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An evaluation of diet quality in two desert ungulates exposed to hyper-arid conditions
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: SR Henley D WardDesert-dwelling ungulates are frequently exposed to plant communities of poor nutritional quality and low abundance. We assessed the diet quality of a large-bodied non-ruminant, the Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus) and that of a small-bodied ruminant, the dorcas gazelle (Gazella... -
Heavy metal and faecal bacterial contamination of urban lakes in Yaoundé, Cameroon
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: J Demanou --- Laboratory of General Biology, Cameroon RE Brummett --- , CameroonConcentrations of faecal bacteria and heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Hg, Pb and Zn) were measured in fish, mud and water from two urban lakes in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The mean densities of faecal coliforms (FC) and faecal streptococ ci (FS) in... -
Bacterial levels in the Nyl River system, Limpopo province, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: R Greenfield --- Centre for Aquatic Research, Department of Zoology, South Africa JHJ van Vuren --- Centre for Aquatic Research, Department of Zoology, South Africa V Wepener --- Centre for Aquatic Research, Department of Zoology, South AfricaBecause water quantity and quality are of great importance in the arid Limpopo province, the bacterial content of water in the Nyl River System and its possible origins were assessed at five sites. Quarterly surveys took place between April 2001... -
Factors governing the removal of faecal indicator bacteria in the ecosystem of Lake Timsah, Egypt
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: M Bahgat --- Department of Botany,Persistence of faecal coliforms, presumptive Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus at three stations in Lake Timsah were investigated in 2010. Samples were collected by day and at night. Bacterial counts were highest at the outlet of wastewater discharged into the... -
Constipation in children
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Family Practice • Authors: RA Brown --- Department of Paediatric Surgery, RJ Wood --- Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital,Constipation in children is a universal problem, occurring in 0.7–28% of the population. The exact aetiology is unknown, but the majority of children have a functional, rather than organic, aetiology. Symptoms associated with constipation include abdominal pain, a poor appetite... -
Physiological stress levels in the endemic and endangered Udzungwa red colobus vary with elevation
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Claudia Barelli --- Sezione di Biodiversità Tropicale, MUSE – Museo delle Scienze, Italy Francesco Rovero --- Sezione di Biodiversità Tropicale, MUSE – Museo delle Scienze, Italy Keith Hodges --- Reproductive Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Germany Alessandro Araldi --- Reproductive Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Germany Michael Heistermann --- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Centre, GermanyHabitat loss and fragmentation inevitably cause biodiversity decline, a major concern for the conservation of endangered species. Primates are of particular interest, because they are highly vulnerable to forest fragmentation. In this study, we investigated faecal glucocorticoid measurements (FGCM), an... -
Determining adrenocortical activity as a measure of stress in African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) based on faecal analysis
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: A. Ganswindt --- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa A.S.W. Tordiffe --- National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, South Africa E. Stam --- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa M.J. Howitt --- National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, South Africa F. Jori --- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, South AfricaLittle is known about the levels of stress experienced by African buffalos affected by injury, disease, or socio-ecological and anthropogenic factors. To be able to start filling this gap, we examined the suitability of two 11-oxoaetiocholanolone enzyme-immunoassays (EIAs) detecting 11,17... -
Non-invasive measurement of adrenocortical activity in a myrmecophageous mammal, the bat-eared fox
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Aliza Le Roux --- Zoology and Entomology, South Africa Helene Botha --- Zoology and Entomology, South Africa Fredrik Dalerum --- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO, CSIC, PA), Spain Andre Ganswindt --- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, South AfricaMeasuring physiological stress reactions through the quantification of plasma cortisol often involves physical restraint, which acts as a stressor itself. Here, we present the validation of a non-invasive method for assessing adrenocortical activity as an indicator of stress in the... -
