Mammals Types Flashcards
Elephant
Order: Proboscidae (Rüsseltiere)
Family: Elephantidae
Scientific: Loxodonta Africana
M 3,2m > F 2,4m
M 5500- 6000kg
F 3800-4000 kg
Mixed feeders, prefer grazing
170kg food / 160l water per day
—> 18h/d, digesting only 40%
Home-range animal, seldom territorial with water holes
50-60 years
Gestation period 22 months
Warning signs: facing a threat,ears held forward, shaking the head with loud flaps of the ears against the body, trumpeting
Mock-charge: head high run, ears spread, trumpeting
Serious charge: head down, ears nach, minimum noise and maximum speed
Calves <1y pass under the females belly
Weaning at 2-3 years
Half adult size 12-15 years
in the 20th cows 90%, bulls 80% of full size
Bulls leave the herd around 12-15 years, associate with suitable bulls until 20-25 years before getting independent
Musth:
Elevated testosterone causes increase of aggression and sexual desire
first time around 20-25 years, weak, short-lived and unpredictable
Bulls seek actively out oestrus cows over long ranges
> 35 years full-blown musth
lasts several months
compete for mating rights
Cows first oestrus between 12-15 years
Leopard / Panthera parsus
Leopard - Panthera parsus
Order:Carnivora
Family: Felidae
M>F,
M: 60 kg, 65cm
W: 32 kg, 60 cm
up to 20 years
Solitary,territorial
Extremely adapted,
Prefer wooded areas and rocky outcrops
Gestation time3,5 months
2 cubs
Remain with mother at least a year
suckled for three month
Carmouflage: black rosettes at the back and flank on golden fur
Underside almost white with black spots
White- tipped tail and black markings back of their ears
—> follow me
Warning signs: fixed stare, flattening it’s body in a crouched position,
Lowering ears back, flicking tail, snarling and growling
—> backing off diagonally, don’t stare or run
If charged stand still, avoid eye contact
Wild dog/ Lycaon picture
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Size: 75cm at shoulder
20-30 kg
6-12years
Gestation 70days; 7-10 pups (up to 21)
Savanna woodland, broken hilly country with open plains
Diet: impala, small to medium antelopes
Most endangered animal (second to Ethiopian wolf)
Only alpha pair breeds, cooperative breeders
Denning period coincides with end of impala breeding season
Spotted hyena / Crocuta crocuta
Order: Carnivora
Family:Hyaenidae
85 cm at shoulder
M: 60 kg < F: 70-80 kg
20 years
Gestation 16 weeks, 2 pups, communal den, breeding throughout the year with peak in December/January (abundance of young antelope)
Cubs often kill each other (siblicide) worse when they have the same sex.
Cubs are black, by 4 month spotting begins at the flanks
Cubs are born with canines and incisor teeth
Clans dominated by larger , more aggressive females
Coursers (hunting by chasing), eliminating sick and old animals
Territorial, scent-marking, pasting with their anal pouch, scratching, defecating in midterms and vocalise
Large heart- to- body ratio (twice that of a lion)allowing great running stamina ( Ausdauer)
Massive jaw pressure of 800kg/cm^2
Females have a pseudo-penis (=erectile clitoris) and pseudo scrotum (no vagina)
Urogenital canal for urinating, mating and giving birth
Lion / Panthera leo
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
M 190 kg > F 130kg
Shoulder height: m 1m / f 90cm
Lifespan: males about 10 y, females up to 15 y
Independent of water, get moisture from prey or eating Tasmania melon
Nocturnal ambush predators, scavengers
Mating: lion and lioness leave the pride 2-4 days, mate every 15 minutes for about 1 minute
Very low fertility rate , small percentage of gestation ( 1 cub reaching one year needs mating 3000 times)
Gestation period: 3,5 months, 2-3 cubs about 1,5kg, mother leaves the pride for 4-8 weeks to secure feeding
Lionesses synchronise their breeding , all mothers suckle each other’s cubs
roar over 110 decibels, heard at least 5 km
Buffalo / Syncerus caffer
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
M 600kg> F 450kg
140-145 cm
20-25years
Water dependent (drink up to 35l at a time)
Bulk grazers early morning, late after noon, full moon
Most mating in February, many dominant males will mate with one cow
Gestation period 11 month, one calf about 40 kg
Weaned after 1 1/2y
First calf around 5 years old
Males mature by 3-4 years, will not be large or strong enough to compete for mating rights until they are at least 10
Calves brownish, fully grown by 3-4 years
Horns continue to grow
Herd animals with males hierarchy, many subverts can build a herd
Males live in Bachelor Herds
Dagga Boys
Excellent sense of smell,
Alert gestures: stop, turn and face the disturbance,head held high, ears cocked forward, stare down his nose
threatening gesture: snorting, pawing the ground, few steps in your direction, serious charges often begin with a guttural growl. Once it started it will not stop!
