Bush hyrax

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Bush hyrax
Bush hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei)

Bush hyrax ( Heterohyrax brucei )

Systematics
Superordinate : Afrotheria
without rank: Paenungulata
Order : Schliefer (Hyracoidea)
Family : Hyrax (Procaviidae)
Genre : Heterohyrax
Type : Bush hyrax
Scientific name of the  genus
Heterohyrax
JE Gray , 1868
Scientific name of the  species
Heterohyrax brucei
(JE Gray, 1868)

The bush hyrax ( Heterohyrax brucei ), sometimes also steppe hyrax , is the only species of the genus of the same name within the hyrax . Its distribution area extends from northeast over eastern to southeast Africa , in addition the species is also found in central and southwest Africa. The animal habitat includes partly open landscapes interspersed with Kopjes or steep cliffs, they also occur in forest areas. In appearance, the bush hyrax, like other hyrax, also resembles a guinea pig , the limbs are short, the tail is missing. Characteristic is a yellow spot on the back, which stands out clearly from the gray to brown fur on the upper side. The bottom is noticeably lighter. In addition, various light facial spots and long whisker hairs are formed.

The life of Buschschliefers resembles that of many aspects hyrax . Sometimes both species occur sympatric and inhabit the same rock formation. The animals are sociable and form colonies with a dominant male, several females and the young. They use crevices and caves in the rock as shelter, but can also climb trees. The male defends his territory and utters distinctive, far-reaching territorial calls. The main diet consists of soft vegetable food with a small amount of grass. As a rule, the animals eat together early in the morning and in the evening. Reproduction takes place largely within the colony. Females give birth to a litter with up to two young once a year. The coffee eagle appears as one of the most important predators and feeds almost exclusively on snakes.

The bush sleeper was first described as a species and genus in 1868, but not together. Reports about the animals date back to the second half of the 18th century. The multiple mention of animals in this early research-historical period led to a controversy about the actual scientific species names that existed in the transition from the 19th to the 20th century. The bush hyrax first appeared in fossil form at the end of the Miocene, some finds come from southwestern Africa. Today's stocks are considered safe.

features

Habitus

Bush hyrax, clearly recognizable are the vibrissae and the light eyebrows

The bush hyrax is a small to medium-sized animal. The total length of more than 90 examined individuals from the Serengeti varied from 32.5 to 47.2 cm, the body weight was 1.3 to 2.4 kg. In contrast, 17 measured animals from Zimbabwe with a body length of 46.5 to 53.0 cm and a body weight of 2.3 to 3.6 kg were slightly larger. Females are on average larger than males. In general, the bush hyrax, like other hyrax, also has a guinea pig to rabbit-like appearance. The legs are short, the tail is only rudimentary. The body fur has a gray to dark reddish brown color on the back and on the sides, but some individuals can also be spotted whitish. The leading hairs are softer than those of the hyrax ( Procavia capensis ), they have black tips and are up to 30 mm long. The undercoat is dense, the individual hairs are characterized by dark gray bases and yellowish brown tips. On the back a cream-colored to yellow spot stands out, which surrounds a gland around 15 mm long. In some populations the spot is absent. The hair of the stain can be straightened up. The belly side is mostly tinted lighter and is in contrast to the color of the back and head. Sometimes albinotic animals also appear. The white eyebrows on the head stand out, they stand out clearly and are lighter than those of the hyrax. The ears are 29 to 34 mm longer than other snakes, their shape is rounded. In the face appear above the eyes and chin up to 90 mm long vibrissae on. Other whiskers are found all over the back, stomach and legs. The hands have four rays and the feet have three rays. All are equipped with hoof-like flat nails, with the exception of the inner toe of the hind feet, which has a curved claw. The soles have thick skin pads, mostly dark in color. The rear foot length varies from 65 to 73 mm.