Stress steroid levels and the short-term impact of routine dehorning in female southern white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum simum)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Marcha Badenhorst --- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, South Africa Michelle Otto --- Buffalo Dream Ranch Wildlife Veterinary Services, South Africa Annemieke C van der Goot --- Lapalala Wilderness, South Africa André Ganswindt --- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, South AfricaRhinoceros populations in Africa are under severe threat as a result of surging poaching rates and risk-mitigation strategies are continuously adapted in an attempt to ensure the survival of the species. This study compared faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) levels of... -
An index of spring diet in the common flat lizard, Platysaurus intermedius wilhelmi
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Ian W. Murray --- , , South AfricaFlat lizards of the genus Platysaurus are primarily insectivorous, but some species are omnivorous, eating significant amounts of plant material. The common flat lizard, P. intermedius, is thought to forage on arthropods, flowers, leaves and fruit. However, this assertion is... -
Non-invasive assessment of adrenocortical activity as a measure of stress in leopards Panthera pardus
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Andrea B Webster --- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, South Africa Richard EJ Burroughs --- Department of Production Animal Studies. Faculty of Veterinary Science, South Africa Peter Laver --- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, South Africa André Ganswindt --- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, South AfricaLeopards Panthera pardus are classified in the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable, primarily due to habitat loss, natural prey base depletion and exploitation caused by various anthropogenic activities. Although protected areas are important for leopard conservation, the majority of suitable... -
Effects of seasonal variation, group size and sex on the activity budget and diet composition of the addax antelope
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Hicham Seri --- Laboratoire d’Elevage et de la Faune Sauvage, Tunisia Mohsen Chammem --- Laboratoire d’Elevage et de la Faune Sauvage, Tunisia Luis MM Ferreira --- CITAB-Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, Portugal Marwa Kechnebou --- Laboratoire d’Elevage et de la Faune Sauvage, Tunisia Touhami Khorchani --- Laboratoire d’Elevage et de la Faune Sauvage, Tunisia Severiano R Silva --- CECAV-Animal Science Department, PortugalBehaviour and diet composition are critical elements in conservation biology within the scope of reintroduction programs. Here we focused on addax (Addax nasomaculatus), a Critically Endangered antelope species, in the Jbil National Park, Tunisia. In this study, we advanced the... -
Why defaecate on your doorstep? Investigating an unusual behaviour in Africa’s smallest falcon
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Billi A Krochuk --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Diana Bolopo --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Anthony M Lowney --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Paul R Meyers --- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, South Africa Claire N Spottiswoode --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Rajendra MG Raman --- Department of Zoology, UK Robert L Thomson --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South AfricaDepositing faeces at the nest should be expected to carry risks such as increased parasite loads and disease exposure. This perplexing behaviour is unusual in birds but is consistently shown by a handful of species, and has been demonstrated to... -
Rotational grazing approaches reduces external and internal parasite loads in cattle
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Monde Rapiya --- Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, South Africa Heidi-Jayne Hawkins --- Department Biological Sciences, South Africa Voster Muchenje --- Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, South Africa John F Mupangwa --- Department of Animal Sciences, Namibia Munyaradzi C Marufu --- Department of Production Animal Studies, South Africa Kennedy Dzama --- Department of Animal Sciences, South Africa Cletos Mapiye --- Department of Animal Sciences, South AfricaWe tested whether holistic planned grazing (HPG) and four-camp grazing (FCG) rotational grazing approaches influence beef cattle parasites counts compared with continuous, season-long (SLG) grazing. We expected that parasite counts would increase linearly with increasing camp occupancy by cattle from... -
Physiological measure of animal welfare in relation to semi-captive African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) interaction programs
