CATS, DOGS & HYENA

1. CATS, DOGS & HYENA

2. NATURAL HISTORY OF LION (Pantheraleo) King of the jungle

3. NAME, MORPHOLOGY & SIZE • Although the name lion is usually referring to both male and female lion, the female lion is called lioness • Is the largest carnivore in Africa who can hunt every animal • The word panther derives from Greek pan- ("all") and thēr ("beast of prey") because they can hunt and kill almost every prey animal. • However like other carnivore, it is opportunistic i.e. use their energy wisely and feed on available food and avoid possible risks/danger

4. NAME, MORPHOLOGY & SIZE • What is the appearance of lion (morphology)? • Color: tawny with white underparts often faintly spotted (especially in East Africa) • It has black tail tuft, black ear backs and black lips • Cubs (offsprings/youngs) have hairs like wool which are greyshi in color and spotted • Cubs color change to adult color at 3 months of age

5. Sexual dimorphism • How can you differentiate a lion and a lioness? • Lions is the cat which we can easily and clearly distinguish between male and female. • Males have mane which is either blond in colour (pale yellow or golden hairs) while lioness don’t have a mane. • Males are larger than lioness. Male weight range between 200 – 250Kg while lioness is 126 – 180Kg. • Lioness have 4 teats and males scrotum are easily seen

6. HABITAT • Geographical range: it is found in Sub-Sahara Africa except in deserts and rainforests wherever medium-sized and large herbivores survive. • Its characteristically habitat is savanna (wooded grassland and plains)

7. BEHAVIOR • Unlike most casts which are solitary, lions are social cats i.e. they live in a group which is called pride • Why lions are social cats? Is because they need to defend their territory/pride area in use against other lions. Males are the ones which have to defend their territory more fiercely from other male lions because of the bad consequences of losing the pride to other male lions. However, even lioness defend the territory against intruder lioness

8. BEHAVIOUR • Lions have developed a social system based on teamwork, division of labor and an extended but closed family unit. • The average pride consists of about 15 individuals: in which there are adult lioness (4), subadults lioness and males (3), juveniles and yearlings cubs (3) and adult male lions (4)

9. BEHAVIOUR • Males are usually brothers or pride mates who have formed a coalition to protect their females against other males and to defend the territory against intruder males. • Lions in a pride with females and cubs are usually territorial

10. BEHAVIOUR • How do they mark territory? Through urine (urinating at the boundary) the activity done mostly by males • Both sexes defend the territory or pride range in use against intruders of the same sex • Male members in the pride come and go unpredictably (due to competition among males to win group of females) but the resident ones whenever they meet they greet each other ceremoniously

11. BEHAVIOUR • Males are the ones which are dominant over lioness • there is no hierarchy among females (lioness) • Male cubs have to leave the pride at the age of 2.5 years where they form a coalition and become nomadic • For them (nomadic lions) to win a group of lioness, they have to form a coalition so as to overpower a group of males in a pride and take a pride of lionesses

12. BEHAVIOUR • The maximum number of males who form a coalition is 4 but rarely can be up to 7. • Once they take a pride they kill all the cubs (infanticide) in which the lioness which defend its cubs is beaten seriously and can be fatal. • However sometimes the lioness run away from the territory with its cubs to rescue its cubs • Why do the lion males kill the cubs of other males after taking a pride? Read reproduction part

13. BEHAVIOUR • Males and females in a pride they lay in contact to each other to show affection. • Lionesses show much affection (playful) to one another through contacts/grooming as adults whereas males loose this behavior at the age of 3 years • Lions in a pride they also greet each other ceremoniously. They hug each other so heavily to the extent that if one can fall on top of the other. Usually the smaller one hug strongly to the bigger one

14. BEHAVIOUR • CALLING: Lions they do roaring. Usually they do roaring while standing but they can also do roaring in any position like while crouching or even while running • Roaring grades from soft huh to full-throated roars which is very audible • What are the functions/use of roaring? • Advertise territorial occupancy • Contact pride members • Strengthen social bond (roaring in chorus)

15. BEHAVIOUR 4. Intimidate rival during aggressive interactions • Males roars deeper and louder than lioness • Sex and distance of a roaring lion are both hard to judge accurately • Apart from roaring another call is a humming call which is a satisfaction sound like purring emitted during affectionate (friendly) interactions and while nursing cubs. Cubs usually rub on the adults

