| African Buffalo | ||||||||||||||||
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| Syncerus caffer (Sparrman, 1779) | ||||||||||||||||
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S. The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future Conservation Dependent ( LR/cd) was an IUCN category assigned to species or lower taxa which were dependent on conservation efforts to prevent the taxon becoming The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Vertebrates are members of the Subphylum Vertebrata, Chordates with backbones or spinal columns The grouping sometimes includes Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands The even-toed ungulates form the Mammal order Artiodactyla. They are Ungulates whose weight is borne (if they have more than two toes about A bovid is any of almost 140 species of Cloven-hoofed Mammals belonging to the family Bovidae. The biological Subfamily bovines includes a diverse group of 10 species of medium to large sized Ungulates including domestic Cattle, Bison, Water Brian Houghton Hodgson ( February 1, 1800 – May 23, 1894) was an early naturalist and Ethnologist working in British Anders Erikson Sparrman ( February 27, 1748 &ndash August 9, 1820) was a Swedish naturalist and an Abolitionist c. caffer |
The African Buffalo or Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a bovid from the family of the Bovidae. A bovid is any of almost 140 species of Cloven-hoofed Mammals belonging to the family Bovidae. It is up to 1. 6 meters high, 3 meters long. Savannah type buffaloes weigh 500-900 kg, with only males, normally larger than females, reaching the upper weight range. Forest type buffaloes are only half that size. [1]The African Buffalo is not closely related to the slightly larger water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear. True Wild Asian Water Buffalo or Wild Asiatic Water Buffalo is an Endangered species. [2] Owing to its unpredictable nature which makes it highly dangerous to humans, it has not been domesticated, unlike its Asian counterpart, the Domestic Asian Water Buffalo. Domestication (from Latin domesticus) refers to the process whereby a Population of Animals
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Ecology
The African buffalo is one of the most successful grazers in Africa. It lives in swamps, floodplains as well as mopane grasslands and forests of the major mountains of Africa. The mopane or mopani ( Colophospermum mopane) tree grows in hot dry low-lying areas 200-1150 m in the far northern parts of Southern Buffalo can be found from the highest mountains to sea level areas, and prefer habitat with dense cover such as reeds and thickets. Herds have also been found in open woodland and grassland.
Like the Plains zebra, the Buffalo can subsist on tall, coarse grasses. The Plains zebra ( Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchelli) also known as the Common zebra or the Burchell's zebra, is the most common and Herds of buffalo will reduce grass level to the height that is preferred by selective grazers. When feeding, the buffalo makes use of its tongue and wide incisor row to eat grass more quickly than other African herbivores. Incisors (from Latin incidere, "to cut" are the first kind of Tooth in Heterodont Mammals They are located in the Premaxilla Buffalo do not stay on trampled or depleted areas for long.
Other than humans, African buffalo have few predators and are capable of defending themselves against (and sometimes killing) lions. The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. [3] Lions do kill and eat buffalo regularly, but it typically takes multiple lions to bring down a single adult buffalo; only large male lions have been known to take down adult buffalo on their own. The Nile Crocodile will typically attack only old solitary animals and young calves. The Nile crocodile ( Crocodylus niloticus) is an African Reptile of the family Crocodylidae. [4] The leopard and spotted hyena are a threat only to newborn calves, though spotted hyenas have been recorded to kill full grown bulls on occasion. The leopard (lɛpɚd Panthera pardus) is an Old World Mammal of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four roaring The Spotted Hyena, or Laughing Hyena, ( Crocuta crocuta) is a carnivorous Mammal of the family Hyaenidae. [5]
Social behavior
Herd size is highly variable. Many animals including humans tend to live in groups Herds flocks, bands packs, parties or colonies (hereafter groups of conspecific individuals The basic herds consist of related females, and their offspring, in an almost linear dominance hierarchy. The basic herds are surrounded by sub-herds of bachelor males, high-ranking males and females, and old or invalid animals. The young males keep their distance from the dominant bull, who is recognizable by the thickness of his horns.
Adult bulls will spar in play, dominance interactions or actual fights. A bull will approach another slowing with his horns down and wait for the other bull do the same thing. When sparring the bulls twist their horns from side to side. If the sparring is for play the bulls may rub each other's faces and bodies during the sparring session. Actual fights are violent but rare and brief. Calves may also spar in play but adult females rarely spar at all.
