A herd of elephants (Loxodonta africana) in the Maasai Mara, Kenya.
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There are dozens of species of antelope in Africa, for instance, but only two African elephants: the familiar African elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the forest elephant of West and Central Africa (Loxodonta cyclotis).
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The ecoregion is home to African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana).
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Mammals reported are Loxodonta africana (EN), Tragelaphus euryceros, duikers Gorilla gorilla (EN) and Pan troglodytes (EN).
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Elephants (Loxodonta africana) are major shapers of the ecoregion, knocking down trees for forage and opening up areas of grassland and savanna.
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African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is a very large herbivore having thick, almost hairless skin, a long, flexible, prehensile trunk, upper incisors forming long curved tusks of ivory, and large, fan-shaped ears. The two distinct species of African elephant are: African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) and the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana).They become aggressive when their young ones are being maltreated. Elephants are difficult to hunt because, despite their large size, they are able to hide in tall grass and are more likely to charge than the other species.
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Downloaded on 11 May 2015 Mammals also reported by IUCN include Taurotragus derbianus and Damaliscus lunatus korrigum (VU), and a few Loxodonta africana (EN).
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"Patterns of crop-raiding by elephants, Loxodonta africana, in Laikipia, Kenya, and the management of human–elephant conflict." Systematics and Biodiversity 8, no. 4 (2010): 435-445.
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It has very rich diversity of mammal species; 99 species are reported, including elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hippopotami. Some of the key species which are under the threatened list are Lycaon pictus pictus (EN), Loxodonta africana (VU), Kobus leche, and Lutra maculicollis (VU) found mostly in aquatic environment; Loxodonta africana and Kobus leche also migrate to neighboring countries. There are 71 aqua faunal species and five species of amphibians such as Phrynomantis affinis.
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In Jacobson & Hart, R. (ed) Chapters from the past: 100 years of the McGregor Museum, 1907-2007 He was affectionately known as 'Rudi' and also had the nickname 'Loxodonta africana'.
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Although the Asian elephant Elephas maximus and the African elephant Loxodonta africana belong to different genera, they share the same number of chromosomes, thus making hybridisation, at least in this respect, theoretically possible.
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Threatened species include the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) (in Chad and the CAE), East African wild dog (Lycaon pictus lupinus), Northeast African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii), African leopard (Panthera pardus paruds), lion (Panthera leo), and giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus).
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The Kaokoveld is home to a number of endemic reptiles while large mammals including desert elephants (Loxodonta africana), black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) and giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) visit the riverbeds. There is a great deal of birdlife including the endemic Cinderella waxbill (Estrilda thomensis) on the Kunene River.
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The 100 species of mammal found here include the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), now contained in reserves along the coast, and large predators, of which leopard (Panthera pardus) are the most common. More than 470 bird species are found here, of which 4 are endemic and 43 near-endemic.
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The Udzungwa forest partridge (Xenoperdix udzungwensis) is an endemic species, with its closest relatives appearing to be the hill partridges of Asia. Elephants (Loxodonta africana) are found in the forests along the southern escarpment.N. D. Burgess et al. (2007). "The biological importance of the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and Kenya".
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Anoplocephala manubriata is a host-specific tapeworm, or cestode, that parasitizes African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) elephants. These parasites require intermediate and definitive hosts to complete its life cycle. A. manubriata causes gastrointestinal inflammation in elephants. When ingested in the elephant, the cestode is attached to the intestinal mucosae.
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Elephant (Loxodonta africana) is likely to have moved through the Klein Karoo, especially along the river courses (Olifants River), but according to Skead (2011) no firm historical records have been found.Skead, C.J. 2011. Historical incidence of the larger land mammals in the broader Western and Northern Cape. Second Edition (eds.
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Rhinoceros horns are used for decorative purposes and some Asian medicines. In South Africa, rhino poaching commonly happens on privately owned land, which is difficult for officials to prevent. Another common place to poach is Kruger National Park. The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the elephant species that inhabits southern Africa.
