The reptiles of Mkomazi National Park, Tanzania an updated checklist with some aspects of biogeography

The Mkomazi National Park (MNP) is a protected area representing three major biomes, yet it remains poorly known from a herpetological perspective. Intensive surveys for reptiles were carried out in the MNP during dry and wet seasons in 2018, with the main focus of updating the existing data and assessing the influence of the three biomes on the park’s species composition. Various methods were used to document 55 species, most of which were found during the dry season. The checklist of reptiles of MNP is now updated to 73 species, 97% of which are typical of the Somalia-Maasai biome, equivalent to 54% of all Somalia-Maasai biome species in Tanzania. The MNP was found to be the most discordant in species composition from the contiguous Pare and Usambara Mountains, the latter two areas harbouring Afromontane forest-dependent species. We recommend surveys at Kinondu, Ibaya and Maji Kununua hills and foothills along the West Usambara and South Pare Mountains in order to confirm Afromontane species in MNP. Keywords: Herpetofauna, inventory, Somalia-Maasai, biodiversity, conservatio

Profile of plasma lipids and degree of derangements among the elderly of Morogoro region, Tanzania

Changes in lifestyles and ageing have been associated with growing rates of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (CRF). Dyslipidemia is one of the CRF associated with numbers of cardiovascular diseases. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the profile and degree of derangements of plasma lipids among 300 (176 females and 124 males) elderly individuals aged ≥60 years in Morogoro, Tanzania. The calorimetric enzymatic methods and the Friedewal’s equation were used for determination of cholesterols and triglycerides (TG). Social and demographic characteristics were gathered by structured questionnaires. The logistic regression models were used to identify the determinants of abnormal serum lipids level. Mean Total Cholesterols (TC) and Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterols (LDL-C) in females exceeded significantly that of males. Mean TC, LDL-C as well as TG (mg/dL) declined significantly with age while mean High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterols (HDL-C) also declined but only slightly. Elderly females were two times more likely to have elevated TC (OR=2.11; 95% CI: 1.04-4.28: P=0.05) and LDL-C (OR=2.15; 95% CI: 1.17-3.97: P=0.019) and three times to have lowered HDL-C (OR=3; 95% CI: 1.97-5.30: P<0.001) than males. Urban residents were about two times more likely to have elevated LDL-C (OR=1.84; 95% CI: 1.04-3.25: P=0.047) than their rural counterparts. Body Mass Index of ≥30 kg/m2 was also associated with elevated LDL-C (OR=1.89; 95% CI: 1.05-3.42: P=0.045) and lowered HDL-C (OR=2.18; 95% CI: 1.3-3.65: P=0.004), respectively. The present study has established the profile and level of derangements of serum lipids among the elderly of Morogoro region in Tanzania. It appears that, female sex and BMI of ≥ 30kg/m2 are significant factors for elevated TC, LDL-C and lowered HDL-C while urban life is a significant factor for elevated LDL-C

Seasonal use of remnant forest fragments by understorey forest birds in the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania: a conservation priority

Forest fragmentation can lead to extinctions of some species at local levels and is eroding bird diversity at an increasing rate. While there is information on the distribution of forest bird species in most of the Eastern Arc Mountain forests, some forests, particularly the smaller fragments, have not been adequately surveyed. Using mist netting we surveyed avifauna in some of the poorly known forests (12.5–25 ha) located 320–1 300 m above sea level in the Uluguru Mountains in order to address their conservation importance. Proportions of seasonal altitudinal migrants were significantly higher in these lower-altitude forests during the cold season than the hot season. The results suggest that these forests support bird species of conservation concern, most of which are forest dependent and some of which make seasonal movements between high-altitude montane forests and lowland/ foothill forests. These forests are important cold-season habitat of altitudinal migrants and further fragmentation should be halted as a matter of regional and global priority.Keywords: altitudinal gradient, altitudinal migration, bird distribution, conservation, fragmentation, mist-nettin

A preliminary account of the forest avifauna of Ihang’ana and Idewa Forest Reserves: ‘forest islands’ on the Udzungwa Plateau, Tanzania

