Pub Date : 2020-10-01DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1824588
T. Pyrcz, S. Collins, D. Lachowska-Cierlik, D. Lees, S. Sáfián, K. Florczyk
Amauris nossima Ward (Nymphalidae, Danainae) was known before this study only from Madagascar and the island of Mayotte, without clearly defined subspecies, but with five names considered invalid or infrasubspecific. It has generally been considered a rare species of butterfly classified by IUCN as vulnerable (Vu B1 + 2c). Here, it is reported for the first time from continental Africa. A new subspecies A. nossima mrima n. ssp. is described from two remnants of rain forest, Mrima and Buda, on the southern Kenyan coast, where it occurs sympatrically with Amauris ochlea Boisduval, widely distributed in East Africa. Their, previously predicted, sister-species status is confirmed by morphological (male and female genitalia) and partial mitochondrial (COI) data. The finding of A. nossima in Kenya opens the discussion on a possible recolonization of Africa from Madagascar, which would be an exception to a predominant biogeographical pattern of African origin of Malagasy butterflies via overseas dispersal.
{"title":"A Malagasy Element in Continental Africa: A New Subspecies of the Rare Amauris nossima (Nymphalidae, Danainae) from the Kenyan Coast","authors":"T. Pyrcz, S. Collins, D. Lachowska-Cierlik, D. Lees, S. Sáfián, K. Florczyk","doi":"10.1080/15627020.2020.1824588","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2020.1824588","url":null,"abstract":"Amauris nossima Ward (Nymphalidae, Danainae) was known before this study only from Madagascar and the island of Mayotte, without clearly defined subspecies, but with five names considered invalid or infrasubspecific. It has generally been considered a rare species of butterfly classified by IUCN as vulnerable (Vu B1 + 2c). Here, it is reported for the first time from continental Africa. A new subspecies A. nossima mrima n. ssp. is described from two remnants of rain forest, Mrima and Buda, on the southern Kenyan coast, where it occurs sympatrically with Amauris ochlea Boisduval, widely distributed in East Africa. Their, previously predicted, sister-species status is confirmed by morphological (male and female genitalia) and partial mitochondrial (COI) data. The finding of A. nossima in Kenya opens the discussion on a possible recolonization of Africa from Madagascar, which would be an exception to a predominant biogeographical pattern of African origin of Malagasy butterflies via overseas dispersal.","PeriodicalId":55548,"journal":{"name":"African Zoology","volume":"55 1","pages":"337 - 350"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/15627020.2020.1824588","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46517741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-10-01DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1813625
John Kioko, Alanna Horton, Margo Libre, J. Vickers, Emma Dressel, Heather Kasey, Pastory M Ndegeya, Donatus E. Gadiye, B. Kissui, C. Kiffner
We studied the distribution and abundance of African elephants in Ngorongoro Crater (NC), northern Tanzania to test whether male and female elephants select different habitats and to assess whether elephant abundance was related to monthly precipitation. From 2016 to 2017, we conducted thirteen total counts in the dry and wet seasons and collected data on elephant age, sex, social structure, and habitat use. Most elephants encountered in NC were male-only groups (70%). Elephant numbers were significantly greater in the wet season, compared with the dry season evidenced by a significant and positive linear relationship between elephant abundance and monthly rainfall. Elephants in the NC showed distinct sex segregation, with males preferring open habitats (swamps and grasslands) and female groups preferring closed habitats (bush-shrubland and Vachellia xanthophloea woodland). This study advances our understanding of elephant grouping patterns and sex-specific habitat usage in savannah ecosystems.
