Wildlife Ecology and Management. Lecture notes by Peter Kabai

More on Chamois at www (simply type species name in Search box)

(Please visit the wonderful exhibition of Stefan Meyer)

Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)

European bison (or Wisent) (Bison bonasus)

Summer: Older males join female groups
Rutting: August October
Older bulls attend cows in estrous. Garding female, chasing other bulls away. Fights are frequent.
Bull leaves cow following mating and searches for other cow in estrous.

railroad brought hunters who killed the Bison for sport.
killed for their hides and meat for railroad workers
The United States army killed the Bison to take away the Native Americans food source.
Increased farming resulted in habitat loss
domestic cattle diseases
introgression of cattle genes
hybridization between subspecies

Some small herds of captive animals on private land were protected
These animals were used to repopulate parks
The first bill (not bull!) to save the Bison was introduced in Congress in 1874.
In 1905, the American Buffalo Society was formed with Teddy Roosevelt as Chairman.
Today there are approximately 200,000 Bison in North America
Bison are ranched for their meat in all 50 states and in all Canadian provinces.
Parks and breeding stations

Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica)

Thompson's Gazelle (Gazella thomsonii)

Order: Artiodactyla > Family: Bovidae > Subfamily: Antilopinae

Distribution: Tanzania and Kenya
Body mass: 15 to 30 kg.

Babyrousa
Phacochoerus (wart hogs)
Sus

digging, unearthing roots might be beneficial in some areas, but detrimental in cultivated fields
eating crops, especially corn (maze)

competition with native species (reproduction rate is extremely high, population might double each year)
as an omnivore, might eggs and young of protected species.

	BIO szerver		BIO server
	Kabai Péter		Peter Kabai


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	7. Ungulates
	We have discussed some Cervidae species. (lecture notes) Now we go on to two other groups of Ungulates within Ruminants: Bovidae and Antilocapridae (Pronghorns)

	Pronghorn antilope (Antilocapra americana)

	single species within Antilocapridae Geographic range: North America Mass: 36 to 70 kg Horn: pronged, permanent bone core + keratinous sheathshed every yearsome females have horns (short and not pronged) Diet: grass, forbs, browse (cactus in Kansas)does not need much free water Reproduction: mating in autumn. Females ovulate 4-7 ovanumber of embrios is reduced later.Fawn / adult female is 2

	Guiness record: fastest running mammal after the cheetah reaching 86 km/h can run 50-60 km/h for longer than cheetah does not jump high... Why to run faster than any predator around? Probably evolved to outrun now extinct American cheetah. Behaviour: large groups in winterbucks defend territories from spring to fallfemales move freelybucks mate with 2-3 females on territory. Territorial polygyny


	Mouflon (Ovis ammon musimon) Bovidae: gazelles, antelopes, buffalo, goats, sheep Subfamily: Caprinae ( Sheep, goats,ibex, chamois)
	Geographic Range: Palearctic, Ethiopian from the Mediterranean across central Asia. original distribution in Europe is Sardinia and Corsica (introduced into central Europe) interbreeds with domestic sheep. progenitor of domestic sheep, or feral domestic sheep? Mass: 25 to 55 kg, the smallest wild sheep.

	Horns: size increase up to 8 years (5-40% of females have horns) sheath of keratin (antler is bone!) Rings: Growth is slow in winter age can be estimated by rings on horn

	Reprodution: Polyestrous, repeatedly fertile every three weeks in autumn Lamb is born fully developed Ewes immediately start licking the lamb Ewes first recognize their lambs by smell, later also by their looks and voices. Mother gets imprinted to lamb. (more on that in Concepts) They live in herds, males and females more or less separated Herd instinct is strong Fight: males kick or butt.



	Chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) Subfamily: Caprinae Habitat: high mountains Body mass: 25-50 kg Horns: vertical with hooks Social groups: females with young, older males are solitary, male joins and defends female herd during the rut
	More on Chamois at www (simply type species name in Search box)		(Please visit the wonderful exhibition of Stefan Meyer)


	Dalls sheep (Ovis dalli) Habitat: high mountains from Alaska to British Columbia Body mass: 46 to 113 kg. Horns: sexually dimorphic in males can reach 8-10% of body weight Social groups: females with young males in bachelor herds Males establish hierarchy in band by display, kicking, clash
	more at www

	Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)
	Distribution: Rocky Mountains + desert subspecies Body mass: Males 119-127 kg; females 53-91 kg. Hierarchy in males: head-to head combat Horn size: 14 kg Speed 30-40 km / hour Combat lasts for hours (25.5 h, longest ever observed) Ritual mating between males
	more at www



	European bison (or Wisent) (Bison bonasus)
	Artiodactyla >Bovidae > Bovinae > Bison Range: continental Europe (in protected parks) Bialowieza National Park (Poland) Mass: largest mammal in Europemales 400-920 kg, females 300-540 kg Winter: large mixed groups (Winter diet supplement keeps the population at site) Large groups breake into smaller groups Female groups with calves, Male groups

	Summer: Older males join female groups Rutting: August October Older bulls attend cows in estrous. Garding female, chasing other bulls away. Fights are frequent. Bull leaves cow following mating and searches for other cow in estrous.