Black Rhino / Diceros bicornis
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Rhinocerotidae
M 850kg > F 850kg
160 cm
40 years
Water dependent browsers
Active night and day, resting in shade during heat
Gestation period 15 month, one offspring weaned at two years, stays with mother 2-4 years, until next pregnancy
Reach full size at 8 years
Until fully grown they seek for another rhino that is not caring to stay with them
Primarily solitary, not strictly territorial
Smaller than white rhino, smaller held-high head
Prehensile lips for browsing leaves and fruit, tolerating poisonous plants
Calfs run behind their mother
Bulls fight aggressively over females in oestrus
Acute senses of smell and hearing, poor eyesight
Branches of trees and bushes are bitten of in an 45 degree angle
Wallow in mud and rub against trees, rocks and stumps to get rid off ectoparasites
Familiar rubbing posts
Same territory midden for M &F, both urinate and scrape mark
White Rhinoceros/ Ceratotherium simum
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Rhinoceritidae
M 2000kg> F 1600kg
M 1,7m > F 1,6m
40 years
Second largest land mammal
Water-dependent grazers, selective grazers, prefers short fresh growth
Early morning, late afternoon
Gestation period 16 months, 1 offspring, weaning at about one year, remain 2-3 years with mother until next pregnancy
fully grown at 8 years, first calf with 6 years
Males competitive for territory and females, staring around 10 years
Small group( = crash of rhino) with a territorial bull and several cows and their calves, sometimes submissive bulls, too
Bulls mark territory with dung middens and urin spraying
Broad, square shaped lips
Large nuchal hump
Hippopotamus / Hippopotamus amphibious
Order: Wippomorpha
Family: Hippopotamidae
M 1500kg > F 1300 kg
M 1,7 > F 1,6 m
40 years
Water-dependent grazers, predominantly at night
Gestation period 8 months, 40-50 kg,
First calf around 4 years
Cows will stay in a herd their entire life
Bulls mature sexually at 7, fight for territory at 12-15, only 10% will ever hold territory, many bulls live as submissive bulls
Serious territorial fights are common, often result in death
Territorial marking in water by vocalisation and display, on land by trashing dung on bushes and tree stumps
Can run up to 36km/h
Kill up to 2900 humans a year
Tusks are modified canines, grow continuously, can get 30-50cm long
Can submerge 5-6 minutes, 2 months old only 40 sec
They walk on the bottom of rivers
Cheetah / Acinonyx jubatus
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
M 55 kg > F 45kg
88cm/85cm
16 years
Open plains, savanna woodland
Survive without surface water
Chase hunters, short dash under 300m
Top speed over 100km/h, acceleration 0-100 km/h in 3 seconds
Diurnal hunters, seldom scavenge
Home range animals, some males are territorial
Males are gregarious, build coalitions of up to 7
Females solitary, cubs remain with her for more than a year
Gestation period 3 months, litter of 4 cubs (250g), weaned at 3 months, first kill about a year
Body adaptions to speed:
Non- protective claws—> offer extra purchase on the ground when sprinting
Deep chest with large lungs —> large heart-to-body rate
Short snout and large nostrils —> free air flow to the lungs
Long, thick tail—> used as rudder to counterbalance if it turns sharply and fast
Thin waist and highly flexible spine allows the hind legs to come further forward when running
Warning signs: raising of the hair on the neck and back, flattening the ears, snarling and hissing
Sounds: bird-like chirp, hiss, snarl, purr. They cannot roar!