{"title":"Distribution and Abundance of African Elephants in Ngorongoro Crater, Northern Tanzania","authors":"John Kioko, Alanna Horton, Margo Libre, J. Vickers, Emma Dressel, Heather Kasey, Pastory M Ndegeya, Donatus E. Gadiye, B. Kissui, C. Kiffner","doi":"10.1080/15627020.2020.1813625","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2020.1813625","url":null,"abstract":"We studied the distribution and abundance of African elephants in Ngorongoro Crater (NC), northern Tanzania to test whether male and female elephants select different habitats and to assess whether elephant abundance was related to monthly precipitation. From 2016 to 2017, we conducted thirteen total counts in the dry and wet seasons and collected data on elephant age, sex, social structure, and habitat use. Most elephants encountered in NC were male-only groups (70%). Elephant numbers were significantly greater in the wet season, compared with the dry season evidenced by a significant and positive linear relationship between elephant abundance and monthly rainfall. Elephants in the NC showed distinct sex segregation, with males preferring open habitats (swamps and grasslands) and female groups preferring closed habitats (bush-shrubland and Vachellia xanthophloea woodland). This study advances our understanding of elephant grouping patterns and sex-specific habitat usage in savannah ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":55548,"journal":{"name":"African Zoology","volume":"55 1","pages":"303 - 310"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/15627020.2020.1813625","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46935206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-10-01DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1842242
G. Malan, K. Padayachee
Animals that share suitable rock ledges located on near-vertical cliff faces are compelled to interact when using this scarce resource. Because interspecific and exploitative competition for suitable ledges may have a vital influence on the survival and reproduction of Verreaux's Eagles (Aquila verreauxii) and Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus), an investigation into the reciprocal rock-ledge usages by the two species will improve our understanding of this trait. In this study, we used camera traps stationed at four eagle nests to study interspecific interactions at nest sites. At the first two eagle nests, no baboons were recorded, and two young birds fledged successfully. At the third nest, the baboons only slept on the nest once the fledgling successfully left the nest. At the fourth nest, the eagles did not breed and the birds (eight visits) and baboons (three visits) used the nest interchangeably over a 28-day period. Whereas the cliff-ledge provided a secure nest site for the Verreaux's Eagles in the breeding season, for Chacma baboons sleeping on an inaccessible ledge may limit predation by terrestrial predators (e.g. by leopard Panthera pardus). This alternating usage of cliff ledges suggests that the two species probably co-use this limited cliffside resource to increase their own fitness.
{"title":"Interspecific Competition for Cliff Ledges on the Magaliesberg between Nesting Verreaux's Eagles and Roosting Chacma Baboons","authors":"G. Malan, K. Padayachee","doi":"10.1080/15627020.2020.1842242","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2020.1842242","url":null,"abstract":"Animals that share suitable rock ledges located on near-vertical cliff faces are compelled to interact when using this scarce resource. Because interspecific and exploitative competition for suitable ledges may have a vital influence on the survival and reproduction of Verreaux's Eagles (Aquila verreauxii) and Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus), an investigation into the reciprocal rock-ledge usages by the two species will improve our understanding of this trait. In this study, we used camera traps stationed at four eagle nests to study interspecific interactions at nest sites. At the first two eagle nests, no baboons were recorded, and two young birds fledged successfully. At the third nest, the baboons only slept on the nest once the fledgling successfully left the nest. At the fourth nest, the eagles did not breed and the birds (eight visits) and baboons (three visits) used the nest interchangeably over a 28-day period. Whereas the cliff-ledge provided a secure nest site for the Verreaux's Eagles in the breeding season, for Chacma baboons sleeping on an inaccessible ledge may limit predation by terrestrial predators (e.g. by leopard Panthera pardus). This alternating usage of cliff ledges suggests that the two species probably co-use this limited cliffside resource to increase their own fitness.","PeriodicalId":55548,"journal":{"name":"African Zoology","volume":"55 1","pages":"368 - 371"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/15627020.2020.1842242","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46270541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-10-01DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1810121
R. Uren, Francois Bothma, C. D. van der Lingen, H. Bouwman
Metals occur naturally in the environment and in organisms. Organisms at higher trophic levels may contain metals at elevated concentrations, as a result of accumulation from anthropogenic and natural sources, potentially making them more susceptible to detrimental effects, as well as passing them on to consumers. The concentrations of thirty metals were quantified in hake (Merluccius capensis), kingklip (Genypterus capensis), monkfish (Lophius vomerinus) and chokka (Loligo reynaudii) collected from the South Atlantic Ocean of South Africa in February 2017 and February 2019, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Metal concentrations and composition in nektobenthic chokka differed significantly from the three demersal fish predators (hake, kingklip, and monkfish). Demersal fish metal concentrations and relative pattern compositions (fingerprints) were similar. Because the samples were collected within an 80 km radius, the differences are likely as a result of a combination of factors, such as diet, habitat (depth), and differences in the physiological regulation of metals between cephalopods and fish, rather than location. Based on South African estimated daily intake, total hazard quotient and European Union limits for mercury, cadmium and lead, these four economically important species from the South Atlantic Ocean are safe for human consumption. Plankton, herbivorous marine species, and larger predators, such as sharks and dolphins, should be studied to obtain further insight into metals as baseline for monitoring possible future pollution and effects from climate change, trophic transfer, toxic effects, and human consumer safety.
