Transcript Dung Beetles

Ngorongoro
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The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), measuring 8,300 square
kilometers
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At Olduvai where the world's first humans, Zinjanthropus, were
discovered by Dr Louis and Mary Leakey over 50 years ago
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Was originally part of Serengeti National Park, but in 1959 a
separate park was formed
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Six largest unbroken volcanic caldera from where volcano exploded
and collapsed around 3 million years ago
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Has approximately 400 species of birds
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Approximately 20,000 large mammals at any given time within the
http://cuauhtemocviajes.com/ngorongoro-crater/
Crater walls.
http://www.tanzaniaodyssey.com/tanzania/ngorongoro-crater
(Note: Add more facts)
Serengeti
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Due to the ecosystems/habitat presented in the crater, some
animals will be absent and found on the Serengeti Plains. Elephant
herds prefer more forest highlands of the Serengeti, but bull
elephants will occasionally venture down into the crater itself.
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Giraffes also prefer more of the Serengeti region because of the
specific acacia trees growing there. Impala, topi and oryx reside on
the plains as well.
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The Serengeti's altitude ranges from 3,020 feet to 6,070 feet
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Home to over 2 million herbivores!
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Landscape varies—contains grasslands, savannah, and hilly
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/serengeti-sunset-stu-porter.html
woodlands ecosystems.
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Rainy season occurs between March and May. Also has cycles of
drought and famine.
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Serengeti National Park is part of Plains region, but the total
protected area is5,700 square miles.
http://mccarterbiology.edublogs.org/extra-fun/a-highway-for-the-serengeti/
Black Rhino
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Black Rhinos are critically endangered and have been poached to
near extinction. Their number are down worldwide 97.55 since
1960. Numbers in crater were at just 100 in 1965, 17 in 2004, and
currently around 26.
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Same color as white rhinos, but differ in lip shape which is pointed
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Herbivores and eat trees, bushes, grasses, and fruit
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Live as solitary animals, although females have been know to form
small groups.
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Often cover themselves in mud as sun block and insect repellant
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Females reproduce only every 2.5-5 years.
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Have two horns which are used to protect young and battle
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Horns grown up to 3 inches in a year and have measured at 5 feet
http://www.zgf.de/?projectId=115&id=65&language=en
long
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Poached for horns—used in medicinal purposes in many Asian
countries and ornamental carvings
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/black-rhinoceros/
Gnu
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Named wildebeest (also called brindled, blue- or white-bearded
gnu) due to its appearance—large head shaggy mane, beard, both
male & female have horns
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Member of antelope family reaching 8 feet in length and 4.5 feet
at the shoulders. They top off at around 600 pounds and can live
20 years
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They travel grazing on grasses in large herds feeding in both the day
and night hours.
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The great migration to new grasses occurs in May/June with 1.5
million wildebeest moving north
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http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/wildebeest/
There is also a very specific birthing time. 80-% of the females give
birth in the same 2-3 weeks (around Jan/Feb) which invites
predators to trail the herd, waiting to prey on young. Babies are
able to stand within minutes after birth.
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This African antelope has expanded its range in the last 50 years—
in 1960 they numbered around 250,000.
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-gnu-antelope-image10369
Spotted Hyena
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Three different hyena species—striped, spotted, and brown.
Spotted is the largest weighing from 110-190 pounds. (Females
are larger in size than males.)
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These carnivores are very intelligent often working together to
hunt larger prey. They are also known for scavenging and the
Maasai people will leave their dead to be eaten by hyenas.
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Hyenas are lead by female members and they travel in clans of
~80.
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Humans will hunt them as pests as they have been know to raid
http://creaturesoftheworld.wordpress.com/mammals-spotted-hy
food storages and even attack and kill people.
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They are more closely related to cats than dogs.
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Their famous “laugh” call is made when the animal becomes
excited or when submissive to a more dominant hyena.
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Even though hyenas eat everything they cannot digest it all. They
regurgitate pellets after meals containing hooves, hair, and horns.
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These opportunistic hunters are active most at night and are prey
on by lions, dogs, and each other.