In the male, the penis is 65 to 82 mm in front of the anus , the distance is two to three times greater than in other snakes. The penis, which reaches 60 mm in length when erect, also has a more complex structure. This is caused by an extension at the tip that surrounds the urethra . The cross section of the penis is rounded. Females usually have one pair of teats in the breast and two in the groin. Sometimes the nipples are missing.

Skull and dentition features

Bush dormouse skull

The skull becomes 66.8 to 87.4 mm long. The parietal bone fuses with the interparietal bone (a skull bone between the occiput and the parietal bones). The postorbital arch is mostly open. It occurs Temporalleisten that rarely a head crest unite, usually are but narrower than the tree hyraxes ( Dendrohyrax ). The ascending branch of the lower jaw is relatively narrow, the crown process rises clearly above the articular process. The horizontal bone body is characterized by its very low structure, the underside of the symphysis is mostly smooth. A mental foramen is formed below the first premolar . The teeth 34 is composed of teeth with the following tooth formula : . The upper incisors are similar to the canines ( caniniform ), but they are further apart than in the other snakes. In males they are triangular in cross-section with the tip pointing forward, in females they are round in cross-section. There is a diastema of 10 to 16 mm in length towards the rear dentition . The inner incisors of the lower jaw have three small tips ( tricuspid or trifid ), the outer ones close with the upper ones. Both the premolars and the molars have low tooth crowns ( brachyodont ). In the upper jaw, the row of premolar teeth is about as long as that of the molar teeth. The second molar is the largest in the entire row.

distribution

Distribution area of ​​the bush sleeper

The bush hyrax is endemic to Africa . Its distribution area covers the eastern part of the continent, for example from northeast Sudan in the north over the Horn of Africa to the South African provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo in the south. Two isolated populations exist in the southwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa and in Angola in southwest Africa. Alleged evidence of the bush hyrax from the Sinai peninsula in Egypt or from the Ahaggar plateau in Algeria , both northern Africa, are confusion with the rock hyrax or wrong assignments. The animals live in landscapes with Kopjes , cliffs or scree fields. In some regions, the bush hyrax also inhabits gallery forests . The altitude distribution in East Africa reaches up to about 3800 m.

The bush hyrax often appears sympatric with the rock hyrax, sometimes both species inhabit the same Kopjes. This mixed species occurrence varies over the seasons, but is particularly constant during the reproductive phase. In the Serengeti , a population density of up to 75 individuals per hectare of a Kopje has been determined if the rocks are exclusively inhabited by the hyrax. When both species occur on one Kopje, the density of individuals goes back to around 28 individuals per hectare of Kopje. During a 17-year investigation period, considerable fluctuations in bush snatchers were found on a 3600 m² Kopje. In the period from 1971 to 1976, the actual number of individuals varied between 19 and 20 animals with a brief slump in 1975. By 1982 it fell to 6 individuals and then rose again to 8 by 1988. The frequency of the bush sleeper in the savannah region correlates with the number of rocks and less with the density of the underground vegetation. In Matobo National Park in Zimbabwe there were similar fluctuations in a 13-year study period. The average number of individuals per hectare initially increased from 0.5 to 1.1 animals in the period 1993/1995 to 1.9 in 1998, the total estimated population increased from 21,800 to 81,400 bush hyrax. In the period that followed, the population density varied greatly. In 2002 it was around 1.2 animals per hectare, then recovered to around 1.4 in the following year and again dropped to 0.8 animals one year later. The actual number of individuals at 28 counted sites thereby decreased from 700 animals in 2003 to 400 animals in 2004, which represents a decrease of 43%. The respective increase in the population during the study period was consistent with rainy periods and an increased number of offspring. Accordingly, precipitation can be seen as an influencing factor.

