Mousebirds (Coliiformes) exhibit well-developed communal roosting behaviour as well as a pronounced capacity for facultative hypothermic responses. We recorded body temperature (T_b) in speckled mousebirds (Colius striatus) under semi-natural conditions in outdoor aviaries, and examined interactions between behavioural and metabolic thermoregulation by experimentally manipulating food availability and communal roosting behaviour. When food was available ad libitum, mousebirds roosting in a cluster maintained approximately constant rest-phase T_b, with 32°C < T_b < 42°C. By contrast, rest-phase T_b in single mousebirds decreased at 0.5°C/hr and minimum rest-phase T_b was significantly lower than when clustering. When food availability was restricted, the mousebirds exhibited facultative hypothermic responses that were less pronounced in clustering groups (minimum rest-phase T_b = 33.3°C, circadian amplitude of T_b = 9.5°C) compared to single birds (minimum rest-phase T_b = 30.7°C, circadian amplitude of T_b = 11.8°C). When clustering, rest-phase T_b was highly synchronized among individuals. Our data reveal that communal roosting has profound consequences for rest-phase thermoregulation in C. striatus, and provide further insights into the potential role of physiological constraints in the evolution of avian sociality.

We provide the first descriptions of the tadpole and advertisement call of Mantidactylus argenteus. Calls consist of 6–15 short and rather melodious notes, with a dominant frequency at 4100–4400 Hz and are emitted from arboreal positions during the day. The larva is an Orton type IV tadpole, with oval body shape and dorsally positioned eyes. The oral disc is bordered with papillae, the labial tooth row formula is 2(2)/3(1–3), the upper jaw sheath is strongly curved and M-shaped, and the lower jaw is strongly curved in the middle and V-shaped, and jaw sheaths are largely unpigmented. Specimens from different series present little variation of this general morphology, except some specimens with a labial tooth row formula of 2(2)/2(1–2) but the same general and oral disc morphology. Based on larval features, the position of M. argenteus within the subgenus Blommersia cannot be confirmed since only few characters are shared with other known tadpoles of this subgenus.

Many terrestrial chelonians are parasitized by ticks, but we have a poor understanding of what determines tick infestations on chelonian hosts. We counted ticks on Homopus signatus signatus during each spring in the years 2001–2004, and evaluated tick frequencies in relation to tortoise anatomy, climate and microhabitat. Tortoises hosted Ornithodoros compactus and O. savignyi, and ticks seemed to prefer the hindlimbs, avoid the shell, and use the forelimbs and neck in intermediate frequencies. The number of ticks on the neck and forelimbs did not differ among males, females and juveniles, but for the hindlimbs and all body parts, males and females usually had similar tick numbers and adults often had more ticks than juveniles. The number of ticks on the hindlimbs correlated with the body size of male and female tortoises, whereas the number of ticks on the forelimbs correlated with juvenile body size. Males and females had similar incidences of ticks despite sexual dimorphism in body size (female size > male size), and this may be due to the relatively large shell openings (soft skin exposure) of males compared to females. Body condition and microhabitat had no effect on the number of ticks. It is unclear why tick numbers on H. s. signatus increased in dry years. The adverse effects of drought on mammals may have caused ticks to switch from mammals to tortoises when preferred hosts were no longer available.

The karyotypes of six species of Pseudobarbus Smith, 1841, namely P. afer (Peters, 1864), P. asper (Boulenger, 1911), P. burchelli Smith, 1841, P. burgi (Boulenger, 1911), P. phlegethon (Barnard, 1938) and P. tenuis (Barnard, 1938), were examined by conventional Giemsa staining and described. All six karyotypes have 2n = 100 chromosomes, dominated by bi-armed chromosomes, as does the only other member of the genus, P. quathlambae (Barnard, 1938). Sex-related intraspecific karyotype variation was not found. The shared chromosome numbers and general similarity of the karyotypes (FN = 186–192) provide a new synapomorphy to support their monophyly, which is already indicated by anatomical and mtDNA markers. Karyotype evolution within the genus has been accompanied by chromosomal inversions and centromeric shifts. Comparison of the diploid number found in Pseudobarbus with other African barbine cyprinines, which have in the region of 2n = 50 and lower FNs, suggests a tetraploid evolutionary origin of the genus, possibly by allotetraploidy.