{"title":"Differences in Metal Compositions and Concentrations of Sympatric Predatory Fish and Squid from the South Atlantic Ocean§","authors":"R. Uren, Francois Bothma, C. D. van der Lingen, H. Bouwman","doi":"10.1080/15627020.2020.1810121","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2020.1810121","url":null,"abstract":"Metals occur naturally in the environment and in organisms. Organisms at higher trophic levels may contain metals at elevated concentrations, as a result of accumulation from anthropogenic and natural sources, potentially making them more susceptible to detrimental effects, as well as passing them on to consumers. The concentrations of thirty metals were quantified in hake (Merluccius capensis), kingklip (Genypterus capensis), monkfish (Lophius vomerinus) and chokka (Loligo reynaudii) collected from the South Atlantic Ocean of South Africa in February 2017 and February 2019, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Metal concentrations and composition in nektobenthic chokka differed significantly from the three demersal fish predators (hake, kingklip, and monkfish). Demersal fish metal concentrations and relative pattern compositions (fingerprints) were similar. Because the samples were collected within an 80 km radius, the differences are likely as a result of a combination of factors, such as diet, habitat (depth), and differences in the physiological regulation of metals between cephalopods and fish, rather than location. Based on South African estimated daily intake, total hazard quotient and European Union limits for mercury, cadmium and lead, these four economically important species from the South Atlantic Ocean are safe for human consumption. Plankton, herbivorous marine species, and larger predators, such as sharks and dolphins, should be studied to obtain further insight into metals as baseline for monitoring possible future pollution and effects from climate change, trophic transfer, toxic effects, and human consumer safety.","PeriodicalId":55548,"journal":{"name":"African Zoology","volume":"55 1","pages":"278 - 291"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/15627020.2020.1810121","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42817053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-10-01DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1821771
W. Conradie, Chad Keates, J. Lobón-Rovira, P. Pinto, L. Verburgt, Ninda L. Baptista, J. Harvey, T. Júlio
Kassinula is a monotypic genus of small frog in the family Hyperoliidae, only represented by Kassinula wittei. This species morphologically resembles both Kassina Girard, 1853 and Afrixalus Laurent, 1944, and its taxonomic status has been debated for decades. It has previously been subsumed within Kassina, and is currently placed as a sister genus to Afrixalus, although it has not been included in any phylogenetic studies until now. This species is poorly represented in museum collections and is only known from fewer than 35 specimens from southern Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjacent Zambia. Newly collected material from central Angola, a range extension of 400–800 km west of previously known localities, allowed us to revisit the taxonomic placement of the genus with the aid of phylogenetic analysis and shed light on its geographic distribution, morphology and natural history. Although our phylogenetic analysis is limited to a single mitochondrial gene (16S), we place Kassinula in the subfamily Hyperoliinae and closely related to Afrixalus, with a high degree of confidence. Further phylogenetic studies are needed before formally synonymising Afrixalus with Kassinula.