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The Rubeho warbler (Scepomycter rubehoensis) is a highland songbird endemic to the Rubeho and Uvidunda mountains. Other endemic or near-endemic birds are the Rubeho forest partridge (Xenoperdix obscuratus) and Rubeho akalat (Sheppardia aurantiithorax). Elephants (Loxodonta africana) and Red forest duikers (Cephalophus natalensis) are found in the forests of the eastern plateau.
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The Sena Oura National Park is located in the savannah area of eastern Sudan and, therefore, overlooks the open woods with tall trees with thick bushes and thick tall grasses and woody shrubs. There are 16 species of endangered animals in the national park, including the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), the lion (Panthera leo) and the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).
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Elephant (Loxodonta africana) in the Kalahari Fauna includes white and black rhino. Wild dogs and elephant are also notable. Large mammals that migrate through the region include Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), eland (Taurotragus oryx), zebra (Equus burchelli), buffalo (Syncerus caffer), and red hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus). The region is rich in birdlife including the endemic Bradfield’s hornbill (Tockus bradfieldi).
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The MoU protects only the West African populations of the African Elephant, Loxodonta africana. At the Second Meeting of Signatories to the MoU a discussion took place whether to extend the MoU to encompass Elephant populations in Central Africa. It was however decided that it would be preferable for each sub-region to be covered by a separate MoU.
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Other mammal species reported are: Myosciurus pumilio (VU) (a Lower Guinea endemic), Hylochoerus meinertzhageni, Loxodonta africana, Gorilla gorilla, Pan troglodytes (all EN), forest elephants, chimpanzees, and antelopes. Avifauna species reported by IBA are 265 species which include Bradypterus grandis (in Rhynchospora marsh), Glaucidium sjostedti, Glaucidium capense, Caprimulgus batesi, binotatus and yellow-bellied form of the forest robin Stiphrornis erythrothorax.
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Its descendant taxon, "Elephas" jolensis persisted into the late Middle Pleistocene, c. 205-130 kya in Kenya, after which it was replaced by Loxodonta africana after a severe drought period. P. recki is believed to be the ancestral species from which the Palaeoloxodon species of Eurasia are derived. A male of P. recki from Koobi Fora was 40 years old when it died.
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Some of the primate species recorded are Colobus satanas, Cercocebus torquatus, mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Other mammal species include elephants (bush elephants, Loxodonta africana, and forest elephants, Loxodonta cyclotis), and shrews (Crocidura grassei). Sixty-five species of reptiles are reported, including crocodiles. Amphibians reported include Petropedetes palmipes and Leptodactylodon stevarti which are in the IUCN Red List.
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The ecoregion is home to many large mammals, including African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), West African giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta), giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus derbianus), roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus), African buffalo (Syncerus caffer brachyceros), lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus) cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), and African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). Most large mammals are now very limited in range and numbers.
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The African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana) species occurs in several countries of Eastern and Central Africa. The most recent aerial surveys were conducted from August 3–11, 2006, overseen by J. Michael Fay, a Wildlife Conservation Society conservationist and National Geographic explorer-in-residence. They found five separate massacre sites. Zakouma is considered "one of the last bastions of wildlife in all of central Africa".
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J.M. Ayme et al, Stratigraphie du massif de l'Affole, 1962. Some unproductive modern mineral exploration was commissioned in the early 1980s, such as a survey of the copper in and south of the Affolle. Until the 1980s there were known to be small elephants (Loxodonta africana) surviving as relic populations in the Affolle valleys.Michael Evenari et at, Hot Deserts and Arid Shrublands, Volume 12, Part 2, p.
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The skeleton is the best example of the species Mammuthus trogontherii to be unearthed so far, being 85% complete. Previous finds include two partial skeletons found in Germany and Russia, both of which were only about 10 to 15% complete. The mammoth was male, stood some at the shoulder and would have weighed about . This is twice the weight of the modern African elephant Loxodonta africana.
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The American mastodon is an extinct species of proboscidean mammal, Mammut americanum (Kerr, 1792) (Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Mammalia, Proboscidea, Mammutidae). The only living proboscideans are the African elephants (Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). Mammut americanum had a widespread distribution during the Pleistocene. Its fossil remains are found from Alaska to Florida, but are most commonly encountered in eastern America.
