchy- social structure where a group of males dominant over the troop • Canine teeth can reach up to 2 inches • Have up to 30 vocalizations • Vervet Monkey - Cercopithecus aethiops • Gest: 5 ½ months, 1 young • Lifespan 12 years • Troop sizes from 10-20 • Reproducing males have “blue balls”

  17. Order Primates • Family Galagidae • Lesser Bushbaby - Galago senegalensis • Gest: 125-132 days, 2young • Lifespan 14 years • Nocturnal • Eye shine is golden yellow • Produces loud shrill cries • Can leap up to 20 feet from limb to limb

  18. Order Suiformes • Family Suidae • Warthog - Phacochoerus aethiopicus • Gest: 5 ½ months, 1-8 young • Lifespan 18 years • Live in burrows • Always back down into the hole (so don’t stand in front of ‘em!) • Males have 4 warts, females have 2 • Run with tails standing straight up • Bushpig - Potamochoerusporcus • Gest: 4 months, 3-4 young • Lifespan 15 years • Run with tail down

  19. Order Carnivora • Family Herpestidae • Banded Mongoose - Mungosmungo • Dwarf Mongoose - Helogaleparvula • Slender Mongoose - Herpestessanguineus • Gest: 60-63 days, 1-4 young • Lifespan 6-11 years • Various species live solitary or form groups of 12-15 • Both diurnal and nocturnal • Carnivorous • Nomadic through large home ranges

  20. Order Carnivora • Family Canidae • Black-backed Jackal - Canis mesomelas • Gest: 60 days, 1-6 young • Lifespan 10 years • Diurnal and nocturnal • Pack usually consists of two parents and young • Family Hyaenidae • Spotted Hyena - Crocuta crocuta • Gest: 90 days, 1-2 young • Lifespan 20 years • Matriarchy– social structure where females dominant • Females are larger than males • Mainly feed as scavengers, but will hunt at times

  21. Order Carnivora • Family Viverridae • Large-spotted Genet - Genettatigrina • Small-spotted Genet - Genettagenetta • Gest: 77 days, 2-4 young • Lifespan 13 years • Mainly nocturnal • Solitary except during breeding • Females tend to be more territorial • Family Nandiniidae • African civet - Civettictiscivetta • Gest: 60 days, 1-4 young • Lifespan 14 years • Largest anus relative to its body size • Uses civetry to mark territory

  22. Order Carnivora • Family Felidae • Lion - Panthera leo • Gest: 110 days, 1-4 young • Lifespan 10-14 years • Lions have historically symbolized power, courage, nobility • Males have thick manes • Social structure includes a pride of 5-10 females with a coalition of 2-3 males (usually brothers) • Females do 85% of the hunting • 50% of diet comes from scavenging

  23. Order Carnivora • Family Felidae • Leopard - Panthera pardus • Gest: 100 days, 2-3 young • Lifespan 21 years • Solitary • Primarily nocturnal • Territorial • Tend to store and eat prey in trees because lions and hyenas steal the catch

  24. Order Artiodactyla (Ruminantia) • Family Bovidae • Subfamily Bovinae • Cape Buffalo - Syncerus caffer • Gest: 11 months, 1 young • Lifespan 23 years • Form large herds • Poor sight and hearing, but make-up for it in smell

  25. Genus TragelaphusSpiral-horned Antelopes • Bushbuck - Tragelaphus scriptus • Gest: 6 months, 1 young • Lifespan 12 years • Relatively solitary • Nyala - Tragelaphus angasi • Gest: 7 ½ months, 1 young • Lifespan 15 years • Highly sexually dimorphic • Kudu - Tragelaphus strepsiceros • Gest: 9 months, 1 young • Lifespan 18 years • Horns can grow up to 72 inches with 2 ½ twists • Eland - Tragelaphus oryx • Gest: 9 months, 1 young • Lifespan 20 years • Largest antelope species in the world