16. BEHAVIOUR • Another call is a emitted while the mouth is closed called puffing call. Is the pfff-pfff call produced by lions when approaching each other which is a signal for peaceful intentions • When responding to competitors/predators they produce a Woofing sound which is produced by a worried (anxious) lion

17. BEHAVIOUR • AGGRESION SIGNALS/SIGNS: It keeps head low while fore legs are wide apart and shoulder higher than normal. it gaze (look) steadly at opponent with eyes and mouth in an offensive threat or while snarling (scowling) defensively. Ears are twisted and back black side is facing forward unlike threat posture of other cats • A charging sign of a lion is when the tail is lashed (moved) up and down in a display and it growl (bark) or coughs

18. DIET (FOOD) • Lions are obligate carnivores. They are both predatorsi.e. hunting prey to get its food and also scavengers. • In its scavenging techniques lions can take the hyena food as they can easily hear the sound of hyena calling other hyenas at the food point • Lion also are directed by the descending vultures at the point where there is carcass (dead body of animal) • They usually hunt medium to large ungulates and usually they cooperate during hunting

19. DIET (FOOD) • HUNTING TECHNIQUES; They usually stealth before they rush and ambush (surprise attack) of prey. • Males only hunt for themselves when no free lunch (free food) is provided by lioness, hyenas or other agencies. Why this? • The big size and conspicuous males due to possession of mane make them very visible to the prey hence reduces their chances of successful hunting as prey can easily see the male lion during stealthing

20. DIET (FOOD) • Females do 85-90% of the hunting, usually by setting up an ambush into which they drive the prey. • The kill is not shared equally within a pride, and at times of prey scarcity, high juvenile mortality rates occur, as hungry females may not even share with their offspring. • After a kill lions usually fight so as to get a chance of feeding and prime Males use their powers to feed on big share up to 25% of their own weight

21. DIET (FOOD) • After full engorged (eating enough food), lions are one of the laziest animals. Once fully engorged they can rest for up to 20 hours of one day. • Lions will only eat medicinal plants when feels stomach ache. • Lions hunting in group during day time are more successful than a lion hunt singly during day time. • Most lions drink water daily if available, but can go four or five days without it. Lions in arid areas seem to obtain needed moisture from the stomach contents of their prey.

22. DIET (FOOD) • However recent research shows that single hunters at night are successful as group hunters during day time. This is also considered as one of the primary reason why lions have become the only sociable cats • Group hunters (cooperate hunters) can take large prey such as buffaloes, rhino or hippo. They can even take a giraffe once spotted lying down.

23. REPRODUCTION • Birth is year round (throughout the year) but often synchronized birth (all females giving birth) at almost the same time as a result of infanticide • Infanticide is the killing of cubs by the new males who have overthrown the previous males in the pride and take the females. New males in a pride kill cubs they found in a pride so as to ensure the lionesses are entering into heat soon for them to mate and produce their own cubs • Males form coalition so as to overthrow and chase males in a pride and take the pride

24. REPRODUCTION • Males are dominant over lionesses. Males in the coalition there will be one which will be dominant over the others however they don’t fight one another as the enmity (hostility) among themselves shall reduce their chances of holding the pride once attacked by another coalition of males • Typically 3 cubs are born (some books says 2 – 4 or 6 ) with a birth weight of 1 – 2Kg after a gestation period of 14 – 15 weeks (3.5 months)

25. REPRODUCTION • After births cubs are helpless. Cubs’ eyes open after 3 to 11 days, they start walk at 10 to 15 days and they start to run at 1 month • After 4 to 8 weeks of hiding mothers begins leading cubs to nearby kills and after 7 weeks cubs keep up with the pride • Cubs are weaned at 7 to 10 months but remain dependent to the adults up to the age of 16 months • Birth interval is 20 to 30 months

26. REPRODUCTION • Lioness start breeding at 4 years which is one year before males • Males become full mature and can take territory at the age of 5 to 6 years • Large coalition of males ie 4 to 6 males can take and hold the pride up to 4 years. • Males who lose the pride don’t get a second chance to retaking any pride

27. REPRODUCTION • MATING; Lion mating is notoriously quick, repetitive, and unsuccessful and lionesses get induced ovulation. Males are the ones which induced lionesses to ovulate • For every cub that survive to yearlings stage, lions copulate (do sexual intercourse) an estimated 3000 times • Only 1 estrus (heat period) in 5 results into conception (pregnancy) and estrus lasts for 4 days during which couples mate about 2 times per hour (some books say ejaculation is once after every 25 minutes)