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A bull will follow a potential mate and assess her condition with the flehmen response, which requires the male to collect a chemical sample with his trunk and bring it to the vomeronasal organ.Rasmussen, L. E. L., and B. A. Schulte. "Chemical signals in the reproduction of Asian (Elephas maximus) and African (Loxodonta africana) elephants." Animal reproduction science 53.1-4 (1998): 19-34.Sukumar, pp. 98–99.
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Vulnerable and endangered animals in the wetland include Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), Wattled crane (Bugeranus carunculatus), African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), Sitatunga (Tragalephus spekii) and Central African slender-snouted crocodile (Mecistops leptorhynchus). The wetlands are home to 50 species of fish, including the Dark stonebasher (Pollimyrus nigricans) and various endangered, endemic, and food species.Director of Wildlife, Wildlife Division of the United Republic of Tanzania (1999). "The Malagarasi-Muyovozi Wetlands".
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The major birds include the Long-tailed glossy starling and the Savile's bustard. The birds were studied mainly by Pierre Souvairan, who lived in the area for 30 years between 1968 and 1998. Until the 1970s, large mammals, including Loxodonta africana, Panthera leo and Syncerus caffer were common, particularly in the western part of the area. Most disappeared following extensive clearance of land for agriculture during the 1980s.
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An elephant (Loxodonta africana), an example of a charismatic large animal species. Charismatic megafauna are large animal species with symbolic value or widespread popular appeal, and are often used by environmental activists to gain public support for environmentalist goals. Examples include the Bengal tiger, humpback whale, giant panda, bald eagle, California condor, harp seal, and penguin. Paradoxically, numerous charismatic species are endangered by hunting and black market commerce.
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84.2–7 There is also evidence that Carthaginian war elephants were furnished with turrets and howdahs in certain military contexts.Rance (2009) Farther south, tribes would have had access to the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana oxyotis). Although much larger than either the African forest elephant or the Asian elephant, these proved difficult to tame for war purposes and were not used extensively.In event, size alone was not necessarily a decisive factor.
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The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), also known as the African savanna elephant, is the largest living terrestrial animal with bulls reaching a shoulder height of up to . Both sexes have tusks, which erupt when they are 1–3 years old and grow throughout life. It is distributed across 37 African countries and inhabits forests, grasslands and woodlands, wetlands and agricultural land. Since 2004, it has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
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In 2001, genetic evidence emerged that the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), once thought to be a single species, was in fact two, as the smaller African forest elephant was in fact a distinct species (Loxodonta cyclotis). L. africana is now commonly referred to as the African bush elephant. Strictly speaking, this is not a newly discovered species, but simply an alternative taxonomic treatment, as cyclotis already was widely recognized, but only as a subspecies.
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A herd of African buffalo in Kenya The wildlife of Kenya refers to its fauna. The diversity of Kenya's wildlife has garnered international fame, especially for its populations of large mammals. Mammal species include lion (Panthera leo), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), wildebeest (Connochaetes), African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), zebra (Equus), giraffe (Giraffa), and rhinoceros. Kenya has a very diverse population of birds, including flamingo and common ostrich (Struthio camelus).
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Black rhino (Diceros bicornis) is now reported to be an extinct species in the CRA dropping "from 3000 to 0". Due to poaching and diseases caused due to introduction of illegal cattle transhumance, elephant (Loxodonta africana) and buffon kob (Kobus kob) populations declined by over 80% each, over a period of 20 years. An African elephant in a musth state. Breeding of elephants in the dry months of December to March and July–August has some interesting aspects.
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The construction of large dams on the Zambezi – Kariba Dam, completed in 1959, and Cahora Bassa Dam, completed in 1974 – altered the ecology of the Zambezi, reducing the annual wet-season flooding of the lower Zambezi and the overall volume of both water and sediment coming into the flooded savannas. Other threats include poaching and over-hunting. Wildlife was decimated during the Mozambican Civil War, and the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) and black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) were extirpated.
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The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), of the order Proboscidea, is the largest living land animal. A native of various open habitats in sub- Saharan Africa, this elephant is commonly born weighing about . The largest elephant ever recorded was shot in Angola in 1974. It was a male measuring from trunk to tail and lying on its side in a projected line from the highest point of the shoulder to the base of the forefoot, indicating a standing shoulder height of .
