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Orphaned young African servals at the Impendle Nature Reserve in Natal were hand raised and released into the wild. They were first fed a Darasol solution and water to maintain hydration. Once a little older, a supplement of 60:40 milk and water with Calsup (a calcium supplement) and vitamin drops were given. In time of weaning, minced chicken was fed gradually scaling up to dead, then live, mice.
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Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Leptailurus_serval/ |
The Tsodilo thick-toed gecko (Pachydactylus tsodiloensis), is a strict endemic of the Kalahari acacia-baikaiea woodlands ecoregion. It is found only on the Tsodilo Hills in the northwest of the ecoregion. This Kalahari woodland supports a rich and diverse fauna, including a variety of ungulates and a number of threatened large mammalian taxa. The climate of the ecoregion is semi-arid, with droughts occurring on a seven-year cycle. To the south of the ecoregion, where the climate becomes more arid, the sandveld vegetation grades into the sparse, shrubby, Acacia-dominated Kalahari Xeric savanna ecoregion. To the north, the climate becomes moister and the vegetation grades into a mesic savanna or woodland dominated by Baikiaea plurijuga, the Zambezian Baikiaea woodland ecoregion.
The ecoregion supports many of the charismatic large mammals associated with African savannas. While these species are not endemic, several are listed as threatened by the IUCN, including the critically endangered Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), and two species listed as vulnerable, the Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and the Brown hyena (Hyaena brunnea). Predators range from smaller species such as African civet (Civettictis civetta) and Serval (Felis serval) to Lion (Panthera leo), Leopard (Panthera pardus), Painted hunting dog (Lycaon pictus) and both Brown and Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta). Many of the large herbivores found in the ecoregion undertake seasonal migrations, especially during droughts. Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), eland (Taurotragus oryx), zebra (Equus burchelli), buffalo (Syncerus caffer), and Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) all migrate within this ecoregion.
The ecoregion has a rich and colourful avian fauna, with 468 species recorded to date. Bradfield’s hornbill (Tockus bradfieldi) is one of only two species considered near-endemic to this ecoregion, found in the north of the ecoregion, the Okavango Alluvial Fan, and northwest Zimbabwe, where it is utilises Baikiaea and mixed Mopane woodlands. The Blackfaced babbler (Turdoides melanops) is the other near-endemic, found in the area west of the Okavango Alluvial Fan and extending into Namibia. It inhabits the understory of broad-leafed and mixed Acacia woodlands. The lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotus), is considered vulnerable and is found throughout the ecoregion.
There are 31 amphibian and 92 reptile species found within the ecoregion. None of the amphibian species is endemic or near-endemic, but six of the reptile species are near-endemic, and one, the Tsodilo thick-toed gecko (Pachydactylus tsodiloensis), is a strict endemic. It is found only on the Tsodilo Hills in the northwest of the ecoregion. Near-endemic reptilians include Kalahari purple-glossed snake (Amblyodipsas ventrimaculata), Kalahari ground gecko (Colopus wahlbergii), and Leonard’s spade-snouted worm lizard (Monopeltis leonhardi).
