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Effects of Afforestation and Clearfelling on birds and small Mammals at Grootvadersbosch, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Forestry Journal • Authors: A.J. Armstrong --- Department of Nature Conservation, Republic of South Africa H.J. van Hensbergen --- Department of Nature Conservation, Republic of South AfricaResults from a short-term study of birds and small mammals in pine plantations, regenerating clear-felled sites and indigenous forest and fynbos habitats at Grootvadersbosch, southern Cape, indicate that the pine faunal assemblages are pauperised in relation to those of the... -
Are Pine Plantations “Inhospitable Seas” around Remnant Native Habitat within South-western Cape Forestry Areas?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Forestry Journal • Authors: A.J. Armstrong --- Department of Nature Conservation, South Africa H.J. van Hensbergen --- Department of Nature Conservation, South Africa D.F. Scott --- Jonkershoek Forestry Research Centre, South Africa S.J. Milton --- , South AfricaSome areas of forestry estates, including unplantable ones, may be zoned and managed for nature conservation. This paper is an analysis of the results of studies of plants, birds and small mammals at Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch, to determine whether pine plantations... -
Some observations on rodent and antelope damage in commercial forest plantations
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: N.S. Eccles --- , Republic of South Africa K.M. Little --- , Republic of South AfricaThe impact of various weeding and site-preparation treatments on Acacia mearnsii and Pinus patula damage by mammalian pests was assessed. Browsing by small antelope on Acacia mearnsii was significantly less in areas where harvesting residues had been retained rather than... -
The first African Marine Mammal Colloquium, South Africa, May 2010
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: SH Elwen --- , South Africa M Thornton --- , South Africa SP Kirkman --- Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa PA Pistorius --- Department of Zoology, South Africa CR Weir --- , UKThe African Marine Mammal Colloquium (AMMC) was initiated to provide a platform for increased collaboration and communication between researchers working on marine mammals in and around Africa. The first meeting of the AMMC was held at Kleinbaai, South Africa, in... -
Bioaccumulation of platinum group metals in dolphins, Stenella sp., caught off Ghana
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: DK EssumangPlatinum group metals (PGMs) concentrations were measured in the tissues= of dolphins (Stenella sp.) caught along the Ghanaian coastline. Tissues from specimens caught by fishermen from Dixcove, western Ghana, were analysed in 2006 for palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt) and rhodium... -
Do inter-colony differences in Cape fur seal foraging behaviour reflect large-scale changes in the northern Benguela ecosystem?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: M Skern-Mauritzen --- , Norway SP Kirkman --- Animal Demography Unit, Department of Zoology, South Africa E Olsen --- , Norway A Bjørge --- , Norway L Drapeau --- , France MA Meÿer --- Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa J-P Roux --- Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Namibia S Swanson --- Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa WH Oosthuizen --- Department of Environmental Affairs, South AfricaThe northern Benguela ecosystem adjoining Namibia has undergone considerable changes in recent decades, with reductions and northwards shifts of key prey species that have had severe implications for marine top predator populations. We investigated how such environmental variability may impact... -
Echidnophaga suricatta (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), a new species of flea from the Northern Cape Province, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Michael W. Hastriter --- Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, U.S.A.Echidnophaga suricatta (Pulicidae), a new species of flea collected from the meerkat (Suricata suricatta Schreber, 1776) near Garies (30°22’S, 17°31’E) and Brandvlei (30°27’S, 20°29’E), Northern Cape Province, South Africa, is described. Based on chaetotaxy of the tarsal segments, this new... -
Small mammal communities on cattle and game grazing areas in Namibia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: C. Muck --- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany U. Zeller --- Museum für Naturkunde, GermanyThis study was conducted as part of the interdisciplinary biodiversity project BIOTA and describes small mammal communities on two differently managed farmlands (cattle and game farm) in Namibia over the course of one year. Species diversity, density and activity are... -
A comparative analysis of components incorporated in conservation priority assessments: a case study based on South African species of terrestrial mammals
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: M. Keith --- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa C. T. Chimimba --- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa B. Reyers --- Natural Resources and the Environment, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa A. S. van Jaarsveld --- Department of Botany and Zoology, South AfricaAssessing the risk of extinction to species forms an essential part of regional conservation initiatives that facilitate the allocation of limited resources for conservation. The present study conducted conservation priority assessments for 221 South African terrestrial mammal species using existing... -
Small mammal diversity and density on the Bokkeveld escarpment, South Africa – implications for conservation and livestock predation
