Behavioural ecology and communication in the Cape grysbok

No Abstract

Factors affecting the seasonal movements of Cape mountain zebras in the Mountain Zebra National Park

Factors underlying the movement of mountain zebras from a plateau in the summer to hill slopes and ravines in the winter were investigated. The movement was associated with a relative change in diet quality (as indicated by crude protein contents of preferred food plants and of the faeces) between the summer and winter habitats. In summer faecal and grass protein contents were higher in samples collected on the plateau than in those collected on the hill slopes. In the winter the reverse was the case. On the plateau the cover of grasses in the height range favoured by zebras changed only slightly from summer to winter. It thus seemed unlikely that the movement of zebras was caused by a seasonal change in the height structure of the grass sward. The diet comprised mostly grasses but traces of dicotyledons in the faeces were found more frequently during winter than summer

Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XXVI. The mosaic of ixodid tick infestations on birds and mammals in the Mountain Zebra National Park

Sixteen species of ixodid ticks were collected over varying periods of time from 6 species of ground-frequenting birds and 15 species of small and large mammals in the Mountain Zebra National Park, Karoo, Cape Province. Margaropus winthemi followed by Rhipicephalus glabroscutatum and Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi were the most abundant species. The host preferences of 14 tick species and the seasonal abundances of 13 species were determined. Small numbers of immature stages of only a few tick species were generally recovered from ground-frequenting birds, mice and rats. Amongst the slightly larger animals the smallest number of ticks and species were recovered from springhares and the largest numbers from scrub hares. Amongst the larger mammals, very few ticks were harboured by springbuck and black wildebeest, while heavy infestations of several species were encountered on Cape mountain zebras and eland.The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590; 600dpi. Adobe Acrobat XI Pro was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format.Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. Department of Agricultural Development. Rhodes University. The Meat Board. The Mohair Board.mn201

The responses of a captive bontebok ram to faecal pellets from conspecific rams

No Abstract

Repatriation and translocation of ungulates into South African national parks: an assessment of past attempts

The results of 36 attempts to repatriate or translocate ungulates into South African national parks are examined. Habitat suitability appeared to be an important factor influencing the success rate. Of six cases in which individuals were translocated outside the range occupied by the species in historical times, only one succeeded. Of 10 cases where the park was within the historical range of the species but the habitat was rated as unsuitable (little or none of the required habitat present in the park) only one succeeded. In contrast 17 out of 20 cases in which the habitat was classified as adequate resulted in success. The repatriation and translocation attempts were poorly documented and this hampered identification of the factors associated with success

Aspects of the feeding ecology of a browsing ruminant: the kudu

Forbs form the preferred dietary component of the kudu (Tragelaphus sfrepsiceros). This preference was associated with the high nutrient content of their leaves and less fibrous stem material relative to trees and shrubs. Woody browse was most sought after during the early growing season when their new shoots are softest and forbs are least available. Kudus are able to maintain foraging efficiency for most of the year by substituting alternative food species as availability of preferred species declines. Woody species armed with structural defences are preferred during the growing season owing to higher nutrient content in their leaves than in unarmed species. During the dry season when food availability becomes limiting, the preference shifts in favour of species offering highest eating rates. Certain species were consistently rejected despite adequate nutrient levels presumably because of the presence of unidentified chemical deterrents in their leaves.Forbe is die voorkeur dieetkomponent van die koedoe (Tragelaphus sfrepslceros). Hierdie voorkeur spruit uit die ho€ voedingswaardev an hul blare en die feit dat hul minder veselrige stammateriaal het in vergelyking met bome en struike. Houtagtige takvoer was die gewildste tydens die vroe€ groeiseisoenw anneerd ie jong lote die sagste is en forbe die minste beskikbaar. Koedoes is in staat om die grootste gedeelte van die jaar effektief te wei deur van alternatiewe voedselspesiesg ebruik te maak soos die beskikbaarheidv an die voorkeur species afneem. Houtagtige spesies bewapen met strukturele beskerming word verkies tydens die groeiseisoen omdat hul blare meer voedingswaardeh et as di6 van die onbewapende spesies. Tydens die dro€ seisoen wanneer die beskikbaarheid van kos beperk raak, verskuif die voorkeur na spesies wat die vinnigste vreettempo toelaat. Sekere spesies is voortdurend verwerp ten spyte van voldoende voedingstof vlakke,w aarskynliko mdat daar ongeldentifiseerdech emiese afweermiddelsi n hul blare voorkom,Keywords: Feeding ecology, diet, ruminant, browser, kud