Animals of the Masai Mara First Edition Edition

By Adam Scott Kennedy, Vicki Kennedy

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS

Copyright © 2012 Adam Scott Kennedy and Vicki Kennedy
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-691-15601-9

Contents

About this book……………………………………………………7Geography of the Masai Mara…………………………………………10Map of the Masai Mara………………………………………………12Where to watch wildlife in the Masai Mara…………………………….14The great migrations……………………………………………….18About the guides…………………………………………………..22Mammals…………………………………………………………..Lion Panthera leo………………………………………………….26Leopard Panthera pardus…………………………………………….30Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus……………………………………………34Serval Leptailurus serval…………………………………………..38Caracal Caracal caracal…………………………………………….39Wild Cat Felis sylvestris…………………………………………..40African Civet Civettictis civetta……………………………………41Small-spotted Genet Genetta genetta………………………………….42Large-spotted Genet Genetta tigrina………………………………….42Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta……………………………………….44Aardwolf Proteles cristata………………………………………….46Striped Hyena Hyena hyaena………………………………………….47Dwarf Mongoose Helogale parvula……………………………………..48Banded Mongoose Mungos mungo………………………………………..49Slender Mongoose Herpestes sanguineus………………………………..50Ichneumon Mongoose Herpestes ichneumon……………………………….51Marsh Mongoose Atilax paludinosus……………………………………52White-tailed Mongoose Ichneumia albicauda…………………………….53Zorilla Ictonyx striatus……………………………………………54Honey Badger Mellivora capensis……………………………………..55Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas………………………………….56Side-striped Jackal Canis adustus……………………………………57Bat-eared Fox Otocyon megalotis……………………………………..58Wild Dog Lycaon pictus……………………………………………..59Pangolin Smutsia temminckii…………………………………………60Aardvark Orycteropus afer…………………………………………..61African Elephant Loxodonta africana………………………………….62Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis……………………………………67Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius………………………………….68Warthog Phacochoerus africanus………………………………………70Plains Zebra Equus quagga…………………………………………..72Maasai Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis………………………………..76Cape Buffalo Syncerus caffer………………………………………..80Eland Tragelaphus oryx……………………………………………..84Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros………………………………..86Bush Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia………………………………………88Oribi Ourebia ourebi……………………………………………….89Kirk’s Dik-dik Madoqua kirkii……………………………………….90Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus…………………………………..91Mountain Reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula………………………………..92Bohor Reedbuck Redunca redunca………………………………………93Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus……………………………………….94Defassa Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus……………………………….95Impala Aepyceros melampus…………………………………………..96Grant’s Gazelle Nanger granti……………………………………….98Thomson’s Gazelle Eudorcas thomsonii…………………………………100Coke’s Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus………………………………102Topi Damaliscus lunatus…………………………………………….103White-bearded Wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus………………………..104Cape Hare Lepus capensis……………………………………………108Scrub Hare Lepus saxatilis………………………………………….108Springhare Pedetes capensis…………………………………………109Unstriped Ground Squirrel Xerus rutilus………………………………110Striped Ground Squirrel Xerus erythropus……………………………..110Grass Rat Arvicanthis niloticus……………………………………..111White-bellied Hedgehog Atelerix albiventris…………………………..112Crested Porcupine Hystrix cristata…………………………………..113Bush Hyrax Heterohyrax brucei……………………………………….114Greater Galago Otolemur crassicaudatus……………………………….116Lesser Galago Galago senegalensis……………………………………117Guereza Colobus Colobus guereza……………………………………..118Red-tailed Monkey Cercopithecus ascanius……………………………..120Blue Monkey Cercopithecus mitis……………………………………..122Vervet Monkey Chlorocebus pygerythrus………………………………..124Olive Baboon Papio anubis…………………………………………..126Reptiles………………………………………………………….Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus………………………………….130Savanna Monitor Varanus albigularis………………………………….132Nile Monitor Varanus niloticus………………………………………132Leopard Tortoise Geochelone pardalis…………………………………134Helmeted Terrapin Pelomedusa subrufa…………………………………135Flap-necked Chameleon Chamaeleo dilepis………………………………136Striped Skink Mabuya striata………………………………………..136Tropical House Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia…………………………….138Cape Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus capensis……………………………….139Mwanza Flat-headed Agama Agama mwanzae……………………………….140Blue-headed Tree Agama Acanthocercus atricollis……………………….141Black-necked Spitting Cobra Naja nigricollis………………………….142Black Mamba Dendroaspis polylepis……………………………………143Spotted Bush Snake Philothamnus semivariegatus………………………..144Velvety-green Night Adder Causus resimus……………………………..144Puff Adder Bitis arietans…………………………………………..145African Rock Python Python natalensis………………………………..146References and useful resources……………………………………..148Acknowledgements and photographic credits…………………………….149Index…………………………………………………………….150