At birth, the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is covered with dark lanugo. This is shed earlier and faster in females, so they complete the moult when they are significantly younger (64 days) than males (82 days). Moulted pups present a greyish dorsal and a white ventral pelage. Only the hair is shed in the first moult. In subsequent moults, the hairs are shed along with large sheets of cornified epidermis. A series of sequential stages were identified, which included a long pre-moult phase (brown pelage) and a post-moult phase (dull appearance). The shedding process lasted 15 days. It is different to that of the Hawaiian monk seal and elephant seals, as Mediterranean monk seals partly moult in the water. The intermoult period was close to one year except in females nursing a pup. Such females have longer intermoult periods and can even moult whilst still lactating. In males, the process of developing the mature pelage pattern of bulls is gradual. It involves at least two annual moults and can be completed by the age of 4 years.

This study of bird distribution in the main land-use categories of the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, aims at understanding potential impacts of the land-use changes on birds. A land-use map of the study area was derived from a Landsat image, and land-use change information came from an earlier study by the author. Bird data were collected by observations along timed, standardized walks. Shannon (1948) indices of bird diversity for highlands, bushland and lowlands were 3.29, 2.99, and 2.62. The highland category was divided into two subcategories, homegarden and highland garden, as bird populations of the two were distinct. Highland garden had a higher diversity (3.15) than homegarden (3.07). The lower species diversity and number of individuals in homegardens was probably due to lower niche diversity and more human disturbance. Lowland fields had low diversity indices as they are dominated by large flocks of birds. The equitability indices for highlands, bushlands and lowlands were 0.82, 0.80 and 0.65, respectively. Each land-use type had many species that were not seen in the others. As bushland is disappearing, the species currently threatened are the 15 bushland species that are not found in other land-use types. Growing population pressure leading to deagrarianization of the homegarden area is likely to affect homegarden bird populations, though it is not clear whether the very high human population density will prevent it from supporting a highland garden type of a bird population.

Since 1990, diploid Bulinus sp. populations have been reported from many sites in the volcanic western Bamileke and Bamoun plateau in Cameroon; starch gel electrophoresis of enzymes and chromosome analyses have revealed a single band in hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBDH), isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), and a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 36. Several samples have been tentatively identified as B. natalensis (Küster, 1841) on the basis of observations on the shell and radula. The present study is a preliminary analysis of the characteristics of the shell and the radula of the snails from Nchout Monoun Crater Lake (Monoun Koumogoum) for adequate comparisons with the widely studied B. natalensis/tropicus complex from East and South Africa. Comparison of the ratio of shell length to aperture length (L/AL), plotted against shell length (L) in a scatter diagram, showed a 47% overlap between the dimensions of the Nchout Monoun sample and those from KwaZulu-Natal. From previous observations on the diploid chromosome number, single electrophoretic bands on HBDH and IDH enzyme systems, euphallic genital system, arrowhead-shaped mesocones and the characteristic features of the shell, we conclude that Bulinus sp. from Nchout Monoun is closely related to B. natalensis.

This 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 discussed and compared to data on vegetation parameters, and on grazing and trampling effects by large herbivores. Small mammal abundance was related to vegetation cover on both farm areas. Species composition differed between the cattle and the game farm. These differences and the dominance structure are discussed in the view of different grazing techniques of cattle and wild ungulates.

Behavioural frequencies and time budgets for male and female Chersina angulata were recorded in spring, September 2004. The daily activity of the population was 10.51 ± 0.42 h (mean ± CI), but individual males and females were in the open for 2.57 ± 1.12 h and 1.58 ± 1.44 h, respectively. Both sexes spent nearly 3.5 h per day basking with 90% of the basking time in the cover of sparse vegetation. Feeding and walking were the most frequent active behaviours. The activity pattern of the sexes differed between 10:00 and 12:00 in the morning when males spent more time out of cover on active behaviours, particularly feeding, than females did. The daily activity pattern of the population peaked between 10:00 and 12:00, reflecting the activity pattern of the more active sex, males. Females were out of cover, active, and feeding at higher temperatures than were males. The high temperatures probably allowed females to complete activities more efficiently, reducing their exposure time and predation risk. Although fighting and mating represented small fractions of male time budgets, the extended physical presence through walking and feeding may help males to establish dominance hierarchies and enhance mating success.