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Chloe E Grotto --- , South Africa Tanja Wolf --- , South Africa Elizabeth Berkeley --- , United States Stephen Lee --- , United States Andre Ganswindt --- , South AfricaElephant interaction programs, specifically ones that provide elephant back riding, have come under public scrutiny, and little information exists to show whether these activities affect animal welfare. This study examined the impact of human interactions and ride-based activities on physiological... -
Network Novel: Ngũgĩ wa Thiongo’s Wizard of the Crow and Dialogues in African Literature
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Eastern African Literary and Cultural Studies • Authors: Charles Kipng’eno Rono --- , KenyaThis essay reads Ngũgĩ wa Thiongo’s Wizard of the Crow (2006) as an intervention in the ongoing dialogues in African literature. Through the paradigms of ‘reciprocality’, ‘extensibility’ and ‘reconfigurability’, the essay gauges the impacts of dialoguing on the readings of... -
Nestling diet of the Algerian Nuthatch Sitta ledanti, an endemic threatened bird in Babors’ Kabylia region (north-eastern Algeria)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Mourad Zemouri --- , Algeria Lydia Asloune --- , Algeria Aida Adrar --- , Algeria Abdelouhab Bouchareb --- , Algeria Abdelazize Franck Bougaham --- , AlgeriaThe Algerian Nuthatch is an endemic and protected bird species in Algeria, and its different habitats are threatened by fires and others human actions; the species is therefore considered ‘Endangered’. A faecal samples analysis of the species’ nestlings was done... -
Food choice of an Algerian population of the spur‐thighed tortoise, Testudo graeca
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: The Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa • Authors: Rachid Rouag --- Centre universitaire d'El Tarf, Algerie Chahira Ferrah --- Université Badji Mokhtar, Algérie Luca Luiselli --- Centre of Environmental Studies Demetra s.r.l, Italia Ghoulem Tiar --- Université Badji Mokhtar, Algérie Slim Benyacoub --- Université Badji Mokhtar, Algérie Nadia Ziane --- Université Badji Mokhtar, Algérie El Hassan El Mouden --- Université Cadi Ayyad, MarocThe diet of an Algerian population of spur‐thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) was studied with the aims of exploring: (i) the variation in diet among males, females and juveniles, (ii) the relationships between consumption and relative availability of the plant species,... -
Diet selection by the threatened Chafarinas' skink Chalcides parallelus in North Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Emilio Civantos --- , , Spain Jesús Ortega --- , , Spain Pilar López --- , , Spain Ana Pérez-Cembranos --- , , Spain Valentín Pérez-Mellado --- , , Spain José Martín --- , , SpainStudies of diet suggest that skinks are opportunistic predators. However, there is little information on actual diet preferences because most studies do not evaluate the availability of prey in the environment. We analysed the diet selection of a population of... -
Diet preference of black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis at Welgevonden Game Reserve, South Africa, across seasons
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Joti Daya --- Nelson Mandela University – George Campus, South Africa Hervé Fritz --- Nelson Mandela University – George Campus, South Africa Jan A Venter --- Nelson Mandela University – George Campus, South AfricaDiet preference of the black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis was determined in Welgevonden Game Reserve (WGR), located in the Waterberg region of Limpopo Province, South Africa. Fieldwork was conducted in the dry, early wet and late wet seasons. Diet preference was... -
‘Vampire birds’: diet metabarcoding reveals that migrating Woodchat Shrikes Lanius senator consume engorged camel ticks in a desert stopover site
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Crinan Jarrett --- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Switzerland Marc Illa --- Institut Català d’Ornitologia, Nat-Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Spain Marta Burri --- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Switzerland Gabriel Marcacci --- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Switzerland Vanessa A Mata --- Universidade do Porto, Portugal Maria Luisa Boglino --- Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Austria Oumnia Himmi --- Mohammed V University of Rabat, Institut Scientifique, Morocco Ivan Maggini --- Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Austria Barbara Helm --- Swiss Ornithological Institute, SwitzerlandData on the diets of Afro-Palearctic migratory birds outside their breeding grounds are scarce, despite the importance of feeding during the migratory journey. Here, we report on anecdotal findings from a study in which we used diet metabarcoding to analyse...