28. REPRODUCTION • Surprisingly coalition males usually never fight for mating rights. The first male to reach the female in heat becomes her consort until he is satisfied • This mating inefficiency may be a result of the ability of lions to induce ovulation and therefore sometimes female ovary are not ready to conceive during ejaculation or might be a female adaptation to reduce competition among males within a pride or to make sure the male is more attached to it especially when the males are new in the pride hence win male’s parental care

29. REPRODUCTION • Males never fight during mating as fighting will impair their ability to withstand takeover attempts • Lioness are giving birth and put cubs in a den • Some lioness never pay important attention to cubs i.e. they have poor maternal care especially in a period where food is scarcity • Synchronized birth in lioness improve the maternal caring of cubs as they allow cross suckling

30. THREATS AND STATUS • Threats are things/situations which affect the survival of lions. • For lion the main threat is land fragmentations and encroachments done by humans which reduces the size of lions territory • Poaching is another big threat to lions survival as poachers kill lions or herbivores which are food for lions • STATUS: Lion is one of the cat which are found in huge population in Eastern and Southern Africa savannah

31. NATURAL HISTORY OF LEOPARD Pantherapardus Prince/princess of stealth

32. MORPHOLOGY & SIZE • The leopard is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera; the other three being the tiger, lion and jaguar. • COLOUR: tan to reddish brown with spots grouped in rosettes on torso (body without head and legs). Rosettes spots are also found on upper parts of legs. This is the color for the leopards found in arid and semi arid areas

33. MORPHOLOGY & SIZE • In humid tropics leopards are more darker and more closely spotted and sometimes black with very faint/pale spots which are almost obscured • Cubs have fuzzy coat with unclear and closed spots • Size; males have a weight of 35 -65Kg while females have 28 – 58Kg • Sexual dimorphism; males and females looks alike and the only way to differentiate them is by seeing the scrotum of males and the size whereby males are larger than females

34. HABITAT • Leopard is the most widespread felid/cat. • Geographical range; it is found in Africa and Asia whenever there are prey • In terms of habitat, leopards have the broadest habitat range of any African carnivore. They can live in lowland rainforest (the only large predator which can live therein), deserts and high mountains (once found in mount Kilimanjaro icecap) • In savannah wilderness it prefers to live in riverine, forests, mountains and kopjes

35. BEHAVIOR • Leopards are solitary creatures and predominately nocturnal. Leopard hunts and lives alone associate with another adult only long enough to mate • Each individual has a home range that overlaps with its neighbors while defending core areas as exclusive territories • The male's home range is much larger and generally overlaps with those of several females. • NB: within/inside the home range where one leopard lives, there is a territory.

36. BEHAVIOR • Leopards continually move about their territory, seldom (rarely) staying in an area for more than two or three days at a time • How do they mark the territory? • Is marked with urine; urine is sprayed • Claw markings; it marks the trees by scratching branches by it claws. This activity also sharpen leopard’s claws • leopards announce their presence to other leopards with a rasping cough

37. BEHAVIOR • CALLING: Equivalent (like) lion, leopard roar advertises presence and or territorial status. Sounds like someone sawing wood repeated every after about 6 minutes during peak calling for short period typically after nightfall and before dawn often while leopard is walking. Leopards also growl, roar and purr. • NB: Leopard never allow another leopard into its territory. So mating occurs in the home range of both male and female leopards which usually converge

38. FORAGING (FOOD/DIET) • Leopard lies up during the day and part of night in trees or dense under-growth. It is more active at night (dusk) and early morning (dawn) • During night, its hunting become more successiful than hunting during the day time • Leopard is a prince of stealth. Stalking with infinite patience and complete silence. • Leopard tries to get within 5 yards of its prey before pouncing (ambushing), taking it completely by surprise

39. FORAGING (FOOD/DIET) • The maximum distance from which leopard will ambush (sprinting) its prey is 20 yards and it quits (stop chasing it) within 50 yards if it misses • During ambushing leopard can accelerate to 60 kph • Leopard is very powerful, bold and timidly and can take (hunt) a prey which weigh 3 times higher than a leopard. It can take (hunt) a 136Kg topi or subadult wildebeest. Usually take its food up to the tree and usually eat some on the ground before taking the rest of the meal up to the tree

40. FORAGING (FOOD/DIET) • Why leopard is taking its meal on the tree? • Both lions and hyenas have been known to take away a leopard's kill. To prevent this, leopards store their larger kills in trees where they can feed on them in relative safety. • Apart from eating larger antelopes, leopard feed on carrion and a variety of other prey. Among leopard’s prey are:- fish, reptiles and birds to mammals such as rodents, hares, hyraxes, warthogs, antelopes, monkeys and baboons.