{"title":"New Insights Into the Taxonomic Status, Distribution and Natural History of De Witte's Clicking Frog (Kassinula wittei Laurent, 1940)","authors":"W. Conradie, Chad Keates, J. Lobón-Rovira, P. Pinto, L. Verburgt, Ninda L. Baptista, J. Harvey, T. Júlio","doi":"10.1080/15627020.2020.1821771","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2020.1821771","url":null,"abstract":"Kassinula is a monotypic genus of small frog in the family Hyperoliidae, only represented by Kassinula wittei. This species morphologically resembles both Kassina Girard, 1853 and Afrixalus Laurent, 1944, and its taxonomic status has been debated for decades. It has previously been subsumed within Kassina, and is currently placed as a sister genus to Afrixalus, although it has not been included in any phylogenetic studies until now. This species is poorly represented in museum collections and is only known from fewer than 35 specimens from southern Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjacent Zambia. Newly collected material from central Angola, a range extension of 400–800 km west of previously known localities, allowed us to revisit the taxonomic placement of the genus with the aid of phylogenetic analysis and shed light on its geographic distribution, morphology and natural history. Although our phylogenetic analysis is limited to a single mitochondrial gene (16S), we place Kassinula in the subfamily Hyperoliinae and closely related to Afrixalus, with a high degree of confidence. Further phylogenetic studies are needed before formally synonymising Afrixalus with Kassinula.","PeriodicalId":55548,"journal":{"name":"African Zoology","volume":"55 1","pages":"311 - 322"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/15627020.2020.1821771","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42050305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-10-01DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1823879
Tinyiko C. Shivambu, Ndivhuwo Shivambu, R. Lyle, A. Jacobs, Sabrina Kumschick, S. Foord, M. Robertson
Many alien species have been introduced around the world as part of the pet trade, and some have escaped captivity and become invasive. In South Africa, many species of tarantula (Theraphosidae) are kept as pets. It is not known which species are traded, which are most popular, and whether their names are correctly applied. Online traders and physical pet stores were investigated between 2015 and 2016 to determine the extent or size of trade, species composition, most popular species, and their invasion history elsewhere. In total, 36 specimens, three individuals from 12 putative species, were also purchased for DNA barcoding targeting the COI gene region to quantify the accuracy of tarantula identification by traders. In total, 195 tarantula species were advertised for sale, and the most popular species were Brachypelma albopilosum Valerio, 1980 (n = 199), B. vagans Ausserer, 1875 (n = 132), and Grammostola rosea Walckenaer, 1837 (n = 120). The composition of shared species differed between the sources and most of the species were advertised online. Only one of the popular species, B. vagans, has been recorded as being invasive elsewhere. Only 36% of the barcoded specimens matched existing barcodes in online repositories that had the same species name. The three individuals from 12 putative species were not in the same terminal clade as those of conspecifics in the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) and the NCBI GenBank reference sequences. A large proportion of the known tarantula species are traded in South Africa and must be included in management and risk assessments to avoid potential invasions.
{"title":"Tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae) in the Pet Trade in South Africa","authors":"Tinyiko C. Shivambu, Ndivhuwo Shivambu, R. Lyle, A. Jacobs, Sabrina Kumschick, S. Foord, M. Robertson","doi":"10.1080/15627020.2020.1823879","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2020.1823879","url":null,"abstract":"Many alien species have been introduced around the world as part of the pet trade, and some have escaped captivity and become invasive. In South Africa, many species of tarantula (Theraphosidae) are kept as pets. It is not known which species are traded, which are most popular, and whether their names are correctly applied. Online traders and physical pet stores were investigated between 2015 and 2016 to determine the extent or size of trade, species composition, most popular species, and their invasion history elsewhere. In total, 36 specimens, three individuals from 12 putative species, were also purchased for DNA barcoding targeting the COI gene region to quantify the accuracy of tarantula identification by traders. In total, 195 tarantula species were advertised for sale, and the most popular species were Brachypelma albopilosum Valerio, 1980 (n = 199), B. vagans Ausserer, 1875 (n = 132), and Grammostola rosea Walckenaer, 1837 (n = 120). The composition of shared species differed between the sources and most of the species were advertised online. Only one of the popular species, B. vagans, has been recorded as being invasive elsewhere. Only 36% of the barcoded specimens matched existing barcodes in online repositories that had the same species name. The three individuals from 12 putative species were not in the same terminal clade as those of conspecifics in the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) and the NCBI GenBank reference sequences. A large proportion of the known tarantula species are traded in South Africa and must be included in management and risk assessments to avoid potential invasions.","PeriodicalId":55548,"journal":{"name":"African Zoology","volume":"55 1","pages":"323 - 336"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/15627020.2020.1823879","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41370861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-08-26DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1798281
G. Osthoff, Moses Madende, A. Hugo, H. J. Butler
The milk composition of each species is unique, because it has evolved according to specific needs and adaptation to the environment. As milk data from more species became available, an evolutionary trend shows a phylogenetic distinction between Eutherian taxa regarding milk composition. For example, differences in the composition and properties of nutrients have been reported between carnivores and herbivores, as well as between ruminants and non-ruminants. Although limited, data of the three subclades of the Eutheria (Xenarthra, Afrotheria and Boreoeutheria) suggest that a phylogenetic distinction in milk composition may also exist between them. In this review, the validity of such a distinction is investigated with emphasis on the Atlantogenata.