CHAPTER 1

Mammals

Lion Panthera leo

Swa: Simba Maa: Olngatuny

Length: HBT 350 cm / 138″ (male),275 cm / 108″ (female); SH 120 cm / 48″(male), 100 cm / 39″ (female).

Gestation: 15 weeks.

Recognition: a large, sandy-colouredcat whose tail ends in a hairy tuft. Adultmales are significantly larger thanfemales and exhibit the bushy mane forwhich the species is famous.

Habits: typically active during the coolerhours, especially at night, and tends tospend much of the day sleeping andgrooming. However, hunting during themiddle of the day is not uncommon,especially when food is abundant suchas during the Wildebeest migration.

Where to find: savanna and open plains,rarely forest.

Feeds on: a variety of herbivores rangingin size from hares and young gazelle toCape Buffalo and Maasai Giraffe. In theMara, Wildebeest and Plains Zebra aremost frequently taken.

Among the most popular of all animalslikely to be encountered in the Mara,the Lion is easy to identify. But it is thebehaviour of this creature that is mostfascinating and our understanding of itcontinues to increase with new studies andobservations. Most importantly, this is themost sociable of all African cats, livingin prides of related females (often 3–6)and their offspring that are dominated byan unrelated male, or collective of males(usually brothers or father-son groups)known as a coalition. Some prides maynumber as many as 40 animals but this israre. When numbers reach a high level thepride usually breaks up, particularly whenfood becomes scarce within their territory,or pride area. The norm is for males to beejected from the maternal pride when theyreach 2–3 years old, which is when theirmanes start to become visibly bushy. Suchmales become nomads until they mature,when they then compete with othermales for the privilege of heading theirown pride. Until that point, males, andoccasionally females, will roam across anarea without a pride, known as a range.The main reason that all males are forcedto move on is to avoid them breeding withrelated females.

It can be a tough life for a young maleLion but, once he has matured and takenover a pride, he can enjoy a wonderful life.He can mate with all pride females and,although he may take the ‘Lion’s share’on kills, is rarely required to take partin hunting, which is the preserve of thequicker and more agile females. Males willusually dominate a pride for 3–5 years,during which time they may sire manylitters of cubs and defend the pride againstother males. Typically around the age often, and after years of sustained fightingwith rival males, he may be defeated bya fitter and stronger male, or coalition ofmales, and toppled from the pride. This isoften the end of his era as he is unlikely tofind another pride to dominate. With hisstrength and speed diminished and beingunlikely to be able to make successful killsalone, he may eventually starve.

Female Lion, or Lioness, are longer-lived,frequently reaching 15 years or more.They are the day-to-day hunters of thepride and will often stalk prey together,although each has her own skills andpreferred place in the hunt. Once prey hasbeen located, the Lionesses will encircleit and stalk to within 20 m or so beforerunning at great speed and bringing theprey down. Lion lack stamina and rarelychase prey far, frequently giving up thechase once they are beaten. Their key tosuccess is to get as close to the prey aspossible without being noticed – whichis probably why most hunts take place atnight. Once prey has been brought down itis quickly strangled with a sustained bitinggrip to the throat, or a suffocating gripover the mouth and nostrils. Due to theabundance of male coalitions in the Mara,it is quite common to encounter themon a self-made kill, often on large anddangerous species such as Hippo. Lion arenot above scavenging either and take preyfrom other predators, given the chance.It is most common to encounter a prideof Lion sleeping or resting under a shadytree, and these huge felines indulge inrestful activities for around 20 hours a day.An important activity you may encounteris mating, which can occur at any time ofyear as long as females are actively fertile,or in oestrus. Bouts of mating continuefor 5–8 days during which time the’honeymoon couple’ may mate 2–3 timesper hour, every hour, leaving no time (orenergy!) for other activities such as huntingand eating. Each mating session generallylasts for between 5–10 seconds, so if youwant to photograph it you need to be readywith your camera.