Way of life

Territorial behavior

Bush sleeper family group

The bush hyrax is predominantly diurnal and can climb agile, on the soles of its feet there are numerous glands for secretions that strengthen its grip. He mainly inhabits landscapes that are interspersed with Kopjes . Kopjes form isolated rock formations ("island mountains") with a surface area of ​​several thousand square meters and up to 40 m high. The hyrax lives sociable on these Kopjes in colonies of up to 37 individuals. The colonies are composed of a dominant male, several sexually mature females and the young animals. Depending on the size of the Kopjes, the group sizes also vary. Two Kopjes investigated in the Serengeti in the 1970s, covering an area of ​​3600 and 2800 m², housed groups of an average of 16.3 and 8.6 individuals over six years of documentation. Typically, the colony uses the entire rock formation as its home area. To what extent there is a ranking among the females is unclear, but often older individuals lead a group, for example on the way to the feeding places. Several colonies can also occur on larger Kopjes, as shown by a rock formation of 14,750 m², also analyzed in the 1970s, on which 112 bush hyrax lived. The social structure is then more complex than in the individual colonies. The females in a group use activity spaces that are between 1080 and 4050 m² for the individual individuals (on average 2100 m²), the shared space forms the area of ​​the colony. However, some females can also appear in all colonies of a large Kopje. The dominant males claim their own territory, which comprises around 60% of the common area of ​​action of the females, and defend their territory against other members of the sexes. They also mate more often with older females over 28 months. In contrast to the smaller Kopjes with only one colony, males also appear on the larger Kopjes in the peripheral areas of the groups. These subordinate individuals, known as “marginal males”, are ranked among themselves, and occasionally the highest ranking takes over the colony when the territorial male disappears. The "marginal males" mostly mate with younger females. The third group is young and late emigrants. Mostly they are young, sexually mature males who leave their home group and wander around or become "marginal men" on large Kopjes. The habitat of the individual Kopjes is dynamic and varies over time, the migration of young males is seen as an important regulatory mechanism, but migration of females has also been documented. The migration of both sexes may have an influence on the gene flow between and a reduction of incest on individual Kopjes. According to genetic analyzes, the variability within the colony is low. Most of the animals are related to one another, but the reproductive females also have individuals from outside the family. New colonies in Kopjes may be initiated by young males who then attract females and establish new colonies.

On the Kopjes, the animals use cavities in the rock as hiding places; they rarely consist of holes in the ground. For a colony to emerge, Kopjes with a more complex cavity system are required, and singular shelters are rarely sought out. These cavities should have a floor area of ​​at least 1 m² in order to accommodate several individuals. So that an animal can crawl in and out, the entrances must be at least 11 cm high. However, the hyrax usually avoids cavities with entrances that are too high to protect them from predators . The entrances to separate cavities are connected with above-ground paths. The shelters offer a more or less constant temperature of 17 to 25 ° C and humidity of 32 to 40%, in addition they protect against fire. Sleep takes up about 5.7 hours of a 24-hour day. The animals spend the rest periods inside or outside the hiding places. They are then either crouched close to one another or partly heaped on top of one another, with the young animals on top. Some of these formations can be observed in the early morning when the animals leave their hiding places and the first sunlight hits the rocks. As soon as the entire Kopje is illuminated, the narrow formation breaks up into smaller groups. During the day the hyrax also bathes in the sun, the individual individuals then do not touch, but lie next to each other either parallel opposite or in the same direction in a slightly radial position, in which the heads are a little further apart than the abdomen. The hind legs are angled back and stretched with the soles up. Both behaviors, lying heaped up and sunbathing, influence body temperature. This is unstable in the bush hyrax. During rest periods it is an average of 36.4 ° C. However, it is partly dependent on the outside temperature and can vary by 7 to 8 ° C. The thermo-neutral zone is 24 to 35 ° C. The bush hyrax counteracts overheating at high outside temperatures with a high loss of water, which mainly occurs through the feet and nose. Fluctuating body temperature is associated with a low metabolic rate and the ability to concentrate urine .