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: P. J. O‘Farrell --- Botany Department, South Africa J. S. Donaldson --- South African National Biodiversity Institute, South Africa M. T. Hoffman --- Botany Department, South Africa A. D. Mader --- South African National Biodiversity Institute, South AfricaA preliminary investigation of the diversity and density of small mammals in four structurally distinct habitat types in an actively-utilized farming landscape was carried out. We sought to understand how diversity and density are influenced by landscape structure, habitat structure... -
isiXhosa names of South African land mammals
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: J. M. Feely [AN0001]The isiXhosa colloquial names of 86 taxa of South African land mammals recorded in three mammalogical works and three isiXhoxa dictionaries are tabulated and discussed. This reveals several ambiguities, discrepancies, inconsistencies and uncertainties, as well those species and groups of... -
Exploring the diversity and molecular evolution of shrews (family Soricidae) using mtDNA cytochrome b data
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Sandi Willows-Munro --- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, South Africa Conrad A. Matthee --- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, South AfricaThe taxonomy of the shrews (family Soricidae) is primarily underpinned by the analysis of morphology characters. These morphological characters are, however, often plesiomorphic and difficult to interpret in an evolutionarily meaningful way. Recent molecular studies have provided some clarity at... -
West-Central African Pleistocene lowland forest evolution revealed by the phylogeography of Misonne’s soft-furred mouse
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Violaine Nicolas --- Département de Systématique et Evolution, France Alain-Didier Missoup --- Département de Systématique et Evolution, France Marc Colyn --- UMR CNRS 6553 Ecobio, Université de Rennes 1, Station Biologique, France Corinne Cruaud --- Genoscope, Centre National de Sequençage, 2, rue Gaston Crémieux, France Christiane Denys --- Département de Systématique et Evolution, FranceWe studied the phylogeographical structure of Praomys misonnei (Rodentia: Muridae) in west-Central Africa based on 113 individuals from 31 localities and the sequencing of two mitochondrial genes (Cytb and CO1). Two clades can be identified through maximum likelihood, bayesian and... -
The influence of fire on rodent abundance at the N’washitshumbe enclosure site, Kruger National Park, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: D.N. MacFadyen --- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa N.L. Avenant --- Department of Mammalogy, South Africa M. van der Merwe --- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa G.J. Bredenkamp --- Department of Plant Sciences, South AfricaThe relative population numbers of rodents were studied in nine habitats in and outside the N’washitshumbe enclosure site, Kruger National Park, before and after burning the firebreaks that surround the enclosure. Trap success was exceptionally high, and the field work... -
Integrating research with management: the case of Katavi National Park, Tanzania
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: T. Caro --- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, U.S.A. M. Elisa --- Katavi National Park, Tanzania J. Gara --- Katavi National Park, Tanzania D. Kadomo --- Katavi National Park, Tanzania A. Martin --- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, U.S.A. D. Mushi --- Katavi National Park, Tanzania C. Timbuka --- Katavi National Park, TanzaniaMany protected areas in Africa and elsewhere suffer from several external pressures making it difficult for management to set priorities. For example, aerial censuses show that many mammal populations in the Katavi-Rukwa ecosystem of western Tanzania are declining. Vehicle transect... -
Rules of attraction: the role of bait in small mammal sampling at high altitude in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Armand D. Kok --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa Daniel M. Parker --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa Nigel P. Barker --- Botany Department, South AfricaBaits or lures are commonly used for surveying small mammal communities, not only because they attract large numbers of these animals, but also because they provide sustenance for trapped individuals. In this study we used Sherman live traps with five... -
Towards an isotope ecology of Cape Fynbos small mammals
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Irene M. van den Heuvel --- Biozentrum Grindel, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany Jeremy J. Midgley --- Department of Botany, South AfricaWe investigated ecological separation through dietary partitioning of small mammals in the nutrient-poor Fynbos biome using a stable isotope approach. Hair samples from eight species of co-occurring small mammals in two separate locations were analysed for stable carbon (13C/12C) and... -
Relative merits of using purified proteins and natural foods in studies of wildlife nutrition: the nitrogen requirements of a rodent pollinator
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Ian G. Van Tets --- Department of Zoology, South Africa Ken Hutchings --- Department of Zoology, South Africa Susan Nicolson --- Department of Zoology, South AfricaAethomys namaquensis is a 60 g murid rodent that is an important pollinator of several Protea species in South Africa. We compared the nitrogen requirements of this species on two different protein sources: pollen and casein. Pollen is an important... -
Influences of food quality and quantity on the male reproductive organs of a seasonally breeding rodent, the pouched mouse (Saccostomus campestris), from a seasonal but unpredictable environment
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: G.M. Tinney --- Department of Zoology & Entomology, South Africa R.T.F. Bernard --- Department of Zoology & Entomology, South Africa R.M. White --- Department of Zoology, South AfricaReproduction in the pouched mouse (Saccostomus campestris) is inhibited in winter in the field and this seasonality is not controlled by photoperiod alone. The present study examines the hypothesis that reproduction in the pouched mouse is opportunistic (sensu Bronson 1989)... -