{"title":"Milk Evolution with Emphasis on the Atlantogenata","authors":"G. Osthoff, Moses Madende, A. Hugo, H. J. Butler","doi":"10.1080/15627020.2020.1798281","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2020.1798281","url":null,"abstract":"The milk composition of each species is unique, because it has evolved according to specific needs and adaptation to the environment. As milk data from more species became available, an evolutionary trend shows a phylogenetic distinction between Eutherian taxa regarding milk composition. For example, differences in the composition and properties of nutrients have been reported between carnivores and herbivores, as well as between ruminants and non-ruminants. Although limited, data of the three subclades of the Eutheria (Xenarthra, Afrotheria and Boreoeutheria) suggest that a phylogenetic distinction in milk composition may also exist between them. In this review, the validity of such a distinction is investigated with emphasis on the Atlantogenata.","PeriodicalId":55548,"journal":{"name":"African Zoology","volume":"55 1","pages":"257 - 266"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/15627020.2020.1798281","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44266064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-07-02DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1779613
B. Utete
This review explores some ecological aspects of the common hippopotamus (hippo), Hippopotamus amphibius L, threats to its population and contextual peculiarities affecting its conservation in selected water systems in Zimbabwe. Scoping surveys of literature and thematisation of common issues related to hippo ecology, human-hippo conflict and conservation were used for data collection. Hippos play integral ecological roles, such as habitat engineering through track creation in water systems, nutrient recycling by swirl spread of highly organic faeces, harbouring commensal water birds, parasites and leeches. Regardless, the hippo population is not well documented for the country with indications of sharp declines in freshwater systems during the period 1982 to 1992 and gradual recovery thereafter. Habitat degradation, water pollution, climate change, drought-induced extreme water level fluctuation, poaching and deliberate culling, as part of problem-hippo control (PHC), are key drivers of hippo population declines. However, it appears much of the attention is on human-hippo conflict and its consequences, resulting in negative perceptions among human communities. Commercial breeding of hippos for non-consumptive tourism, and export-orientated meat, and ethnomedical mimics of hippo sweat and milk products are new, potentially viable, but unexplored options for conserving and increasing the population of the species in Zimbabwe. Currently, it appears more anti-hippo poaching patrols and awareness campaigns especially in water systems outside protected areas may be key to sustaining the current hippo population. For the future, it is essential to increase the scope for hippo census data to include water systems inside and outside protected areas for sustainable conservation of the species in the country.
{"title":"A Review of Some Aspects of the Ecology, Population Trends, Threats and Conservation Strategies for the Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus amphibius L, in Zimbabwe","authors":"B. Utete","doi":"10.1080/15627020.2020.1779613","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2020.1779613","url":null,"abstract":"This review explores some ecological aspects of the common hippopotamus (hippo), Hippopotamus amphibius L, threats to its population and contextual peculiarities affecting its conservation in selected water systems in Zimbabwe. Scoping surveys of literature and thematisation of common issues related to hippo ecology, human-hippo conflict and conservation were used for data collection. Hippos play integral ecological roles, such as habitat engineering through track creation in water systems, nutrient recycling by swirl spread of highly organic faeces, harbouring commensal water birds, parasites and leeches. Regardless, the hippo population is not well documented for the country with indications of sharp declines in freshwater systems during the period 1982 to 1992 and gradual recovery thereafter. Habitat degradation, water pollution, climate change, drought-induced extreme water level fluctuation, poaching and deliberate culling, as part of problem-hippo control (PHC), are key drivers of hippo population declines. However, it appears much of the attention is on human-hippo conflict and its consequences, resulting in negative perceptions among human communities. Commercial breeding of hippos for non-consumptive tourism, and export-orientated meat, and ethnomedical mimics of hippo sweat and milk products are new, potentially viable, but unexplored options for conserving and increasing the population of the species in Zimbabwe. Currently, it appears more anti-hippo poaching patrols and awareness campaigns especially in water systems outside protected areas may be key to sustaining the current hippo population. For the future, it is essential to increase the scope for hippo census data to include water systems inside and outside protected areas for sustainable conservation of the species in the country.","PeriodicalId":55548,"journal":{"name":"African Zoology","volume":"55 1","pages":"187 - 200"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/15627020.2020.1779613","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46034339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-07-02DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1769498