Within the colony, the heaped lying with irregular positions of the individual individuals to one another and the opposite or aligned side by side resting serves to avoid aggression . The bush hyrax actively defends its territory against intrusion by conspecifics. Threatening gestures and aggressive behavior are characterized, especially in males, by lifting the head and shoulder, opening the mouth and presenting the canine-like incisors, as well as straightening the hair of the light back spot. The latter also acts as a warning signal to other animal species or occurs when aroused. When attacked, the animals snap and bite each other. In addition, the gland of the back also has another communicative function in that it secretes fragrances that play a role in mating, for example. Territorial males make loud calls of dominance. These show only a few seasonal fluctuations, but become more intense during the reproductive phase. The calls are high-pitched and long, they last around 5 minutes together, a single call lasts around 1.5 seconds. Typically a calling male will stimulate other males in the area. In addition, there is a wide repertoire of other calls that are uttered in the event of danger or in the event of contact and which are sometimes also recognized by clip-slippers. The comfort behavior includes scratching with the claw of the rear foot, with which the animals can reach almost all parts of the body. When brushing, the lower, partly comb-like incisors are used. The hyrax also bathes in sand, often with its fur spread apart, which is likely to help remove ectoparasites .

The bush hyrax regularly uses latrines for defecation . The concentrated urine contains mainly salt, in connection with the feces a dark crystalline and externally pitch- like substance is formed, which brightens over time. This covers the latrines extensively. It is known as the " Hyraceum " and is used in local medicine.

nutrition

Bush hyrax climbing in the branches

The bush hyrax feeds mainly on soft vegetable food ( browsing ). It spends more than 80% of its food intake eating branches , bark , leaves , buds , flowers and fruits . The animals get their food mainly from trees and bushes, less often from the ground vegetation. During the dry season around 81% of the food comes from woody plants, in the rainy season around 92%. The hyrax also consumes grasses very rarely , which usually happens during the rainy season when the plants are fresh. 64 different plant species have been documented from the Serengeti that the bush hyrax consumes, of which, however, two to eleven plants make up around 90% of an animal's main diet. Important food plants are representatives of Vachellia , Allophylus , Cordia , Grewia , Iboza and Maerua as well as hibiscus and figs . The composition of the food varies between the individual family groups and depends on the respective location and preference. In the Matobo National Park the animals often feed on species of Flueggia , Strynchia , Kirkia , Croton and Mundulea , while young animals do not spurn parts of Rhus and Commiphora either. The fluid requirement is mainly covered with food, but the bush hyrax occasionally drinks fresh water.

As a rule, the hyrax eats in the morning between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and in the evening between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., occasionally also at night. The group moves up to 50 m from the center of the colony. Individual individuals go to eat less often, and they are often no further than 20 m away. The individual feeding phases last between 20 and 35 minutes. The hyrax climbs nimbly in the branches and balances on thin branches in order to reach even the most distant leaves. Often a single individual observes the group as a “guard” and gives alarm signals when danger is looming. Especially in the dry season, both the bush hyrax and the rock hyrax eat the same food resource. In areas with sympatric occurrence, both species use the same trees and bushes at the same time.

Reproduction

Young bush hyrax

The mating season may be divided into two parts in areas near the equator , otherwise it is more dependent on the season, in higher regions solar radiation can play a role. The females' estrus appears twice a year and lasts for about 1 to 3 days, possibly repeated several times within four weeks. In males, the testicles swell extremely in this phase. It expresses its will to mate with a high-pitched scream, the female puts up the hair of the back spot. Then both perform a dance in which the male sniffs the female sexual organs and puts his chin on the torso before mounting the partner. The sexual act lasts about three to five minutes and is repeated after up to three hours.