Three and a half months later, a litter of1–4 blind and heavily spotted cubs areborn in a well-hidden den, away fromthe pride. Their eyes open after a weekand, at three weeks, the cubs are mobile,curious and very playful – but in dangerfrom predators such as Spotted Hyena,Leopard and eagles. However, the biggestthreat to the new generation is from a newmale Lion who has taken over the pride.Infanticide among Lion is surprisinglycommon and, although very disturbing,ensures that the new pride male sires hisown offspring. Females losing their cubs inthis way will be induced into oestrus againwith a few weeks and the cycle begins forher again.

Only 25% of Lion cubs reach two years ofage but those that do are showered withaffection by their mothers and warmlyreceived into the pride by other Lionesses.Social grooming takes numerous forms,including head rubbing and licking,and there are few sights as magical as aharmonious pride taking time to enjoy lifeand each other. Other communicationsinclude the famous “roar” which is usuallygiven when night falls as a proclamationof territory. Males are the loudest andcan be heard as far as 8 km / 5 miles away,but females also roar. Scent marking isalso common, with males urinating onprominent bushes and rocks being acommon sight.

Although Lion are apex predators (i.e.they are at the top of the food chain), theirnumbers have decreased significantly inAfrica over the past 60 years, from anestimated 400,000 in the 1950s to just20,000 today. Much of their former habitathas been lost to an expanding humanpopulation and agricultural development,while many thousands are still killedeach year as a result of predator-livestockconflicts, including many within the MasaiMara and the surrounding conservancies.

Leopard Panthera pardus

Swa: Chui Maa: Olkinya lasho

Length: HB 275 cm / 108″, SH 80 cm / 32″

Gestation: 13–14 weeks.

Recognition: a beautiful large, spottedcat with short legs, a long, white-tippedtail and robust build. Also look out forthe very long, white whiskers.

Habits: mostly active at night with bestsightings often in early morning and lateafternoon. Stalks its prey before carryingit up a tree to devour.

Where to find: open savanna, forest andriverine woodland.

Feeds on: a variety of mammal prey fromhares to large herbivores up to the size ofadult Wildebeest. It is especially fond ofImpala, Warthog and Olive Baboon, andalso birds such as Helmeted Guineafowl.

Easily identified from the larger Lion (page26) by its heavily-spotted coat and white-tippedtail, the Leopard is more likely to beconfused with the slimmer, longer-leggedCheetah (page 34). A Leopard’s spots arearranged in circles, or rosettes, creatingan incredible camouflage that allows it tostalk its prey to within a few metres beforepouncing on the unsuspecting victim andkilling it with a stranglehold to the throat.Although adult Eland (page 84) and youngGiraffe (page 76) are sometimes taken, theLeopards of the Mara rarely prey uponsuch large animals, possibly due to theirrelatively small size compared to Leopardsfound elsewhere. Leopard are famous fortheir tree-climbing ability and routinelycarry prey, often heavier than themselves,in their powerful jaws up into the higherbranches where it is safe to feed withoutharassment from Lion and Spotted Hyena(page 44). These two powerful predatorsare the biggest dangers facing a Leopard,but Leopards are often aware of theirpresence and steer well clear. Despite beinga favoured prey item, Olive Baboon (page126) also represent a threat and troops willoften force a Leopard, through noisy andaggressive intimidation, to leave an area.Leopard are usually encountered alone,with the major exception being a motherwith her cubs. Males take no part inthe rearing of cubs and their matingencounters, usually with more than onefemale within their home range, are keptbrief and highly secretive. The commonlyheard vocalization of Leopard is a loudpulsating “saw-grunt” usually repeatedup to 15 times, sounding like a carpentersawing wood. Home ranges are routinelymarked with urine and favoured trees areused as scratching posts, both offeringclues to their presence.