	Conservation
	Originally two subspecies: lowland and highland No pure highland stock remains (interbred with lowland, and crossed with American bison) Lowland bison: cca 3000 individuals in Central-Eastern Eu. Was protected by Polish and Lithuanian royalties. First World War was hard on the lowland population. Poland bought bison held in keptive herds and established free ranging population in Bialowieza National Park. Please read the whole story as digested by a student, D. Patterson at www.


	American bison (Bison bison) Two subspecies: PLAIN BISON and WOOD BISON

	Geographic Range Nearctic: Originally from Alaska to northern Mexico Today bison have been exterminated in the wild Live in protected areas (Yellowstone Park, Wood Buffalo Park, Canada). Body size: larger than European bison (318 - 900 kg) Diet: grazers Groups: male bachalor herds (up to 30 animals) cow groups (females with young + few bulls) strict hierarchy both within males and females

	Breeding: rut between late June September Females are seasonally polyestrous with a cycle of approx. three weeks. calves are born in mid-April through May calves are red and turn brown in 4 months Conservation: important prey species for 10,000 years cca 60 million bison before European settlers arrived

	nearly extinct by the 1880s (> 1000) railroad brought hunters who killed the Bison for sport. killed for their hides and meat for railroad workers The United States army killed the Bison to take away the Native Americans food source. Increased farming resulted in habitat loss domestic cattle diseases introgression of cattle genes hybridization between subspecies By 1889, fewer than 1,100 Bison remained in the United States and Canada.

	Some small herds of captive animals on private land were protected These animals were used to repopulate parks The first bill (not bull!) to save the Bison was introduced in Congress in 1874. In 1905, the American Buffalo Society was formed with Teddy Roosevelt as Chairman. Today there are approximately 200,000 Bison in North America Bison are ranched for their meat in all 50 states and in all Canadian provinces. Parks and breeding stations



	Buffalo or bison? African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) From south of the Sahara to just north of South Africa Body mass: 500-900 kg Reproduction: all year round, peaks in rainy season Groups: females with young
	Males in bachelor herds (strict dominance) Gregarious, travelling in large herds Considered one of the most dangerous herbivore more on the species at animaldiversity-web



	Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica)
	Order: Artiodactyla > Family: Bovidae > Subfamily: Antilopinae large head with a huge mobile nose Distribution: central Asia: Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kalmykia Mass: 30 to 45 kg. Diet: grazers Reproduction: female defend poligyny (harem of 5-10) Male mortality very high (up to 80-90%) Conservation: Was protected and managed by the Soviet Union. Today rapid declining due to poaching.



	Thompson's Gazelle (Gazella thomsonii)
	Order: Artiodactyla > Family: Bovidae > Subfamily: Antilopinae Distribution: Tanzania and Kenya Body mass: 15 to 30 kg. Migrates from woodland to steppe annually Diet: grasses, but browses occasionally

	Behaviour: Males are highly territorial 20-30 encounters, 4-5 fights / day Why so many? Open habitat?

	Flight: fast runner, still gets caught Distinct stiff legged bounce: stotting or pronking. Displayed when predator is near. Function? (see Concepts)


	PIGS Taxonomy: Cetartiodactyla > Suina > Suidae (pigs) Babyrousa Phacochoerus (wart hogs) Sus

	EURASIAN WILD BOAR (Sus scrofa) Geographic range: Euroasia and North Africa. Introduced into many areas in North and South America , South Africa, Australia, New Zealand etc. Weight: 44-320 kg Feeding: omnivorous (eats practically anything) Reproduction: gestation period 112-130 days, 4-8 piglets in early spring. (year-round breeding in the tropics)

	Social system: matriarchal groups, up to 20 individuals. Two or three mature related sows and their offspring, females and immature males. Males form bachelor groups, older males are often solitary. During late autumn mating season males are very aggressive and fight for the control of females groups. Special weapons are tusks.

	Problems: damage to vegetation and native wildlife where introduced. Damage to vegetation: digging, unearthing roots might be beneficial in some areas, but detrimental in cultivated fields eating crops, especially corn (maze)

	Damage to native wildlife: competition with native species (reproduction rate is extremely high, population might double each year) as an omnivore, might eggs and young of protected species. FERAL SWINE: THE CALIFORNIA EXPERIENCE Special case: Great Britain. Wild boar has been extinct due to hunting and habitat loss for 300 hundred years. Recenty, individuals escaping from farms formed two feral populations. See arguments and poll about British boar www.

	According to recent DNA study, pig was domesticated independently from wild boar subspecies in Europe and Asia, about 9,000 years ago. Asian pigs were introduced into Europe during the 18th and early 19th centuries (E. Giuffra et al., 2000, The Origin of the Domestic Pig: Independent Domestication and Subsequent Introgression free text www.