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Faeces of lions collected near waterholes in Hwange National Park also contained remains of climbing mice (Dendromus) and common mice (Mus). In Botswana's Chobe National Park, lions also prey on African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana). They successfully attacked 74 elephants between 1993 and 1996, of which 26 were older than nine years, and one bull over 15 years old. In October 2005, a pride of up to 30 lions killed eight African bush elephants that were between four and eleven years old.
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More details of fauna species as reported by the Museum of Zoology of the University of Michigan, Bucknell University, Avibase data profiles and BirdLife International data profiles are the following. In the East Usambara Mountains, the forests display many rare species, so much so that the fauna found here have been compared to the Galapagos Islands in terms of biological importance.Hamilton, p. 351 ;Mammals African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) in Tanzania Three hundred species of mammals have been reported in Tanzania.
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Elephants belong to the family Elephantidae, the sole remaining family within the order Proboscidea which belongs to the superorder Afrotheria. Their closest extant relatives are the sirenians (dugongs and manatees) and the hyraxes, with which they share the clade Paenungulata within the superorder Afrotheria. Elephants and sirenians are further grouped in the clade Tethytheria. Three species of elephants are recognised; the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) and forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) of sub- Saharan Africa, and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) of South and Southeast Asia.
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235,000 hectares of forest around Yangambi were declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1976, part of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB). The Yangambi Biosphere Reserve comprises secondary forests with Pycnanthus angolensis and Fagara macrophylla, semi deciduous secondary rain forests, rain forests with Gilbertiodendron dewevrei, climax forests with Brachystegia laurentii and marshland forests. The site is very important from a biodiversity point of view since it hosts endangered tree species, such as Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata). It was also once home to elephants (Loxodonta africana cyclotis), but they have now disappeared locally.
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FTS has been observed in the northwest of Zimbabwe, the Satara area of Kruger National Park, and Fothergill in Lake Kariba. The syndrome has only been observed in free-ranging elephants specifically Loxodonta africana, and primarily affects older male elephants. Over thirty elephants were observed to be afflicted with this paralysis, including at least eight in Kruger National Park and twelve cases near Fothergill Island.. In Gonarezhou National Park in south eastern Zimbabwe, several cases of FTS have been reported since 2013 (approximately half a dozen individuals) all of which were elephant bulls.
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Shoshani, pp. 38–41. Among African elephants, forest elephants have smaller and more rounded ears and thinner and straighter tusks than bush elephants and are limited in range to the forested areas of western and Central Africa. Both kinds of elephant were traditionally considered to be the same species Loxodonta africana, but molecular studies have affirmed their status as separate species. In 2017, DNA sequence analysis showed that L. cyclotis is more closely related to the extinct Palaeoloxodon antiquus, than it is to L. africana, possibly undermining the genus Loxodonta as a whole.
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A tawny eagle perched amongst white-backed vultures, with which they are often obligated to share carrion in Africa. Although the tawny eagle does hunt for food, it also relies extensively on carrion as a food source. Although most booted eagles and Aquila will opportunistically feed on carrion, none is known to do so as routinely as the tawny eagle. They have been recorded feeding on a huge array of carcasses as large as African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana) and at least as small as vervet monkeys and perhaps even down to the size of a dove.
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Large mammal herbivores in the ecoregion include the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), gemsbok (Oryx gazella), Damara dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii damarensis), and black-faced impala (Aepyceros melampus petersi). Mammal predators include the lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), bat-eared fox, (Otocyon megalotis), and Cape fox (Vulpes chama). Limited-range species and subspecies native to the ecoregion include Hartmann's mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae), Angolan slender mongoose (Galerella flavescens), Shortridge's rock mouse (Petromyscus shortridgei), Angolan hairy bat (Cistugo seabrae), and Namib long-eared bat (Laephotis namibensis).