41. FORAGING (FOOD/DIET) • NOTE: although leopards are larger than hyenas, hyenas usually grab leopard’s food the reason which make leopard to take its food up to the tree. Inferiority complex unnerving (frightening) the price of stealth is what makes leopard to food to leopard. However this is not always the case, a leopard with cubs is likelier to attack than to flee and leave its food to hyena.

42. REPRODUCTION • Female leopard begins to breed at 2 years. • They usually give birth to 2 to 3 cubs • Cubs’ coats appear to be smoky gray as the rosettes are not yet clearly delineated. • Gestation period is 90 to 100 days (about 3 months) • Female in estrus (in heat) last for 7 days and if no conception recurring every 25 to 58 days until conception • Cubs’ birth weight is 400g to 600g • Cubs are hidden for 6 to 10 weeks in dense thicket, caves or hollow tree and moved periodically

43. REPRODUCTION • Cubs are born helpless and blind. Eyes open at 6 to 10 days and begins to eat meat brought by mother after hiding period • Mother reduces its movement in its range and spend 55 to 60% of time of 24 hours with cubs first few months. • Cubs weaned at 3 months but remained dependent to mother for at least a year and usually cubs become dependent at 22 months • Birth interval is 2 years

44. THREATS • leopards have long been poached upon by humans. Their soft, beautiful fur has been used for clothing. The tail, claws and whiskers of the leopard are popular as tools for magicians (fixations). • In some areas, farmers or livestock keepers/pastoralists try to eliminate leopards because leopard (prince of stealth) using its stealth techniques can easily stay near human habitation eating livestock and sometimes hunt people • while other people, leopards trophies are considered symbols of wisdom.

45. NATURAL HISTORY OF CHEETAH (Acinonyxjubatus)

46. MORPHOLOGY, SIZE & SPEED • A cat (felid) with greyhound chassis i.e. built for speed • What enable cheetah to be the fastest animal? 1) It has long, slim and muscular legs, 2) A small and rounded head set on a long neck, 3) A flexible spine, 4) A deep chest, 5) special pads on its feet for traction (toehold) and 6) A long tail for balance.

47. MORPHOLOGY, SIZE & SPEED 7) It is also the only cat that cannot retract its claws, an adaptation to help maintain traction like a soccer player’s cleats 8) Cheetah also has light bones • The cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal. Its top speed is incredible 112kph which can be maintained for only 300 yard • Why it cannot maintain its speed for longer distance/time?

48. MORPHOLOGY, SIZE & SPEED • All cats (felids) are lacking endurance once in sprinting (chasing) prey because they have small heart and small lungs • For cheetah on top of having small heart and lungs, it quits (stop) running after 300 yards because of the raised temperature and oxygen debt (lacking oxygen) forcing cheetah to stop. NOTE: Remember my lecture on difference between leopard and cheetah • COLOUR: The name cheetah comes from an Indian word meaning "spotted one."

49. MORPHOLOGY, SIZE & SPEED • Cheetah colour is tawny with small and solid black spot, white underparts, outer tail ringed black and white & end up with white spot, black ear backs, black lips and nose. • Cheetah has a distinctive tear stains/tear mark running from the inside corner of each eye to the mouth may serve as an antiglare (reduce effects of shining sun to eyes) mechanism for daytime hunting • Cubs and juveniles have long, silky fur – black with faint spots and a cape of blue-gray long hairs. • Cheetah has 10 to 12 teats

50. HOME RANGE & HABITAT • Geographical Range: Formerly ranged in the hole of Africa and the near East to India. Currently cheetah is widespread in sub-sahara savannas and arid zones wherever suitable prey occurs though generally at very low density i.e. the population of cheetah is very low • An extra-ordinary lack of genetic diversity, suggesting that at one point cheetah went through a genetic bottleneck (possibly all living cheetahs descend from one female) which makes them very vulnerable to diseases