Potential distributions of the medium- to large-sized mammals in the Cape Floristic Region, based on historical accounts and habitat requirements>
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: A.F. Boshoff --- Terrestrial Ecology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, South Africa L.J. Kerley --- Terrestrial Ecology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, South AfricaConservation planning in the Cape Floristic Region, a recognized world plant diversity hotspot, required systematic (i.e. presence/absence) information on the estimated distributions of the medium- to large-sized mammals. A pragmatic approach for obtaining distribution estimates, for the period prior to... -
Opportunistic breeding in the Cape spiny mouse (Acomys subspinosus)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: P.A. Fleming [AN0001] S.W Nicolson --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South AfricaThe relationship between Protea humiflora and its small mammal pollinators was investigated at the fynbos/karoo ecotone in the Riviersonderend Mountains, South Africa. Acomys subspinosus occurred in low densities at Jonaskop, with around 3.9 ± 2.0 (mean ± 1 S.D.) individuals/ha... -
A contribution from barn owl pellets to known micromammalian distributions in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: D. Margaret Avery --- South African Museum (Iziko Museums of Cape Town), South Africa Graham Avery --- South African Museum (Iziko Museums of Cape Town), South Africa Anthony Roberts --- KwaZulu Natal Nature Conservation Service, South AfricaSamples of barn owl pellets were collected from the Dundee, Estcourt and Kokstad areas of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, during March 2000 for their micromammalian prey remains. Other material collected from near Pietermaritzburg in 1988/89 by the late J.O. Wirminghaus was... -
Ecological variables governing habitat suitability and the distribution of the endangered Juliana’s golden mole
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Craig R. Jackson --- Mammal Research Institute, South Africa Trine Hay Setsaas --- Department of Biology, Norway Mark P. Robertson --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa Nigel C. Bennett --- Mammal Research Institute, South AfricaJuliana’s golden mole (Neamblysomus julianae) occurs in three isolated populations in the northeastern parts of South Africa. This cryptic species is not evenly distributed throughout its restricted range and appears to have very specific habitat requirements. Its endangered status reflects... -
Is the Black Harrier Circus maurus a specialist predator? Assessing the diet of a threatened raptor species endemic to southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Marie-Sophie Garcia-Heras --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa François Mougeot --- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Spain Beatriz Arroyo --- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Spain Graham Avery --- Iziko South African Museum, South Africa Margaret Avery --- Iziko South African Museum, South Africa Robert E Simmons --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South AfricaStudying the diet of wild animals is central for understanding their flexibility in food requirements. The Black Harrier Circus maurus is an endangered raptor in South Africa and Namibia. To date, information about the diet of the species is insufficient... -
Game fence presence and permeability influences the local movement and distribution of South African mammals
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Tara J Pirie --- People and Wildlife Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, UK Rebecca L Thomas --- People and Wildlife Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, UK Mark DE Fellowes --- People and Wildlife Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, UKFences are utilised throughout the world to restrict the movements of wildlife, protecting them from threats and reducing human–wildlife conflict. In South Africa the number of privately-owned fenced game reserves has greatly increased in recent years, but little is known... -
Assessing the impacts of domesticated versus wild ungulates on terrestrial small mammal assemblages at Telperion Nature Reserve, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Bonginkosi C Gumbi --- Department of Biological Sciences, Swaziland Julie T Shapiro --- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, USA Themba Mahlaba --- Department of Biological Sciences, Swaziland Robert McCleery --- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, USA Duncan MacFadyen --- Department of Research and Conservation, E Oppenheimer and Sons, Marshalltown, South Africa Ara Monadjem --- Department of Biological Sciences, SwazilandGrazing by large mammals alters vegetation physiognomy, consequently changing habitat suitability for small mammal communities. We investigated the response of terrestrial small mammals to grazing by wild and domesticated ungulates at the boundary of a protected area (Telperion Nature Reserve)... -
Variation in mammal species richness and relative abundance in the Karoo
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Zoë Woodgate --- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa Greg Distiller --- Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Science, South Africa Justin O’Riain --- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, South AfricaUnderstanding how climate change and land transformation may impact the distribution and diversity of wildlife species requires landscape-level foundational biodiversity surveys. The Karoo BioGaps Project aims to provide such data and to support the scientific assessment for shale gas development... -