The African yellow house bat, Scotophilus dinganii, was found to be seasonally monestrus, carrying a single foetus in each of the two uterine horns of the bicornuate uterus. Implantation was superficial, with amniogenesis initiated early during embryogenesis. The amnion in S. dinganii was a schizamnion, and it is deduced that its formation was preceded by cavitation of the inner cell mass, with formation of the definitive amniotic cavity, where the floor of the cavity eventually formed the embryonic disc and its roof the ectodermal part of the true or definitive amnion.

This paper describes the morphology and ecology of the larvae and early juveniles of two common gobiids in warm temperate South African estuaries. The early developmental stages of Glossogobius callidus and Redigobius dewaali were collected during plankton surveys in seven permanently open and five intermittently open estuaries along southeastern South Africa. Larval G. callidus have a characteristic ventral row of pigment that extends from the cleithral symphysis along the ventral midline of the tail to the end of the caudal peduncle; notochord flexion takes place at the yolk-sac stage, between 3 and 4 mm BL. Larval R. dewaali are characterized by having two very large stellate melanophores on the ventral surface of the trunk and tail, and internal pigment between the snout and hindgut; notochord flexion takes place between 4 and 6 mm. Body lengths at settlement for G. callidus and R. dewaali are 13 mm and 16 mm, respectively. G. callidus and R. dewaali dominate the larval gobiid catch in warm temperate estuaries. Estuary type and freshwater input played a defining role in the occurrence of larvae of these, often sympatric, species in temperate estuaries. Larval G. callidus occurred in both permanently open and intermittently open estuaries, and were most abundant in mesohaline regions over the spring/summer period. By contrast, larval R. dewaali occurred exclusively in permanently open estuaries and were more prevalent in the fresh and oligohaline regions in autumn. Larvae of both species were more prevalent in freshwater-rich estuaries. Densities of G. callidus and R. dewaali peaked at 101 and 3829 larvae per 100 m³ respectively. The usefulness of using the early stages of these gobiids as indicators of estuarine health based on their specific and often prolific estuarine occurrence is discussed.

Gaboon adders are active throughout the year, but are largely sedentary. In their prime habitat of forest–thicket–grassland mosaic in Zululand their normal foraging movements are short range, punctuated by long periods of inactivity. Occasional long distance movements suggest changes in foraging area, but these movements take place within a home range, to which the snakes show long-term fidelity. The snakes breed during the southern autumn, March to May. A male adder tracked during the breeding season performed a long, looping excursion well outside its home range. During this sally, through marginal to poor habitats and prime terrain, movements were rapid, with only short spells of inactivity, and little apparent foraging behaviour. This excursion is interpreted as mate-seeking with males actively searching for sedentary females.

Feeding habits and trophic relationships among three mormyrid species (Petrocephalus bovei, Marcusenius ussheri and Marcusenius furcidens) were assessed in the man-made Lake Ayame in Ivory Coast. The index of preponderance combining the occurrence and weight percentages of the identified prey items showed that these three mormyrid species mainly feed on invertebrates, especially aquatic insects. Petrocephalus bovei mainly feeds on chaoborid larvae, whereas both Marcusenius species preferentially feed on chironomid larvae. This segregation of food items associated with the relative abundance of chironomid larvae may reduce interspecific competition between these three fish species, and may therefore allow their coexistence. Horn's food overlap index revealed highly significant similarities in the trophic spectrum between both Marcusenius species, and for the dry as well as the rainy season.

Ten years (1993–2002) of shore fishing catch and effort data collected during routine patrols in the Goukamma Marine Protected Area in the Western Cape Province were analysed. Of a total of 35 species recorded, the most common were backtail, Diplodus sargus capensis (39%), and galjoen, Dichistius capensis (25%). These species dominated most years of the study period. Mean overall annual catch per unit effort by number and weight remained relatively constant over the period. Up to 30% of the recorded catches of top species were smaller than the minimum legal size limits. Although catches of most of the top species contained <7% immature specimens, 98% of recorded dusky kob, Argyrosomus japonicus, and 87% of white steenbras, Lithognathus lithognathus, were immature. Blacktail and galjoen showed a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in mean annual weight over the period. Inherent sampling biases associated with compliance-orientated fisheries monitoring procedures limited the potential of the collected data.

Notes on the synonymy of Hexapodibius beasleyi Maucci, 1988, with Haplohexapodibius seductor Pilato & Beasley 1987, are given. Ha. seductor Pilato & Beasley, 1987, is a new record for the African tardigrade fauna.