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A mother will birth an average of two cubs and they fight over
who will nurse first—they are born with teeth and establish
dominance early on. Occasionally the dominant cub will kill the
weaker sibling.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/articles/hyena-facts/
Lion
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Full size lions range from 4 12-6 ft long (not including tail) and can
weigh up to 420 pounds.
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These carnivores travel in groups called prides which includes
about a dozen female and three males. Females stay in a group
while males will venture off to start their own pride or take over
another pride.
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Lions territory can be 100 square males and is frequently marked
by the males.
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Hunt in packs lead by females and often use teamwork to take
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/lions-tanzania-john-wolf.html
down faster prey like antelope and zebras.
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Current counts are “about 330 lions in 24 prides in the
Serengeti, 50-60 lions in 5 prides on the floor of Ngorongoro
Crater” according to the Serengeti Lion Project.
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Ngorongoro has the most dense lion population in Africa, but
some problems are arising with inbreeding and the crater lion
population has held stagnant.
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In Tanzania, lions are can be hunted on Safari. Hunters pay $9,800
in government fees and an average of about 200 lions are shot a
year. This generates approximately $1,960,000. Money is used to
support game reserves and to build roads, schools, and hospitals.
http://wallpaperweb.org/wallpaper/animals/female-african-lion-serengeti-nationa
Hippo
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The herbivores are large—weighing in at 5,000-8,000 pounds
stretching about 6 feet long.
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They spend up to 16 hours a day in the water and emerge to graze
at sunset and throughout the night, sometimes traveling 6 miles to
eat 80 pounds of grass.
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They submerge themselves in water to escape the sun, are good
swimmers, and can hold their breath for five minutes.
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They have their own built-in sun block. They secret a red, oily
substance that moisturizes and protects their skin from the African
sun.
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http://photographicafrica.photoshelter.com/image/I00006XDJ3NmoGKA
Hippos travel in groups called schools and have safety against
predators (such as crocodiles) when in large numbers.
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Females have a calf every two years. Newborns weigh in at 100
pounds at birth and can nurse below or above the water.
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Dominant bulls are often challenged by other males. Fights
between males involve dung flinging, gaping jaws, and slashing of
jaw tusks. Wounds from aggressive battles often result in death.
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Canine teeth continue to grow—sometimes up to 20 inches!
Humans will poach them for these for meat and tusk ivory. (Which
is easier to carve than elephant tusks.)
http://digitalnomad.nationalgeographic.com/2012/12/29/ten-tanzania-travel-tips/
Impala
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Another type of antelope on the plains, but smaller than gnu at
only 39 inches at shoulder and 88-165 pounds. They typically live
12 years.
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These herbivores eat grasses and shoots in wet season and can
change to bushes and shrubs when those are not available.
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They gather in groups and will “bark” to alert the herd if a predator
is near.
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Impalas can leap up to 33 feet long and can jump 10 feet into the
air to clear bushes, very helpful when eluding lions or other
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Impala_mutualim_with_birds_wide.jpg
predators.
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While fleeing predators individuals release signals from scent
glands in midair and help guide herd in flight path.
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Males have curved horns and use them to spare for females in the
spring. Males who loose battles will travel in a bachelor herd and
females (with young) travel in a different herd.
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Young are born year round (usually coincide with rainy seasons)
and males often do not dominant herd for more than a few
months. Females birth away from the herd and rejoin a nursery
herd with young.
http://pages.rediff.com/photos/preview/gud2travel/177814/5/tanzania-serengeti-im
Warthog
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This member of the hog family gets 30 inches tall at the shoulder
and can weigh 120-250 pounds living about 15 years.
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Named “warthogs” after protective bumps on flat heads. (Used to
cushion blows to their heads by other males when fighting during
mating season.) They also sport four sharp tusks.
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As omnivores they eat grasses and dig for roots and bulbs. They
also will eat worms and small invertebrates.
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During the dry seasons they can go without water for several
months—obtaining moisture only from food sources.
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http://www.123rf.com/photo_13025866_portrait-of-a-male-warthog-tanz
When water is available warthogs will submerge themselves and
use mud as a sunscreen and insect protectant.
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Males choose to live alone, but join groups of females to mate.
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They use empty aardvark dens to live in and to have young.