This study reports on the forest avifaunas of Ihang’ana and Idewa Forest Reserves, located on the Udzungwa Plateau, Tanzania, which are undocumented in published literature. Field surveys were conducted between 28 October and 6 November 2020 using the McKinnon species list method. From 185 McKinnon 10-species lists, 40 species were observed in Ihang’ana and 30 in Idewa Forest Reserves, for a combined total of 41 species. Of the species recorded, over 78% (32 species) were forest-dependent birds representative of Eastern Arc Mountains forests. Seven species detected are considered restricted-range species, including Yellow-throated Greenbul Arizelocichla chlorigula, which is endemic to the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. The results suggest that forest birds, including montane species, can survive in isolated areas of suitable habitat even when patch size is small. As such, forests such as Ihang’ana and Idewa forests can still play an important role in the conservation of forest birds

Longevity records of Dark Batis Batis crypta and Red-capped Robin-Chat Cossypha natalensis, in addition to recapture records of three other forest dependent species from the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania

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Evaluating the Effect of Preventative Trimming on Distance from the Sole Surface to the Distal Phalanx Using Ultrasonography for Lameness Prevention in Pasture-Based Dairy Cows

One common management strategy used to reduce the risk of lameness is prophylactic claw trimming. However, in pasture-based cattle, there is a concern that the immediate reduction in sole thickness resulting from sole trimming will lead to medium-to-long-term reductions in sole thickness, which may increase the risk of lameness. Nevertheless, there is a lack of data on sole thickness and trimming in pasture-based cows. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of trimming on sole thickness over the medium-to-long term, as estimated using the ultrasound-measured distance from the external claw sole surface to the distal phalanx (DDP) and of DDP on the interval between calving and increased locomotion scores. A total of 38 cows were randomly selected from a 940-cow spring calving dairy farm in the North Island of New Zealand; 18 were allocated to the ultrasound hoof-trimming group and 20 were allocated to the ultrasound non-trimming group. Starting in May 2018, at the end of the 2017/18 lactation, ultrasound measurements of DDP of the right hind hoof were made on all 38 cows, and the hindlimbs of the trimming group cows were trimmed by an experienced professional hoof trimmer using the five-step Dutch method. This was repeated in October 2018 (early lactation) and May 2019 (late lactation). After calving, the cows were locomotion scored fortnightly until the end of lactation using the 4-point (0–3) scale DairyNZ system. The effect of DDP on the interval between calving and the first locomotion scores ≥1 and ≥2 was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models, and the association between trimming and DDP was explored using linear mixed models. The results suggest that DDP has no effect on the time to locomotion scores ≥1 or ≥2, although the wide confidence intervals of the latter suggest that more data are needed before any definitive conclusions can be drawn. The study failed to find any clinically important impact of prophylactic trimming on DDP. This is likely related to the finding that cows with the highest DDP at the first trimming were identified by the hoof trimmer as those needing the most trimming. The results of this study thus suggest that if the Dutch five-step method is properly applied, it is unlikely to affect sole thickness over the short-to-medium term in pasture-based cattle

Assessing Alternatives to Locomotion Scoring for Detecting Lameness in Dairy Cattle in Tanzania: Infrared Thermography

Lameness detection is a significant challenge. Locomotion scoring (LS), the most widely used system for detecting lameness, has several limitations, including its subjective nature and the existence of multiple systems, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate whether the foot skin temperature (FST) of hind limbs, as measured using infrared thermography (IRT), could potentially be used as an alternative on Tanzanian dairy farms. Each of the three study farms were visited twice during the afternoon milking on consecutive days, with a total of 170 cows assessed. DairyNZ LS (4-point scale (0–3)) was undertaken on the first day as the cows exited the milking parlour after being milked, while on the following day, the plantar aspect of the hind limbs of the cows was thermally imaged while they were standing in the milking parlour, using a handheld T650sc forward-looking infrared camera. Mean FST was higher for cows with a locomotion score of 1 than those with a score of 0; higher for cows with a locomotion score of 2 than those with a score of 1; and higher for cows with a locomotion score of 3 than those with a score of 2, with each one-unit locomotion score increase being associated with a 0.57 °C increase in mean temperature across all zones. The optimal cut-off point of 38.0 °C for mean temperature across all zones was identified using a receiver operator characteristic curve. This cut-off point had a sensitivity of 73.2% and a specificity of 86.0% for distinguishing cows with a locomotion score ≥ 2 (clinical lameness). The prevalence of clinical lameness across all three farms was 33%, which meant that only 72% of cows with a mean FST across all zones ≥ 38.0 °C had been identified as clinically lame using LS. This study confirmed that IRT has the potential to be used to detect lameness on Tanzanian dairy farms. However, before it can be widely used, improvements in accuracy, especially specificity, are needed, as are reductions in equipment (IR camera) costs