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Today, there are various threats posed to the black rhinoceros including habitat changes, illegal poaching, and competing species. Civil disturbances, such as war, have made mentionably negative effects on the black rhinoceros populations in since the 1960s in countries including, but not limited to, Chad, Cameroon, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Somalia. In the Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa, the African elephant Loxodonta africana is posing slight concern involving the black rhinoceroses who also inhabit the area. Both animals are browsers; however, the elephant's diet consists of a wider variety of foraging capacity, while the rhinoceros primarily sticks to dwarf shrubs.
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Birds in this area include black goshawk, black-headed oriole and two species which are almost endemic to the Cape area, the orange- breasted sunbird and Cape siskin. There is one near-endemic mammal Duthie's golden mole (Chlorotalpat duthieae) and in the inland valleys, Addo Elephant National Park is home to African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and antelopes such as bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus), grey rhebok (Pelea capreolus), mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula), common eland (Taurotragus oryx), greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), red hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus), Cape grysbok (Raphicerus melanotis) and common duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia).
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Princeton University Press. All domesticated ungulates and pet animals will on occasion be hunted by Nile crocodiles, up to the size of dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) and cattle (Bos taurus) In Tanzania, up to 54 head of cattle may be lost to crocodiles annually, increasing the human-crocodile conflict level. Goats (Capra aegagrus hircus), donkeys (Equus africanus asinus) and dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) may also rank among the most regularly recorded domesticated animals to be taken by Nile crocodiles. Particularly large adults, on occasion, take on even larger prey, such as giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer), and young African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana).
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Any trade in these species requires export and import permits. The Management Authority of the exporting state is expected to check that an import permit has been secured and that the importing state is able to care for the specimen adequately. Notable animal species listed in Appendix I include the red panda (Ailurus fulgens), western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), the chimpanzee species (Pan spp.), tigers (Panthera tigris subspecies), Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica), leopards (Panthera pardus), jaguar (Panthera onca), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), some populations of African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), the dugong and manatees (Sirenia), and all rhinoceros species (except some Southern African subspecies populations).
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A feeding Knysna elephant by Hylton Herd (SANParks) Major Philip Jacobus Pretorius armed for an elephant hunt. Leather suit and .475 cordite Express rifle, "a treasure of a gun" (Pretorius 1947). Addo bush in the background by Homer LeRoy Shantz (1919) A fanciful scene in the Tsitsikamma Forest, strangely showing Asian elephants by Samuel Daniell circa 1801 The Knysna elephants are a very small number of African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana), a relict population of large herds which roamed the Tsitsikamma Forest and surrounding regions at the southern tip of Africa until the 1800s and 1900s, when contact with European farmers and hunters led to their near extinction.
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Carthaginian shekel, dated 237–227 BC, depicting the Punic god Melqart (equivalent of Hercules/Heracles), most likely with the features of Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal Barca; on the reverse is a man riding a war elephant. Roman marble sarcophagus depicting the Triumph of Bacchus returning from India, with soldiers atop war elephants, 2nd century AD, similar to a later sacrophagus with the same theme. The Ptolemaic Kingdom and the Punics began acquiring African elephants for the same purpose, as did Numidia and the Kingdom of Kush. The animal used was the North African elephant (Loxodonta africana pharaohensis) which would become extinct from overexploitation.
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The forests have been home to a variety of mammals including the African forest elephant, lion and cheetah, but uncontrolled hunting may have completely removed these. Remaining mammals include the yellow-backed duiker (Cephalophus sylvicultor), black-fronted duiker (Cephalophus nigrifrons), blue duiker (Cephalophus monticola), and smaller species such as the tree pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis), Beecroft's flying squirrel and forest giant squirrel. In the dry season animals migrate to the moister areas uphill. Larger mammals, which are found especially in the drier grasslands rather than the forests on the ridge, include roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus), African forest buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus), African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), southern reedbuck (Redunca arundinum), bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) and eland (Taurotragus oryx).
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Rhizophora racemosa and Avicennia nititta are common mangroves in the park and aquatic vegetation in lakes and lagoons is composed of Vossia cuspidata and Ctenium newtonili. Savannahs of the south-west are dominated by Ctenium newtonili, Elytonrus brazzae and Pobeguinea arrecta, while those of Cotovindou in the north-east are made up of Hypparrhenia diplandra, Panicum phragmitoides, and Pobeguinea arrecta. It is a priority site for great apes in the IUCN great ape conservation action plan as it is home to around 8,000 central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and 2,000 western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). The park also houses some 1,000 forest elephants (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) and is a Ramsar site for its importance for migratory and wetland birds.