Ross N. Cuthbert, R. Wasserman, T. Dalu
We are writing to describe the predatory potential of calanoid copepods for the regulation of mosquito larval populations in aquatic environments. Mosquito-borne diseases continue to drive unparalleled human morbidity and mortality (Ferguson 2018), and directly threaten other wildlife (George et al. 2015). This disease burden is most concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, where aquatic habitats exploited by mosquitoes are often temporary and, under natural conditions, characterised by arid-adapted ecological communities. These communities can be predator rich, contributing to the regulation of aquatic larval mosquito populations and therefore the adult vectors of the diseases at the landscape scale. A newly described southern African copepod species, Lovenula raynerae Suárez-Morales, Wasserman and Dalu 2015 (Paradiaptominae) (Figure 1), has been identified as an efficacious predatory agent for the natural regulation of medically important mosquito populations in temporary aquatic environments (Cuthbert et al. 2018). Evidenced from video analyses (see supplementary material video 1), the mosquito killing rates by this species even seem to be bolstered by wasteful consumption, where larval mosquitoes are killed and partially consumed, or not consumed at all. Furthermore, novel ecological assessments of other paradiaptomids in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa (Paradiaptomus lamellatus Sars 1895) (Cuthbert et al. 2020 and ongoing work by these authors) and Central District of Botswana (Lovenula falcifera Lovén 1845) (Buxton et al. 2020b) have shown similar patterns for mosquito control. Calanoid copepods, such as paradiaptomids, have classically been thought to not consume mosquitoes and thus offer no biocontrol potential (Marten and Reid 2007). However, the predatory efficiency and extensive distribution of paradiaptomids in Africa (Rayner et al. 2001) suggests widespread contributions to mosquito control by this diaptomid subfamily. The paradiaptomids are mostly endemic to Africa and are adapted to life in temporary wetlands. As temporary wetland specialists, they produce drought-resistant eggs that rapidly hatch and develop following rainfall events, enabling predator populations to develop quickly (Wasserman et al. 2018), in turn enhancing disease vector regulation potential. However, very little ecological work has been done on this widespread group, apart from recent studies in southern Africa (see Bird et al. 2019 and references therein; Cuthbert et al. 2020). Although this recent research has focused on control of Culex spp., similar efficacies against other mosquito genera (e.g. Aedes and Anopheles) are likely, but require further investigation. Understanding ecosystem services provided by key taxonomic groups is essential for effective environmental management. We posit that the paradiaptomids provide widespread natural mosquito biocontrol services that are Letter
{"title":"Arid-Adapted Paradiaptomid Copepods Contribute to Mosquito Regulation","authors":"Ross N. Cuthbert, R. Wasserman, T. Dalu","doi":"10.1080/15627020.2020.1769498","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2020.1769498","url":null,"abstract":"We are writing to describe the predatory potential of calanoid copepods for the regulation of mosquito larval populations in aquatic environments. Mosquito-borne diseases continue to drive unparalleled human morbidity and mortality (Ferguson 2018), and directly threaten other wildlife (George et al. 2015). This disease burden is most concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, where aquatic habitats exploited by mosquitoes are often temporary and, under natural conditions, characterised by arid-adapted ecological communities. These communities can be predator rich, contributing to the regulation of aquatic larval mosquito populations and therefore the adult vectors of the diseases at the landscape scale. A newly described southern African copepod species, Lovenula raynerae Suárez-Morales, Wasserman and Dalu 2015 (Paradiaptominae) (Figure 1), has been identified as an efficacious predatory agent for the natural regulation of medically important mosquito populations in temporary aquatic environments (Cuthbert et al. 2018). Evidenced from video analyses (see supplementary material video 1), the mosquito killing rates by this species even seem to be bolstered by wasteful consumption, where larval mosquitoes are killed and partially consumed, or not consumed at all. Furthermore, novel ecological assessments of other paradiaptomids in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa (Paradiaptomus