  26. Genus TragelaphusSpiral-horned Antelopes • Bushbuck - Tragelaphus scriptus • Nyala - Tragelaphus angasi

  27. Genus TragelaphusSpiral-horned Antelopes • Kudu - Tragelaphus strepsiceros • Eland - Tragelaphus oryx

  28. Order Artiodactyla (Ruminantia) • Family Bovidae • Subfamily Antilopinae • Blue Wildebeest - Connochaetes taurinus • Gest: 9 months, 1 young • Lifespan 18 years • Also Black Wildebeest • Social structures include bachelor herds and territorial males with a group of females and offspring • Nomadic • In Makuleke, there are 4 females and one male

  29. Order Artiodactyla (Ruminantia) • Impala - Aepyceros melampus • Gest: 7 months, 1 young • Lifespan 12 years • Males have herds of females • Males mark their territory with middens • Scent gland above heels on hind legs • “M” markings on tail and back thighs • Generalists, able to adapt to various conditions • Both browsers and grazers • “MacDonald’s” of the bush

  30. Order Artiodactyla (Ruminantia) • Waterbuck - Kobus ellipsiprymnus • Gest: 9 months, 1 young • Lifespan 17 years • Stay close to water sources • White circle around backend • Oily secretions from skin make coat waterproof • Social structure consists of a group of individuals • Common Duikor – Sylvicapra grimmia • Gest: 7 months, 1 young • Lifespan 11 years • Though small, they are highly territorial

  31. Order Perissodactyla • Family Equidae • Plain's Zebra - Equus quagga • Gest: 375 days, 1 young • Lifespan 20 years • Stripes are for camouflage and thermoregulation • Harem – social structure consisting of a group of females and a dominant stallion

  32. Order Perissodactyla • Family Rhinocerotidae • White Rhino - Ceratotherium simum • Gest: 16 months, 1 young • Lifespan 40 years • Grazers – have a square lip • Run with young in front • More gregarious • Black Rhino - Deceros bicornis • Gest: 15 months, 1 young • Lifespan 40 years • Browsers – have a hooked lip • Run with young behind • More solitary • Rhino is the 2nd largest land mammal. • Both species have poor eyesight, but excellent smell and hearing.

  33. White Rhino - Ceratotherium simum • Black Rhino - Deceros bicornis

  34. Order Whippomorpha • Family Hippopotamidae • Hippopotamus - Hippopotamus amphibious • Gest: 8 months, 1 young • Lifespan 40 years • 3rd largest land mammal • Rely on water to keep cool in hot summer months, lack sweat glands • Adults can stay submerged for up to 6 minutes • Reside in mixed groups up to 15 with a territorial male • Graze on grass at night • Hippopotamus translates to “river horse”

  35. Order Proboscidea • Family Elephantidae • African Elephant - Loxodonta Africana • Gestation: 22 months • 1 young weighing 25o lbs at birth • Lifespan 50-60 years • Largest terrestrial land mammal • Weight & shoulder height: • Males—up to 6000kg (6 tons), 3-4m • Females—3000 to 3500kg (3-3.5 tons), 2.5m

  36. Male vs. Female

  37. Male vs. Female Round forehead vs. Square forehead

  38. Physical Characteristics Ears Tusks Skin Trunk Feet

  39. Physical Characteristics • Tusks—modified upper incisors • Used for defense, acquisition of food • Trunk—fused extension of top lip and nose • Two “prehensile fingers” at tip • Ears—the bigger the better for hearing • Aid in regulation of body temperature • Skin—gray & thick covered with tiny hairs • Paper thin on ears to 2.5cm thick on back • Feet—Graviportal locomotion • 5 toenails front feet, 4 toenails back feet

  40. Behavior • Breeding herds—led by Matriarch • Mother & offspring • Daughters & offspring • Average range 2-24 individuals (up to 40+) • Males • Leave the family unit after 12-15 years • Join bachelor herds with other bulls • 2-14 individuals • Solitary during musth • Homerange averages 75km2

  41. Small Breeding Herd

  42. Large Breeding Herd

  43. Bachelor Herd

  44. Solitary Bull in Musth

  45. Diet • Herbivores • Grass, tree leaves & bark, vines, shrubs • Daily intake 4-6% of body weight • One bull eats 300kg food per day • Digestion is not efficient • 44% assimilated • 150kg excreted daily • Water intake • One bull drinks 227 liters per day

  46. Questions? Countdown to South Africa: less than 40 days…

  47. Next week: BIRDS!

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