Some of the animals we photographed in East Africa
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Oryx
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Quickfacts
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— black band on face emphasizes the horns on this magnificent looking antelope
— newborn an inconspicuous brown color is hidden for 2 or 3 weeks
— non-territorial the males live in mixed groups with females and their young
— dominance hierarchy among oryx is based on age and size
— herd composition constantly changes - oryx wanting to drink, for example, form a group to go to water
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Red colobus monkey
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Quickfacts
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— found only in Zanzibar
— are unique in that they possess a reduced thumb and unusually long fingers.
— unlike other primates they have a four-chambered stomach & can live on leaves
— female shows sexual receptivity through outwardly visual cues such as swelling of the perineum.
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Rhinoceros
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Quickfacts
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— predators: humans - lifespan: 35 to 40 years
— endangered - since 1970 the world rhino population has declined by 90 percent
— extended "vocabulary" of growls, grunts, squeaks, snorts and bellows
— dangerous on attack - with head down it is agile with speeds to 30 mph
— has a symbiotic relationship with oxpeckers - the birds noisily warn of danger
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Spotted Hyena
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Quickfacts
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— In ancient Egypt hyenas were domesticated, fattened and eaten
— unlike most animals, female spotted hyenas are dominant over the males
— female genitalia look like male - may be protective adaptation
— skillful hunter & scavenger - strong jaw and digestive tract - eats skin & bones
— dens on high ground - entrances connected by underground tunnels
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Topi
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Quickfacts
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— at 4 or 5 years of age, males begin to fight over territories
— after defining his territory he will stand for long periods on a prominent place
— eat only grass - if grass coarse and dry, then longer rest time needed to chew cud
— flexible - if food supply good then shorter intervals between calves
— gregarious - topis spend much of their life with others such as wildebeest, zebra and ostrich
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