Before giving birth, a female will hide ina dense thicket where the cubs (usually1–4) are born and kept hidden for around2 months. It is during this time that thecubs are most at risk from predation bywandering Spotted Hyena. The cubs willstay with the female for the next two years,sometimes less for male cubs, and it is notunusual for two generations of cubs to beencountered together with their mother.

Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus

Swa: Duma Maa: Olowuru kerri

Length: HBT 240 cm / 95″; SH 85 cm / 34″

Gestation: 13–13 ½ weeks.

Recognition: a large, long-legged andstreamlined cat with a small head. Itssandy-coloured head, coat and tailbase are heavily spotted, though itsunderparts are white. The face hasprominent black ‘tear-lines’ runningdown from the eyes. The long tail has 4–6bands towards the end and a white tip.

Habits: mostly active in the daytime,when it searches for prey, but malesfrequently patrol their territory at night.

Where to find: open plains and savanna.

Feeds on: mostly Thomson’s Gazelleand hares, although larger prey to thesize of Wildebeest, Topi and Zebra aresometimes taken when several animalshunt together.

Although superficially similar to theLeopard (page 30), the Cheetah has a trulyspotted coat and is far more slender, likea greyhound in structure. It has a well-deservedreputation for being the fastestland animal on the planet, reaching speedsin excess of 112 kph / 70 mph, includingan impressive 0–100 kph / 0–60 mph burstin three seconds, when chasing prey.Otherwise, the Cheetah is the lightweightof the ‘big cats’. Its delicate frame makesit highly susceptible to damage fromscavengers and predators, such as Lion(page 26) and Spotted Hyena (page 44).They are particularly at risk from thesemore powerful predators when sittingover a kill and will often give up their preyrather than face a potentially damagingencounter.

Cheetah detect their prey by sight, which isexceptionally acute. The black ‘tear-mark’running down from the corner of the eyeshelps to keep sunlight from obscuringtheir vision. Sometimes this cat willclimb onto a high termite mound, oreven a vehicle, for an elevated view of theterrain. Once prey has been located, it isstalked to less than 30 m / 100 ft beforebeing chased over a distance of up to500 m / 1/3 mile. During this time, thelarge nostrils swell to allow increased airintake and the respiratory system worksovertime to circulate oxygen through thebody. The long tail is used for steeringand balance, especially when chasing thefleet-footed Thomson’s Gazelle (page 100)that habitually twists and turns duringa chase. At the final moment, the preyis usually tripped before being pouncedon and a fatal choke-hold applied to thewindpipe. Because the heart is racing sofast, the Cheetah has to allow its body torecuperate before eating, often for as longas 25 minutes. Once it has cooled down itwill gorge itself before circling vultures giveaway its position to dangerous scavengers.Females live and hunt alone within a homerange after reaching maturity at around2 years old, while males mature earlier ataround 1 year. Males may live and hunt ina coalition and their territory includes theranges of several females. Both sexes arepromiscuous and each litter may includeoffspring from several males. Most littersare of 3–6 cubs, which are born with theircharacteristic spots and downy, greyfur which they eventually shed. A highpercentage of young cubs are killed bypredators but once they reach about 6months they are generally safe and able tofollow their mother on hunts. However,they are not particularly skilled until 15months or so. At 18 months, the motherleaves the cubs, which then stay togetherfor another 6 months, refining theirhunting and social skills. When they areabout 2 years old, the females of the familydesert their siblings to lead a solitary life.One of the biggest problems facingCheetah is their low genetic variability,which causes problems with health. In fact,all Cheetah surviving today are the resultof an inbreeding event, known as a geneticbottleneck, that is likely to have occurredbetween 10,000 and 12,000 years ago.The latest DNA research suggests that asfew as 7 Cheetah survived at one point, allof which were descended from the samefemale.
(Continues…)Excerpted from Animals of the Masai Mara First Edition Edition by Adam Scott Kennedy, Vicki Kennedy. Copyright © 2012 Adam Scott Kennedy and Vicki Kennedy. Excerpted by permission of PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS.
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