lamellatus Sars 1895) (Cuthbert et al. 2020 and ongoing work by these authors) and Central District of Botswana (Lovenula falcifera Lovén 1845) (Buxton et al. 2020b) have shown similar patterns for mosquito control. Calanoid copepods, such as paradiaptomids, have classically been thought to not consume mosquitoes and thus offer no biocontrol potential (Marten and Reid 2007). However, the predatory efficiency and extensive distribution of paradiaptomids in Africa (Rayner et al. 2001) suggests widespread contributions to mosquito control by this diaptomid subfamily. The paradiaptomids are mostly endemic to Africa and are adapted to life in temporary wetlands. As temporary wetland specialists, they produce drought-resistant eggs that rapidly hatch and develop following rainfall events, enabling predator populations to develop quickly (Wasserman et al. 2018), in turn enhancing disease vector regulation potential. However, very little ecological work has been done on this widespread group, apart from recent studies in southern Africa (see Bird et al. 2019 and references therein; Cuthbert et al. 2020). Although this recent research has focused on control of Culex spp., similar efficacies against other mosquito genera (e.g. Aedes and Anopheles) are likely, but require further investigation. Understanding ecosystem services provided by key taxonomic groups is essential for effective environmental management. We posit that the paradiaptomids provide widespread natural mosquito biocontrol services that are Letter","PeriodicalId":55548,"journal":{"name":"African Zoology","volume":"55 1","pages":"185 - 186"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/15627020.2020.1769498","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45243869","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-07-02DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1796524
James Hawkey, S. Elwen, B. James, A. Prinsloo, T. Gridley
Humpback whales are known for their complex and well-structured song that is typically produced on low-latitude breeding grounds. However, there is increasing evidence of song production on migration routes and high-latitude feeding grounds. Within a breeding ground and season, males share songs that progressively change over time. Song production on migration routes leads to the cultural transmission and sharing of songs. This is the first assessment of song structure in humpback whales recorded near Cape Town, South Africa. Song was identified in recordings made between 9 September 2016 and 21 October 2016 on a moored hydrophone located in Fish Hoek, False Bay. Thirty-nine song sessions were recorded, consisting of nine distinct units, forming ten themes. Themes occasionally overlapped in time, indicating multiple simultaneous singers. They were repeated on multiple days with consistent patterns in theme transition, demonstrating song sharing amongst individuals. Convergence on a similar song structure suggests singing whales originate from the same breeding stock. We propose that an unknown proportion of these whales continue to sing beyond the recognised breeding season. These data support previous studies that found that singing is not restricted to low-latitude breeding sites.
{"title":"First Look at Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Song Structure from Western South Africa","authors":"James Hawkey, S. Elwen, B. James, A. Prinsloo, T. Gridley","doi":"10.1080/15627020.2020.1796524","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2020.1796524","url":null,"abstract":"Humpback whales are known for their complex and well-structured song that is typically produced on low-latitude breeding grounds. However, there is increasing evidence of song production on migration routes and high-latitude feeding grounds. Within a breeding ground and season, males share songs that progressively change over time. Song production on migration routes leads to the cultural transmission and sharing of songs. This is the first assessment of song structure in humpback whales recorded near Cape Town, South Africa. Song was identified in recordings made between 9 September 2016 and 21 October 2016 on a moored hydrophone located in Fish Hoek, False Bay. Thirty-nine song sessions were recorded, consisting of nine distinct units, forming ten themes. Themes occasionally overlapped in time, indicating multiple simultaneous singers. They were repeated on multiple days with consistent patterns in theme transition, demonstrating song sharing amongst individuals. Convergence on a similar song structure suggests singing whales originate from the same breeding stock. We propose that an unknown proportion of these whales continue to sing beyond the recognised breeding season. These data support previous studies that found that singing is not restricted to low-latitude breeding sites.","PeriodicalId":55548,"journal":{"name":"African Zoology","volume":"55 1","pages":"224 - 232"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/15627020.2020.1796524","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48404054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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