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The goal of World Elephant Day is to create awareness of the urgent plight of African and Asian elephants, and to share knowledge and positive solutions for the better care and management of captive and wild elephants. African elephants are listed as "Vulnerable" and Asian elephants as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List of threatened species."Loxodonta Africana (African elephant)", IUCN"Elephas maximus (Asian elephant, Indian elephant)", IUCN One conservationist has stated that both African and Asian elephants face extinction within twelve years.John Ingham, "Elephants 'extinct within 12 years'", Express, 2013 The current population estimates are about 400,000 for African elephants and 40,000 for Asian elephants, although it has been argued that these numbers are much too high.
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In 1972 Nardelli established the private Wild Felids Breeding Centre near Rome where he successfully bred in captivity several threatened species including the red-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix nemaeus), the snow leopard (Uncia uncia), and the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), all the first ever bred in Italy. In 1980 he moved to England where he became Curator of Howletts and Port Lympne Zoo, John Aspinall’s Zoos in Kent. There he was curator of several breeding programmes including the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), (first ever bred in UK), western lowland gorilla (Gorilla g. gorilla), siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus), red-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix nemaeus) surili langurs (Presbytis sp.) clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), and snow leopard (Uncia uncia).
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As a species the slaty egret is highly dependent on seasonal marshes which are threatened by human factors such as drainage (for cultivation), flood regulation and dams as along the Kafue River, the erosion of river catchments, water abstraction for irrigation, invasive non- native vegetation, human disturbance including excessive trampling and over grazing by livestock and the harvesting of reeds and other marsh vegetation for human use. In Botswana a major threat to roosts and to colonies is the burning of the reed bed habitat. African elephants (Loxodonta africana) may be a threat to some nest sites through trampling and predation at some nest sites by African fish eagles (Haliaetus vocifer) may negatively affect productivity.
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Some people argue that this is risky as specimens from a more protected population could be 'laundered' through the borders of a Party whose population is not as strictly protected. The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) is currently split-listed, with all populations except those of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe listed in Appendix I. Those of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe are listed in Appendix II. Listing the species over the whole of its range would prevent such 'laundering' but also restricts trade in wildlife products by range states with good management practices. There are also species that have only some populations listed in an Appendix. One example is the pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), a ruminant native to North America.
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Desert elephants at the dried up Huab River in Namibia Female spraying sand to keep cool while standing guard over her calf, Damaraland, Namibia Desert elephants or desert-adapted elephants are not a distinct species of elephant but are African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana) that have made their homes in the Namib and Sahara deserts in Africa. It was believed at one time that they were a subspecies of the African bush elephant, but this is no longer thought to be the case. Desert-dwelling elephants were once more widespread in Africa than they are now and are currently found only in Namibia and Mali. They tend to migrate from one waterhole to another following traditional routes which depend on the seasonal availability of food and water.
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The founder chimpanzees had spent varying periods, from 3.5 months to 9 years, in captivity in European zoos or circuses before their release. The chimpanzees after one year were able to find and eat wild foods and construct nests for sleeping, and have now reverted to an unhabituated state characteristic of wild chimpanzees. From 16 founders the population has now grown to around 40 individuals (estimate based on nest counts). In addition to chimpanzees, seven other species were introduced to the island: Roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus) and rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) both now extinct, Suni antelope (Neotragus moschatus), elephants (Loxodonta africana), twelve giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis), 20 black-and- white colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza), and grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) confiscated from illegal trade.
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There are small areas of dense woodland in the north-central area of the park. Along the Cuando River are expanses of seasonally- and perennially-flooded grasslands 10-15 kilometers wide, and smaller areas along the park's other rivers. Papyrus is predominant closest to the rivers and in deeper waters, with species of Phragmites and Miscanthus common in shallower water, upstream areas, and seasonally-dry areas. The park is home to a broad variety of wildlife, including large mammals like African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), common eland (Taurotragus oryx), plains zebra (Equus quagga), African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), sable antelope (Hippotragus niger), leopard (Panthera pardus), waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), and impala (Aepyceros melampus).