The autumn occurrence and spatial distribution of cetaceans in the waters of Mauritania during a geophysical survey in 2012
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: G Russell --- , United Kingdom A Sánchez-Cabanes --- , United Kingdom M Nimak-Wood --- , United KingdomThis study aimed to identify the occurrence and spatial distribution of cetaceans in Mauritanian waters (eastern Atlantic). A geophysical survey was conducted over 92 days between September and December 2012. Over 967 km was surveyed, with 1 017 h of... -
Stakeholders’ perceptions of mammal occurrence and abundance on agricultural properties bordering the Boland Mountain Complex, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Willem A Nieman --- , South Africa Brittany C Schultz --- , South Africa Anita Wilkinson --- , South Africa Alison J Leslie --- , South AfricaThe encroachment of agricultural landscapes on natural ecosystems poses a significant threat to native wildlife persistence. In the Boland Mountain Complex (BMC), the presence of mammals was well documented in the 20th century, but an updated account is lacking. This... -
Temporal partitioning of diurnal bird and nocturnal small mammal visitors to a winter flowering endemic succulent
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Stephanie L Payne --- , South Africa Craig T Symes --- , South Africa Ed TF Witkowski --- , South AfricaFloral nectar is an important attractant and reward for visitors, and is often produced in synchrony with peak activity of pollinators. Aloe peglerae flowers in winter, and previous studies have shown that it is pollinated primarily by diurnal generalist birds,... -
Small mammal species diversity and distribution in the Selous ecosystem, Tanzania
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Aenea Saanya --- , United Republic of Tanzania Apia Massawe --- , United Republic of Tanzania Rhodes Makundi --- , United Republic of TanzaniaThreats to ecosystems are ever increasing from different drivers mostly being linked to anthropogenic activities. This has brought about various measures to restore/protect the wildlife in these areas. Considering the background of most protected areas in East Africa, small mammals... -
To move or not? Tourists’ perceptions and management considerations of a beached whale carcass in a South African national park and marine protected area
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: MKS Smith --- , South Africa GS Penry --- Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa MM Mokhatla --- , South AfricaThe handling of beached cetacean carcasses requires social, legal, financial, ecological and logistical considerations. However, limited research on the topic hinders informed decision-making. A large humpback whale carcass that washed ashore at a South African marine protected area (MPA) provided... -
Diversity, abundance and habitat association of small mammals in Maze National Park, Ethiopia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Belayneh Ayechw --- Arba Minch University, Ethiopia Simon Shibru --- Arba Minch University, Ethiopia Serekebirhan Takele --- Arba Minch University, Ethiopia Abraham Tolcha --- Arba Minch University, Ethiopia Matewos Masne --- Arba Minch University, Ethiopia Zewudneh Tomass --- Arba Minch University, EthiopiaWe investigated species composition, relative abundance, habitat association and density of small mammals in Maze National Park, Ethiopia. Data were collected using the capture-mark-recapture technique in three representative habitat types (grassland, bushland and riverine forest) from November 2021 to August... -
Comparing seismic survey mitigation regulations: lessons for South Africa from international frameworks
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: J Purdon --- Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa MJ Somers --- University of Pretoria, South Africa FW Shabangu --- University of Pretoria, South Africa Y Doh --- , France J Scheun --- Tshwane University of Technology, South AfricaUnderwater seismic surveys generate high-intensity, low-frequency noise that can negatively affect a range of marine fauna. As a result, countries have implemented mitigation regulations to reduce the potential impacts of this activity. This study examines seismic survey mitigation regulations from... -
Effects of grazing regimes on ground-dwelling small mammal distribution and abundance in rangelands at Gravelotte, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: AW Bio Keri --- The Regional Post-Graduate Training School on Integrated Management of Tropical Forests and Lands (ERAIFT), University of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo J De Groot --- Southern African Wildlife College, South Africa PM Hamming --- Southern African Wildlife College, South Africa S Ntie --- Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku (USTM), Gabon SGA Nago --- Université de Parakou (UP), Benin EBO Ahouandjinou --- Federal University of Technology, Nigeria AJ Gardiner --- Southern African Wildlife College, South AfricaUnderstanding the impact of grazing on wildlife communities is essential for implementing sustainable grazing practices that promote biodiversity conservation. This study investigated the effects of three grazing regimes (Wildlife and Cattle Grazing, Traditional Rotational Selective Grazing, and Holistic Planned Grazing... -
Seasonal consumption of Thamnochortus spicigerus (Restionaceae) by eland is associated with plant sex and nutrient status
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Petro Botha --- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa Bruce Anderson --- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, South AfricaHistoric distributions of large herbivores in the Fynbos Biome remain poorly described and, despite ongoing reintroductions, their dietary strategies and forage selection in the Fynbos Biome are understudied. We monitored an introduction of eland into Cape Flats Dune Strandveld vegetation,...