This study presents results from stomach content analysis of 123 largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, sampled at the mouth of the fishway leading into a 3 m high weir at the tidal limit of the Kowie River, Eastern Cape Province (33°32′39″S, 26°46′ 52.3″E). Stomach contents from small (120–240 mm fork length, FL) and large (250–440 mm FL) fish were analysed separately. Fish were the dominant prey item in small bass, followed by terrestrial insects and Potamonautes sp. In large bass, Potamonautes sp. dominated the stomach contents, while fish were less dominant and other prey items were considered incidental. Estuarine fish species, Monodactylus falciformis, and two species of the family Mugilidae, Mugil cephalus and Myxus capensis, were the most common fish prey in both size classes of M. salmoides. These results are the first evidence of the alien M. salmoides preying on these three indigenous estuarine species during their migration into fresh water.

Clymene dolphins, Stenella clymene, are endemic to the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean, where their occurrence is documented from fewer than 200 records. The species is particularly poorly known in the eastern Atlantic off the coast of Africa where only 12 verified records exist, predominantly comprising dead animals. Marine mammal survey work was carried out off central West Africa during 2004 and 2005, producing two new observations of free-ranging Clymene dolphins. Both sightings occurred in deep-water (466 and 684 m) over the shelf edge, off northern Angola and Congo respectively. A pod of 250 Clymene dolphins was observed off Congo, while the Angola sighting was of a mixed-species group of 12 Clymene dolphins with common dolphins, Delphinus sp. These records represent the first confirmed presence of Clymene dolphins off Angola and Congo, and extend the known southern limit of the confirmed distribution range of this species in the South-East Atlantic to 06°26′S.

We used the four-striped field mouse, Rhabdomys pumilio (Sparrmann, 1784), to test the hypothesis that reproduction in a small, short-lived mammal will be opportunistic, characterized by temporal and spatial variation in the timing of events, and only be inhibited under harsh and predictable winter conditions. Field mice were trapped for three years in two regions of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, one that experienced a predictable and harsh winter (Mountain Zebra National Park; MZNP) and the other which experienced a milder winter (Thomas Baines Nature Reserve; TBNR). There was no winter inhibition of reproduction at TBNR, while at MZNP female reproductive activity was inhibited but males continued to produce spermatozoa in winter. We interpret this flexibility in the timing of reproduction as supporting an opportunistic reproductive strategy which may be an adaptation to the seasonal and often unpredictable climate of the region.

Goose barnacle infestations (Lepas australis) were found on the pelage of two female Subantarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus tropicalis) at Gough Island in the South Atlantic. The infested females were both relatively old at 11 and 15 years of age. We suggest that females might be more prone to infestation than males and that infestation is more common in the older age groups. One of the females was post-reproductive and the other had lost its pup of the season, consequently they might have stayed longer at sea after settlement of the goose barnacles and prior to hauling out, than females with pups. Attached to the guard hairs of the seal, the barnacles were clogged with underfur fibres, making it impossible for them to feed, leading to emaciation. A possible explanation for the clogging is that the seals had begun to moult.

The reproductive cycle of the Namib giant ground gecko, Chondrodactylus angulifer, from southern Africa was described from a histological examination of gonadal material from museum specimens. Males followed a seasonal testicular cycle in which (based on available specimens) the major period of spermiogenesis occurred between September and December. The onset of spermiogenesis is not known as specimens from May to August were not available. Testes in regression were found in January, February and March. Testes in recrudescence were found in January, February, March and April. Females with enlarged ovarian follicles (>5 mm length) were found in January/February and September to December. Mean clutch size for 36 females was 1.7 ± 0.47 S.D., range: 1–2. Evidence is presented that more than one clutch may be produced in the same reproductive season.

We monitored seasonal use of grassland types by white rhinos at two sites within the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP). Thirty-two rhinos were removed from one site to reduce rhino density. Seasonal use of grassland types was similar at both sites, but differed to what a previous study reported. This was likely due to higher food availability during our study, coupled with lower white rhino density. These findings suggest that during high rainfall years, white rhinos at a density of 3/km² will not overutilize food in the park. Dispersal, initiated by declining food resources, is used to manage white rhino population size in HiP. We suggest that during high rainfall years it is unlikely that dispersal rates will increase. The impact that a similar density would have on food availability and dispersal during low rainfall years is uncertain.