Females have litters of four or less
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When fleeing one of their many predators, warthogs can run at 3034 miles per hour
http://privat.bahnhof.se/wb433401/Animals%20in%20Tanzania/index.html
Elephant
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The African Elephant is the largest land mammal on Earth. Their
height ranges from 8-13 feet at shoulder and they can weigh
5,000-14,000 pounds.
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In the wild, elephants live an average of 70 years!
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Use their trunks to breath, drink, grasp and move things, and
calling to other elephants. An elephant’s trunk contains 100,000
different muscles.
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Elephants eat 300 pounds of food in a single day—roots, grasses, ,
and fruit are among its favorites.
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http://www.globusjourneys.com/Product.aspx?trip=3QZ&c
Females only reproduce once every two-four years. They are
pregnant for 22 months and baby calves weigh 200 lbs.
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Male and female elephants grow tusks which are highly sought
after for ivory trade. Elephants are shot and tusks are cut off-often while elephant is still alive.
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Elephants mourn lost group members—they cry tears, nuzzle the
body, often stay with corpse for extended times. Babies have been
known to perish while mourning unable to leave mother and
continue with herd.
http://www.npr.org/2012/10/25/163563426/poachers-decimate-tanzanias-elephant-
Zebra
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This zebra is the size of a horse—3.5-5 feet at shoulder. It’s weight
differs slightly ranging from 440-990 pounds. In the wild they can
live up to 25 years.
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Zebra stripes are unique—each animal having its own pattern.
They are able to recognize one another because of their markings.
Mothers will keep their young away from others until they imprint
the mom’s specific pattern.
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These stripes also serve as camouflage in the large herds so
predators have a difficult time of picking out one animal. If that
fails, they have a powerful kick and can run 35 miles per hour.
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http://margodill.com/blog/2010/04/13/tuesday-tales-first-come-the-zebr
If a zebra is attacked, family members will come to its aid, circling
it and trying to defend it from predators.
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Their great migration each year spans from Serengeti Plains up to
Kenya—a distance of about 1, 800 miles.
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Three different species of zebras—Plains, Mountainous, and Grevys
and they are all only found in Africa.
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Zebra’s skin is black—even the skin under the white strips.
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Zebras have never been successfully domesticated.
http://phototc.com/tours/details/wildlife-photography-tour-to-Tanzania
Giraffe
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Giraffes will be the tallest mammal we encounter towering at 14-19
full grown. They weigh in at 1,750-2,800 pounds and live about 25
years in the wild.
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A giraffe’s legs are about 6 feet long—taller than most humans!
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Travel in small groups of around or so. Their “cruising speed” is
about ten miles and hour and they can run at speeds up to 35 miles
per hour.
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A giraffe’s tongue is 21 inches long and used to reach acacia leaves
from the uppermost branches.
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They also have two horns on their heads which they use to spar.
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Giraffes are most vulnerable when they are drinking at the
ttp://www.photoburst.net/travel-photography/2012/12/giraffe-embrace-
waterhole—they have an odd stance of spreading their legs down to
have their heads reach the ground. Luckily they only need to drink
every few days, obtaining their majority of moisture from the leaves
and plants they eat. (Around water they can drink up to ten galloons
a day.)
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When born, a baby giraffe falls more than five feet to the ground,
but are walking within a half an hour after birth.
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Giraffes need only 5-30 minutes of sleep in a 24 hour period—they
rest while standing or lay down and use their own body as a head
rest.
http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-wallpapers/720.html
References:
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Citations for websites are below each individual slides in notes
portion.
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All sounds used are courtesy of www.nationalgeographic.com
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I also watched several you tube videos for general knowledge while
learning—(correction: I often got lost for hours watching videos on
animals). There are several on elephant grieving that I found
interesting. Here’s a short one you may want to watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5RiHTSXK2A
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Lastly, I scanned in portions of two books and uploaded them as
.pdf to xSci Africa site for some more general information:
The Complete African Safari Planner, Fodor’s, 2011, pg. 182-185
ISBN= 978-0-679-00924-5
The Rough Guide to Tanzania, Jens FINKE, 2010, PG. 366-373
ISBN=978-1-84836-075-4
http://blog.flickr.net/de/2009/09/25/serengeti-nationalpark/