Siegfried, W.R.

AJOL - African Journals Online

S. Afr. J. Zool. 1984, 19(1) Short Communication An analysis of faecal pellets of the brown hyaena on the Namib coast W.R. Siegfried FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7700 Republic of South Africa Received 1 June 1983; accepted 5 July 1983 An analysis of faecal pellets of the brown hyaena on the Namib coast showed that Cape fur seals and seabirds constitute a major portion of the diet of this animal. 'n Analise van die mis van die bruin hi~na langs die Namibkus het getoon dat Kaapse pelsrobbe en seevollis die grootste gedeelte van die dieet van hierdie dier uitmaak. The geographical range of the brown hyaena (Hyaena brun-neal includes the western seaboard of southern Africa (Skin-ner & van Aarde 1981). Within their home ranges, small groups of brown hyaenas have communal latrines containing ac-cumulations of faeces (Mills, Gorman & Mills 1980; Skinner & van Aarde 1981). In December 1 fJ77, I collected a total of 120 faecal pellets at three latrines of brown hyaenas near Bogenfels, on the Namibian coast, approximately 70 km south of Lilderitzbucht (26°38'S/IS°09'E). All but two of the pellets contained r~ mains of Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus) , in the form of skin, hair, tooth and other bone material (Table 1). Based on the teeth, bones (mainly phalanges) and colour of the hair of A. pussilus, 60070 of the pellets contained remains of sub-adult seals. Hair from mammals other than A. pusil/us was found in four pellets, and probably belonged to rodents in three 61 Table 1 Frequency of occurrence of food remains in 120 faecal pellets of brown hyaenas at Bogenfels Food item Cape fur seal Hair Skin and hair Bone Teeth Gerbil Hair Other mammals Hair Jackass penguin Feathers Bone Cormorants (Phalacrocorax spp.) Feathers Bone Kelp gull (Larus dominican us) Feathers Other birds (probably seabirds) Feathers Number of pellets 118 95 18 79 18 3 3 1 22 22 2 10 9 1 4 4 4 4 of these pellets. Feather and bone material derived from seabirds, primarily the jackass penguin (Spheniscus demersus), occurred in 40 pellets (Table 1). Traces of plant material were present in three pellets. These fmdings confmn the importance of marine mammals (Skinner & van Aarde 1981) and seabirds in the diet of the brown hyaena on the western seaboard of southern Africa. Acknowledgements Hamish Robertson and Peter Shaughnessy assisted with the identification of Cape fur seal remains. Permission to work at Bogenfels was granted by Consolidated Diamond Mines Ltd. References MILLS, M.G.L., GORMAN, M.L. & MILLS, M.E.J. 1980. The scent marking behaviour of the brown hyaena Hyaena brunnea. S. Afr. J. Zool. 15: 240-248. SKINNER, J.D. & VAN AARDE, R.J. 1981. The distribution and ecology of the brown hyaena Hyaena brunnea and spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta in the central Namib Desert. Madoqua 12: 231- 239. Reproduced by Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated 2010). 

English

An analysis of faecal pellets of the brown hyaena on the Namib coast

https://www.ajol.info/index.php/az/article/download/152654/142241

An analysis of faecal pellets of the brown hyaena on the Namib coast

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

AJOL - African Journals Online