- World Wildlife Fund & C.MIchael Hogan. 2015. Kalahari Acacia-baikaiea Woodlands. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and Environment. Washington DC
- A. Campbell. 1990. The nature of Botswana: a guide to conservation and development. IUCN, Harare, Zimbabwe. ISBN: 2880329345
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Rights holder/Author | cc-by-nc-sa 3.0 |
Source | http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/51cbee467896bb431f6969a7/555126e40cf2cf51fd0edc16/?topic=51cbfc79f702fc2ba8129ee0 |
The grey heron is the largest heron in Europe (3). It has a long neck, a strong, dagger-like bill and long yellow legs (2). In flight, the neck is folded back (4), and the wings are bowed (2). In adults, the forehead, sides of the head and the centre of the crown are white, whereas in juveniles these are greyish (2). The sexes are similar in appearance (2).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/grey-heron/ardea-cinerea/ |
The grey heron feeds mainly on fish (4), which it hunts by patiently standing completely still at the side of the water, and striking rapidly when a fish comes into range (2). The prey is caught in the bill or speared; amphibians, small mammals, birds and invertebrates may also be taken (4). Feeding areas are often vigorously defended against intruders (3). It breeds either solitarily or in colonies, called heronries, in woodland close to water (2). The heronries are usually traditional sites used by successive generations (4). The flat nest of sticks is built in the crown of the tree early in the year, and 4 or 5 eggs are laid towards the end of March (4), though often earlier in mild winters (7). Both parents share the duties of incubation, which takes 25-26 days. The young, which are covered in down in their first days of life and are fed on regurgitated fish, fledge after 20-30 days (4).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/grey-heron/ardea-cinerea/ |
Foxes (Canidae, usually Vulpes species) are the primary predators of grey herons. Crows (Corvus species) may feed upon grey heron eggs, but typically only eggs that have already been abandoned. Human activities, particularly hunting, capturing, and polluting, often are responsible for grey heron mortality.
Known Predators:
- crows (Corvus)
- carrion crows (Corvus corone)
- foxes (Vulpes)
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Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Ardea_cinerea/ |
The grey heron is not currently threatened; indeed it is increasing its range, and is now more abundant in Britain than it has ever been since monitoring of heronries began in 1928 (5). This may be the result of an increase in temperature during winter, and a fall in levels of persecution (5).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/grey-heron/ardea-cinerea/ |
Maximum longevity: 22.9 years (captivity)
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Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2002 - 2009 by Joao Pedro de Magalhaes |
Source | http://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Ardea_goliath |
Not a lot of information was available detailing the role of A. frontalis in its ecosystem. These hedgehogs provide a source of food to those animals that do eat them, although, given their sharp spines, hedgehogs are not a main souce of food for any particular animal. Hedgehogs compete with other large insectivores for resources, which may force one of the two to leave an area. This competition may influence the distribution of hedgehogs. Also, through their foraging behavior, these animals may affect populations of invertebrates and small vertebrates.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Atelerix_frontalis/ |
The goose-like comb duck gets its common name from the large, fleshy, dark grey growth or 'comb' on the top of the male's black beak (3) (5), an unusual and distinctive structure which enlarges during the breeding season (2) (6). Male comb ducks are large birds, with glossy blue-black or green-black upperparts, tail and wings, white underparts and pale grey flanks. The top of the head and back of the neck are black, and the rest of the head is white, speckled black, with yellow tinges on the sides and on the neck during the breeding season. Narrow black bands run along the sides of the upper breast. The comb duck's legs and feet are dark grey, and the eyes dark brown (3) (7). Females are slightly smaller than males, with less glossy plumage, less well-defined black breast bands, more speckling on the head, which lacks any yellowish tinge, and sometimes with brownish mottling on the underparts. Females also lack the male's 'comb' (3) (5) (7). Young comb ducks are brownish, with a dark eye-stripe, and attain adult plumage in the second year (2) (3) (7). There are two subspecies of comb duck: the Old World comb duck, Sarkidiornis melanotos melanotos, and the South American comb duck, Sarkidiornis melanotos sylvicola, which was previously treated as a separate species and is still considered a full species by some (2) (7) (8). South American comb ducks are distinguished from their Old World counterparts by their smaller size, smaller comb, and darker sides and flanks, which are glossy black in the male and dark grey or brown in the female (3) (7) (9).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/comb-duck/sarkidiornis-melanotos/ |
The comb duck is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning international trade in comb ducks should be carefully monitored and controlled (4). It is also listed under Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), which aims to conserve migratory species throughout their range and lists species that would benefit from international co-operation (11), and on Annex 2 of the associated African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), which calls upon parties to engage in a range of conservation actions to help protect and conserve bird species that are dependent on wetlands for at least part of their annual cycle (12). The comb duck is currently part of a satellite tracking programme aimed at improving understanding of wild duck behaviour and migratory routes in light of the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus (13).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/comb-duck/sarkidiornis-melanotos/ |