When chased by predators a herd will stick close together and make it hard for the predators to pick off one member. Calves are gathered in the middle. Buffalo will try to rescue a member who has been caught. A calf's distress call will get the attention of not only the mother but also the herd. Buffalo will engage in mobbing behavior when fighting off predators. They have been recorded treeing lions for two hours, after the lions have killed a member of their group. Lion cubs can get killed and trampled.
Reproduction
Buffaloes mate and give birth strictly during the rainy seasons. Birth peak takes place early in the season while mating peaks later. A bull will closely guard a cow that comes into heat, while keeping other bulls at bay. This is difficult as cows are quite evasive and attract many males to the scene. By the time a cow is in full estrous only the most dominant bull in the herd/subherd is there.
Cows first calve at five years of age, after a gestation period of 11. Gestation is the carrying of an Embryo or Fetus inside a Female Viviparous Animal. 5 months. Newly born calves remain hidden in vegetation for the first few weeks while being nursed occasionally by the mother before joining the main herd. Calves are held in the centre of the herd for safety. [6] The maternal bond between mother and calf last longer than in most bovinds. However when a new calf is born the bonding ends and the mother will keep her previous offspring out of the way with horn jabs. Neverthelss the yearling will still tag along for another year or so. Males leave their mothers when they are two years old and join the bachelor groups.
Attacks on humans
Known as one of the "big five" or "Black Death" in Africa, the African Buffalo is widely regarded as a very dangerous animal, as it gores and kills several people every year. The phrase Big Five game was coined by Big-game hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot Buffalo are sometimes reported to kill more people in Africa than any other animal, although the same claim is sometimes made of Hippopotamuses, Crocodiles[7] or Bees. The hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius) from the Greek ἱπποπόταμος ( hippopotamos, ιππος hippos meaning "horse" A crocodile is any Species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the Subfamily Crocodylinae) Bees are flying Insects closely related to Wasps and Ants Bees are a Monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea Buffalo are notorious among big game hunters as very dangerous animals, with wounded animals reported to ambush and attack pursuers. [8]
Status
The current status of African cape buffalo is dependent on the existence of the animal's value to both trophy hunters and tourists, paving the way for conservation efforts through anti-poaching patrols, village crop damage payouts, and CAMPFIRE payback programs to local areas.
The current total number of cape buffalo is spread throughout non-desert Africa, from Egypt in the North to South Africa in the South. The cape buffalo are estimated to number around a million, but accurate counts are not possible with the lack of research funding in places like Sudan, Chad, Congo, and Benin. Most professional hunters, safari outfitters, and wildlife professionals believe the number to be only representing the actual Cape subspecies, and not counting the Nile, North-East, or Forest buffalo.
Gallery
 19 century drawing |  |  Cape Buffalo herd grazing in Maasai Mara, Kenya. |
See also
References
- ^ Syncerus caffer. The gaur (ˈɡaʊɚ ( Bos gaurus, previously Bibos gauris) is a large dark-coated bovine animal of South Asia and Southeast Asia. True Wild Asian Water Buffalo or Wild Asiatic Water Buffalo is an Endangered species. The African Forest Buffalo ( Syncerus caffer nanus) is smaller than the Cape Buffalo, with horns that curves out backwards and upwards
- ^ Cape Buffalo.
- ^ Cape Buffalo. Canadian Museum of Nature.
- ^ http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/Syncerus_caffer.html
- ^ Kruuk, Hans (1972). The Spotted Hyena: A study of predation and social behaviour, pp. 335. ISBN 0563208449.
- ^ African Buffalo. British Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ Africa on the Matrix: The Cape Buffalo.
- ^ African Animals Hunting facts and tips - Buffalo Hunting.
- Antelope Specialist Group (1996). Syncerus caffer. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
- Estes, R. (1991). The Behavior Guide to African Mammals, Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates. Los Angeles, The University of California Press
- Ecology and Behaviour of the African Buffalo - Social Inequality and Decision Making (Chapman & Hall Wildlife Ecology & Behaviour)
- Huffman, B. 2006. The ultimate ungulate page. UltimateUngulate. com. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). 2006. Syncerus caffer,
- Nowak, R. M. and Paradiso, J. L. 1983. Walker's Mammals of the World. Baltimore, Maryland, USA: The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801825253
External links
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