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Living in the national park are also the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), the klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), the West African wild dog (Lycaon pictus manguensis), the hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus), the world's largest antelope, the giant eland (Taurotragus Derbianus), the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus), the kob antelope (Kobus kob), the oribi (Ourebia ourebi), and the rare Adamawa mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula) in larger stocks. The avian fauna is very rich and diverse, there are stocks are up 1 million birds estimated. The park is officially labelled as one of Africa's "Important Bird Areas" - and with more than 500 species found, and visiting bird watching enthusiasts are constantly adding new species to the list. The red faced lovebird is only found here and in the Central African Republic's Bamingui-Bangoran National Park and Biosphere Reserve .
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Chimpanzees in the Central African Republic. The fauna of the CRA consists of 209 mammal species, of which two are endemic and 11 are threatened. The threatened species listed in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals are: endangered species namely, chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), giant African water shrew (Potamogale velox), red colobus (Procolobus badius) and wild dog (Lycaon pictus); and the vulnerable species are African elephant (Loxodonta africana), African golden cat (Profelis aurata), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), Gounda mouse (Mus goundae); endemic species are Hun shrew (Crocidura attila), lion (Panthera leo), and Oubangui mouse (Mus oubanguii), red-fronted gazelle (Gazella rufifrons) and spotted-necked otter (Lutra maculicollis]). The Gabon dwarf shrew (Suncus remyi), which was critically endangered in the past is now a species of least concern.
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Lister, 2007. pp. 18–21 The following cladogram shows the placement of the genus Mammuthus among other proboscideans, based on characteristics of the hyoid bone in the neck: Georges Cuvier's 1796 comparison between the mandible of a woolly mammoth (bottom left and top right) and an Indian elephant (top left and bottom right) Comparison between a woolly mammoth (left) and an American mastodon (right) In 2005, researchers assembled a complete mitochondrial genome profile of the woolly mammoth, which allowed them to trace the close evolutionary relationship between mammoths and Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). A 2015 DNA review confirmed Asian elephants as the closest living relative of the woolly mammoth. African elephants (Loxodonta africana) branched away from this clade around 6 million years ago, close to the time of the similar split between chimpanzees and humans.
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Its fruits contain diosgenin, a hormone precursor that presumably hinders the development of schistosomes. African elephants (Loxodonta africana) apparently self- medicate to induce labour by chewing on the leaves of a particular tree from the family Boraginaceae; Kenyan women brew a tea from this tree for the same purpose. White-nosed coatis (Nasua narica) in Panama take the menthol-scented resin from freshly scraped bark of Trattinnickia aspera (Burseraceae) and vigorously rub it into their own fur or that of other coatis, possibly to kill ectoparasites such as fleas, ticks, and lice, as well as biting insects such as mosquitoes; the resin contains triterpenes α - and β-amyrin, the eudesmane derivative β-selinene, and the sesquiterpene lactone 8β-hydroxyasterolide. Domestic cats and dogs often select and ingest plant material, apparently to induce vomiting.
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The Tana River Delta Ramsar Site is a wetland on the Tana River protected under the Ramsar Convention located in the Coast Province of Kenya. It was gazetted as Kenya's 6th Ramsar Site. The Tana River Delta is the second most important estuarine and river delta (deltaic) ecosystem in Eastern Africa, comprising a variety of freshwater, floodplain, estuarine and coastal habitats with extensive and diverse mangrove systems, marine brackish and freshwater intertidal zone (intertidal areas), pristine beaches and shallow marine areas, forming productive and functionally interconnected ecosystems. This diversity in habitats permits diverse hydrological functions and a rich biodiversity including coastal and marine prawns, shrimps, bivalves and fish, five species of threatened marine turtles and IUCN red-listed African elephant (Loxodonta africana), Tana River mangabey (Cercocebus galeritus), Tana River red colobus (Procolobus rufomitratus rufomitratus) and White-collared Monkey (Cercopithecus mitis albotorquatus).
