Trophic Level II - The Herbivores Mammals Page 14

  Africa’s large mammals are among the most studied animals on Earth. There is far more written about them than about the many species of birds, reptiles and insects found on the continents combined.

Most of the familiar African mammals are covered on this CDROM but there are some exceptions. Gorillas, for example, are not found in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem and are therefore absent from the text and Field Guide. There are no chimpanzees in the Serengeti-Mara but a short entry is found in the Field Guide because chimps are mentioned in the section dealing with early humans. The okapi is an unusual example of a species that you will find in the Field Guide. Okapi are found in the rainforest, as are gorillas, but in the past they were also found living around what is now the Olduvai Gorge. Their fossils attest to this fact and so the okapi is given a spot in the Field guide.

A person should not expect to see chimps and okapi while on safari here, but many of the other species covered in detail will be seen, often in large numbers. The smaller species, no less common or important, are often overlooked when one is confronted with the grandeur of an elephant or the speed of a cheetah.

Africa’s smaller mammals are less studied than are the cats, elephants and antelopes, but they are no less important. The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is home to several species of rodents, all of which consume food and are, in turn, consumed. The field guide gives brief accounts of other species not covered in the material below. For example, the African porcupine, unstriped ground squirrel, and the hedgehog are all covered in the Field Guide.

(see also Appendix II: Prey Biomass and Appendix VIII: Land Usage by Major Herbivores in the Serengeti_Mara Ecosystem)

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Dave Taylor's African Safari - Book 3: Trophic Level II - The Herbivores (Standard Version)
Copyright © 1999 Dave Taylor & James Cash