Tear marks from their eyes , along their nose to the corners of the mouth
Young cheetahs up to 3 month have a mantle of grey fur along their back resembling the colours of a honey badger
Brown hyaena / Hyaena Brunei
Order: Carnivora
Family: Hyaenidae
M 40kg> F 38kg
80/75cm
20-25 years
Driest and harshest habitats, totally independent of surface water
Aggressive scavengers ( seldom hunt), insects, fruits
Solitary when foraging, belonging to clans with a hierarchy amongst males and females
Mating during winter with Normandie males, gestation period 3 months
Birth coincides with the harshest time of year, when most animals succumb from drought and starvation
2-3 cubs born in the den, weaned after 15months
Warning signs: raise the long shaggy hair on their mane
Giraffe / Giraffe camelopardalis
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Giraffidae
M: 1200kg > F 820kg
4-5,5/ 3,5-4,5m shoulder height
25 years
Open woodland, dry savanna, light forest and desert
Independent of water, browsers ( 34 kg/ day), osteophagia, geophagia
Early morning late afternoon
Gregarious in loos herds, home rang animals,
Mating before the first rain, gestation period 14 months, 1 calf, birth drop about 2m
First three weeks calves are hidden but moved after every feeding
Bond to mother around two years, than natal groups for several years
Males become darker with age, develop lumps on their forehead as calcium deposits
Ossicones of males stouter and hairless, females more tufted and elegant
Tongue and lips are prehensile , covered with horny papillae cells for protection from thorns
Tongue up to 45 cm long
Heart can weigh 11 kg to manage the required blood pressure, heart beat in rest 140-150/min
Several valves in the jugular vein to prevent rush of blood in the brain when drinking
Rete mirabilis assist slowing down the blood flow in both directions
Giraffes fight by necking
Powerful kicking for defence
Mammal polinator of Acacia nigrescens
7 neck vertebrae up to 25cm high
Plains Zebra (Burchell’s Zebra)/ Equus quagga
Order: Perissodactyla (Unpaarhufer)
Family: Equidae (Pferde)
M 320kg > F 260kg
1,35/1,3m
20years
Water dependent fussy drinkers, love clean water
Mainly grazers, but also browse
Breeding herd: dominant stallion, his mares and their foals
Oestrus throughout the year, but mainly in summer
Gestation period: 1 year, remarkably precocial, standing after 10 min, walking after 30min, running within an hour
Weaned after 11-12 months
Bachelor groups with young stallions until old enough for an own harem
Stallions try to steal a filly
Fillies come to heat every month until first oestrus, every time stallion will be challenged by other rivals. This means she will be with the strongest stallion when she conceives the first time.
Hind-gut fermenters, digests fibrous food via fermentation, large quantities of gas are released, inflates their bodies
Flatulences can be experienced when they run away
Shadow stripes between their black/ white stripes
Males: narrow black stripe between their hind legs, females have a broader black wedge there
Greater Kudu / Tragelaphus strepsiceros
Order: Artiodactyla
M: 230 kg, 1,4m F: 150kg, 1,25m
females 18 years, males 8-9 years due to injuries from fighting for cows
non water dependent, crepuscular browsers, 40% done by night
thickets mainly close to water
home range females, territorial, dominant bulls
small hooves around 7 cm long
gestation period 9 months, 1 calf around January, hidden for 2-3 months , weaned after 9 months
mating end of rainy season
bulls horns only grow at 6 month, age of two first full spiral, 2 1/2 turns by 6 years, continues growing slowly
alarm sign: loud and dark bark (baboon-like), loudest vocalisation of all antelope
Red Lechwe / Kobus leche
Order: Artiodactyla
M 115kg, 1m F: 70kg, 0,9m
12-15 years
water dependent, drink up to 3 times a day
diurnal grazers, semi-aquatic grasses
floodplains and seasonal swamps in the Delta , Chobe and Caprivi area
small herd: sedentary with territorial males
large herds: highly mobile, males use a lek (Balzplatz)
gestation period: 7,5 month, peak breeding season jan/Feb Linyanti, Mar/Apr Delta,
calves hidden for 3 weeks, frequently moved after nursing
weaned at 6 months
calves form a nursery group in the herd
bulls join bachelor groups after about a year
rams (Widder) have long, strongly ridged , lyre-shaped horns
conspicuous (auffallend) black line down the front of the forelegs
territorial males grunt
adaptions for semi-aquatic lifestyle:
enlarged hind-quarters provide additional power when thrusting through shallow water
enlarged, partially splayed hooves giving a larger surface area for prevent sinking in mud
Risk of confusion with PUKU: smaller in size, no black lines on foreleg, shot, stout, lyre-shaped, well ringed horns
Waterbuck / Kobus ellipsiprymnus
Order: Artiodactyla
M: 270kg, 1,5m F:180kg, 1,1m
17 years
water dependent grazers (coarse food with high fibre content)
gestation period 9 months, 1 calf (occasionally twins), 2-4 weeks hidden, while relatively mobile, after feeding they find their own hiding place, fleeing when threatened instead lying still
bulls are very territorial
females move in small groups between the different bulls‘ territories
young males build bachelor groups
Foul smelling comes from glands in the skin ( musky odour).
Main defence: running through water, males use their horns.
Vocalization: mother and calf communicate by bleating when searching each other
Common duiker / Sylvicapra grimmia
Order:Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
M: 15-18kg F:16-21kg
0,5m
11 years
savanna with bushy cover
browser
gestation 7 months, 1 young, precocial
slate grey colour, dark stripe down the face
solitary
Bandes mongoos / Mungos mungo
Order:Carnivora
Family: Herpestidae
1,5 kg, 50-65 cm overall length
wide habitat tolerance (absent in desert,semi-desert and tropical rainforest), woodland with ground cover
insects, invertebrates, bird eggs, which they throw against rocks between their hind legs
gestation 2 months, 1-2 young, about 20g, ccoperative nursing
troops of 5-30, home-range
frequently marking with anal glands
