Tarangire National Park, Tanzania Day 1

Read on for lovebirds, elephants, lions, baobob trees, and more!

Zebras, rhinos, and giraffes oh my! A mammal extravaganza

Common zebra (Equus quagga) in Ngorongoro Conservation Area,
Tanzania

There are roughly 5,000 mammal species on Planet Earth. Some extraordinary species inhabit East Africa. Enjoy them!

Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) in Ngorongoro Conservation Area,
Tanzania

All mammals exhibit three basic characteristics. All mammals have three middle ear bones that help transmit vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear. All mammals have hair at some point in their lives. All female mammals produce milk from mammary glands (modified sweat glands) to nourish their offspring. 

African elephant (Loxodonta africana) in Serengeti National Park,
Tanzania

After those three standards, although there are other shared characteristics, the forms of mammals are very diverse. From mice to elephants (and whales if you really want to go big), mammals vary in size. From giraffes to bats, mammals vary in body shape and method of locomotion. From squirrels to lions, they differ in what they eat and how they get.

A species of zebra mouse, Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, Rwanda

Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

For more about mammals, see the previous posts “Happy Mother’s Day” (about mothers and nursing their young), “Big cats and the endless plains of the Serengeti,” “Abirthday with gorillas,” and “Monkeying around.” Look forward to “Run like an antelope,” an upcoming post about the many antelope of East Africa. 

A species of fruit bats, in trees on the shore of Lake Kivu, Rwanda

Common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) in Tarangire National Park,
Tanzania

Black-necked rock hyrax (Procavia johnstoni) in Serengeti National
Park, Tanzania

Brindled gnu (blue wildebeest) (Connochaetes taurinus) (left) and
golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Ngorongoro Conservation Area,
Tanzania

Boehm's squirrel (Paraxerus boehmi) in Mabira Forest Reserve, Uganda

A young African lion (Panthera leo) in Ngorongoro Conservation
Area, Tanzania

Works Consulted

Wund, M. and P. Myers. 2005. "Mammalia" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed October 26, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Mammalia.html.

Elephants, Ostriches, and the Mighty Baobob Tree

Thundering. Towering. Too heavy to fly. Elephants. Baobob trees. Ostriches. They are giants and there are still places where these giants rule the land. Welcome to Tarangire National Park!

African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana) are the heaviest land animal on
Planet Earth and are the second tallest, only shorter than giraffes.

Tanzania borders Rwanda and stretches east to the Indian Ocean. Tanzania conserves many large wild areas, among them Serengeti National Park and Selous Game Reserve (this reserve alone is twice the size of Rwanda). Michele and I visited Tarangire National Park and were blown away by some the giants we saw.

Sunrise at Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park protects 2850 square kilometers of wild lands, but migratory herds of herbivores spread out over an area seven times that size during the wet season. During the dry season, many of the animals flock back to the park for food and especially water in the swamps and the Tarangire River. 

Elephants live in family groups led by a matriarch. Mature male elephants
live on their own and only join the groups for mating. In this picture, a
herd of females and young cross the Tarangire River.

Tarangire is a mix of tropical grassland, woodland, and wetland. These habitat types meet and mix and thus support a huge variety of organisms. For example, the bird list for the park contains over 550 species; that is more than all the bird species found in the states of Missouri and New York combined. We saw 145 species of birds in the two full days we were there, including birds that are only found within the region, the yellow-collared love-bird, the ashy starling, the rufous-tailed weaver, and the grey-headed silverbill.

Baobob trees (Adansonia digitata) can grow for thousands
of years. This species can be found in savannas throughout tropical
Africa and supports many species of bats, birds, insects, monkeys, and
even people (who cook the leaves and collect caterpillars for protein).

Ostriches (Struthio camelus) are the largest living bird on the planet. They
are almost entirely herbivorous (plant-eating). Males and females form mixed
flocks, but here three males shuffle their wings in unison (nice shot Michele!).

Just how big is a baobob tree? Count more than 100 cattle egrets in the
baobob on the left. Note that the left baobob is nowhere near as large as
the one to the right. Baobobs are not tall trees (maximum 25 meters), but
their giant crowns have an imposing presence on their surroundings.

Female ostriches have different colored feathers than males. Both males
and females stand about 2 meters tall, and adults weigh in between
90-130 kilograms (that' a big bird).

Elephants are strict herbivores; they eat grasses and leaves mainly but
can eat bark, fruits, and roots. Each day they can eat 100-300 kilograms of
food (I weigh about 75 kilograms), which is about 4% of their body weight.

Sunset at Tarangire... look closely for the elephant! 

Works Cited

• “Annotated Checklist of Missouri Birds.” The Audubon Society of Missouri. Accessed 2 August 2011. http://mobirds.org/MBRC/MOChecklist.asp


• Donegan, K. 2002. "Struthio camelus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed August 02, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Struthio_camelus.html.


• "Checklist of the birds of New York State."  Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc. Accessed 2 August 2011. http://www.npwrc.usgs.govnystate.html


• Hankey, Andrew. “Adansonia digitata.” South African National Biodiversity Institute Website Plantzafrica.com. Accessed 2 August 2011. http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/adansondigit.htm


• Norwood, L. 2002. "Loxodonta africana" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed August 02, 2011. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Loxodonta_africana.html.


• "Tarangire National Park.” Tanzania National Parks. Accessed 2 August 2011. http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/tarangire.html

Happy Mother's Day (and baby animals)!!!

Michele and I recently visited Tanzania to look for birds and other wildlife. Many big mammals of East Africa breed and then give birth to their young to coincide with the rainy seasons (November-May), which provide the most grazing (and hunting!). At this time of year, when grasses are high, trees are covered in leaves, and food abounds, wild babes have stronger chances at survival. Most of these photos also highlight the adults, usually the mothers and female groups, that help raise them to adulthood.

A lioness (Panthera leo) with her two cubs trek along the Tarangire River bed in Tarangire National Park. Cubs can run by the time they are one month old but depend on their mother until about 16 months old.

A baby African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) stays close to its mother in Tarangire National Park. African elephants have a gestation period of nearly two years (about 21 months) before the baby is born. On average, the elephant young breast feeds for about 78 months. Happy Mother's Day indeed!

African buffalo females (Syncerus caffer) from strong bonds with their young. The young females remain with their mothers until they reproduce on their own (five years to sexual maturity). Young males join other male groups after two years. (Arusha National Park)

Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) actually breed in the rainy season and have their young in the dry season. However, this young giraffe will stay with its mother for about 14 months. (Arusha National Park)

A young olive baboon (Papio anubis) hitches a ride on an adult's back, possibly the mother's, judging from the size and apparent lack of a facial mane. Males also carry the young although the mothers do most of the rearing. Baboons, can live in large groups with many males, females, and young; these two baboons were photographed in a group with more than 45 individuals in Arusha National Park.

Happy Mother's Day!

Works cited:

• Harrington, E. and P. Myers. 2004. "Panthera leo" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 07, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Panthera_leo.html. 
• Kingdon, Jonathan. The Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2004. 
• Maisano, S. and A. Fraser. 2006. "Giraffa camelopardalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 07, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Giraffa_camelopardalis.html. 
• Newell, T. 2000. "Syncerus caffer" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 07, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Syncerus_caffer.html. 
• Norwood, L. 2002. "Loxodonta africana" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 07, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Loxodonta_africana.html. 
• Shefferly, N. 2004. "Papio anubis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 07, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Papio_anubis.html.