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The region has been insufficiently researched by zoologists but is known to be home to forest elephants (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) (which may have been reduced by poaching, especially near the larger rivers), and several primates, including the rare bonobo (Pan paniscus). The Congo is a natural barrier to movement of wildlife and many species only occur on this eastern side of the river, including many primates: the bonobo and also Angolan colobus (Colobus angolensis), Wolf's mona monkey (Cercopithecus wolfi), golden-bellied mangabey (Cercocebus galeritus chrysogaster), black mangabey (Lophocebus atterimus aterrimus), southern talapoin (Miopithecus talapoin) and the Dryas monkey (Cercopithecus dryas). Near-endemic mammals include Hutterer's brush-furred mouse (Lophuromys huttereri), Allen's striped bat (Chalinolobus alboguttatus), and Muton's soft- furred mouse (Praomys mutoni). These rainforests are rich in birdlife including the Congo sunbird (Cinnyris congensis), African river martin (Pseudochelidon eurystomina) and Congo martin (Riparia congica).
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Some of the species reported are: African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), Burchell's zebra (Equus burchellii), Thomson's gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii), hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus), woodland dormouse (Graphiurus murinus), kipunji (Rungwecebus kipunji), Thomas's bushbaby (Galago thomasi), Prince Demidoff's bushbaby (Galagoides demidovii), puku (Kobus vardonii), gerenuk (Litocranius walleri), common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrel (Idiurus zenkeri), suni (Neotragus moschatus), mbarapi (Hippotragus niger) and North African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata). ;Predators A few predators species are: lion (Panthera leo), spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), black- backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) and serval (Leptailurus serval). ;Primates Some of the primate species reported are: chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), and baboons (Papio): anubis baboon (Papio anubis), yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus), and hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas). ;Birds Grey crowned crane (Balearica regulorum), a vulnerable species found in wetland-grassland habitats in Tanzania As of March 2004, according to the Avibase data base, the number of bird species in Tanzania were reported as 1112 species (according to BirdLife International it is 1128), 23 endemic species, 35 globally threatened species and 3 introduced species.
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The park's habitat is mainly in the "Chad depression" with average elevation in the range of a 300 to 320 m (highest ground goes up to 500m) in arid climatic conditions with average annual precipitation of 700mm and mean annual temperature of 28 °C. With this setting the vegetation types which cover the park are categorized under five broad types of open combretaceous shrub savanna, Anogeissus leiocarpus woodland, Lannea humilis open grass savanna, Acacia seyal tree savanna and Yaéré floodplains with perennial grasses. In the desert conditions with now streams flowing through the park area there are no perennial grasses in the park. The faunal species reported from the park are giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis, elephant Loxodonta africana, aardvark Orycteropus afer, warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus, hyena Hyaena hyaena, lion Panthera leo, red-fronted gazelle Gazella rufifrons, waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus, kob Kobus kob, topi Damaliscus lunatus, roan antelope Hippotragus equinus, impala Aepyceros melampus, vervet monkey Cercopithecus aethiops, patas monkey Erythrocebus patas, olive baboon Papio anubis, leopard Panthera pardus, and cheetah Acinonyx jubatus.
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There are 3200 faunal species which includes 2021 insects. The topographic and climatic conditions of the country has resulted in faunal species dominated by rare species such as African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), striped hyena, Northwest African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki), waterbuck, African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus), West African lion (Panthera leo senegalensis), antelope, common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), scimitar oryx (Oryx dammah), hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius) in the Niger River, crocodiles, horned vipers, lizards, pythons, manatee, the endemic Nigerian giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) which is endangered, the Critically Endangered dama gazelle, which is the national symbol of Niger (named meyna or ménas in the Hausa language) as well as Soemmerring's gazelle (Nanger soemmerringii), Grant's gazelle (Nanger granti) and slender-horned gazelle (Gazella leptoceros). The population of the dama species, according to IUCN, declined from the stage of Vulnerable in 1986, Endangered in 1990 to Critically Endangered in 2006. Its numbers are low in the eastern Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve in Niger, and in the border region of Mali and Niger; this decline is attributed to loss of habitat and mostly to indiscriminate hunting.
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