The gestation period is around 26 to 30 weeks or around 7.5 months, which is extremely long for a small animal. Two littering times per year were recorded in the Serengeti, one between May and July and the second between December and January. In both cases the period is shortly after the end of the rainy season. The females of each colony have young once a year, so that the birth of the offspring falls in one of the two periods. The average number of boys per litter is 1.6. In Matobo National Park, births were mainly observed in March, about two months after the peak of the rainy season. Here an average of 2.1 boys were born per litter. Overall, the birth of the offspring is strongly synchronized, so that around half of all females in a population are involved. The birth weight of newborns varies from 220 to 230 g. The young are well developed and completely hairy. Often there are activities of the pups together, including pinching or biting, climbing, chasing, fighting or pushing. At Kopjes, where bush hyrax and rock hyrax perform together, mixed groups of boys can also be observed. The dams only suckle their own offspring, the young look for a preferred teat. Weaning begins in the fifth month of life. Sexual maturity is reached between 16 and 17 months. Young males then usually leave their home colony, young females are integrated into the family group. On two Kopjes in the Serengeti, the average lifespan of the females was 50.6 and 35 months, that of the males 19.1 and 22.6 months. A single female was over 11 years old, which roughly corresponds to the known maximum age in human captivity.

Predators and parasites

The coffee eagle has a very strong influence on the local stock of snakes . In analyzes of remains of dew from the Serengeti, 123 of the 224 remains of the bird of prey were bush hyrax. The situation is similar in Matobo National Park, where the coffee eagle gets more than 90% of its prey from the bush hyrax and the rock hyrax. According to analyzes of 184 observed nests with around 1550 remains of prey, more than 830 come from bush hyrax. A total of 86% of the bush hyrax hunted represent adult animals. As a result, the hyrax in the Matobo National Park is exposed to high hunting pressure; It is estimated that 52 to 61% of young animals do not survive the first year of life. The obvious dependency of the coffee eagle on the snakes is also evident in the fact that, for example, the breeding period for birds of prey shifts when their prey has only a low rate of offspring in dry years. Among the mammals, the leopard is one of the most important predators of the bush sliver. Also in the Matobo National Park it forms 32 to 50% of the food of the big cat together with the rock hyrax. There are also numerous other predators , such as various predators , snakes and lizards . The bush hyrax usually reacts to the approaching danger by fleeing into hiding places.

External parasites include ticks such as Rhipicephalus and Haemaphysalis , fleas such as Procaviopsylla, and lice such as Prolignognathus . Furthermore, nematodes , such as Crossophorus , which nests almost exclusively in the anterior appendix , have been identified as internal parasites . The hyrax is also a carrier of leishmania and can get pneumonia and tuberculosis .

Systematics

Internal systematics of the recent hyrax according to Maswanganye et al. 2017
  Procaviidae  

 Procavia


   

 Heterohyrax


   

 Dendrohyrax




Template: Klade / Maintenance / Style

The bush hyrax is a species from the genus Heterohyrax and its only representative. The species and genus belong to the hyrax family (Procaviidae) and to the order of the hyrax (Hyracoidea) of the same name in German . The order today consists of two other genera. In its phylogenetic past, especially in the Palaeogene and the early Neogene , it represented a very diverse group of shapes and forms. At that time it included numerous members, including both small and giant animals. These showed the most varied ecological adaptations, the distribution of the hyrax of that time extended over large parts of Eurasia and Africa . Today's hyrax are restricted to guinea pig-like forms and, with one exception, occur only on the African continent. The bush hyrax is only found in Africa, in its social way of life and its daily activity it is similar to the rock hyrax . It differs from this, however, in individual anatomical features, there are also certain serological differences such as in the mobility of the amylases . There are greater differences in the skeleton structure and in the way of life to the tree slippers .

There are currently up to 24 subspecies of the bush sleeper:

  • H. b. albipes Hollister , 1922; Kenya
  • H. b. bakeri ( JE Gray , 1874); Uganda
  • H. b. bocagei ( JE Gray , 1869); Angola
  • H. b. brucei ( JE Gray , 1868); Ethiopia
  • H. b. chapini ( Hatt , 1933); Democratic Republic of Congo
  • H. b. These brewers , 1917; Tanzania
  • H. b. frommi ( Brauer , 1913); Tanzania
  • H. b. granti ( Wroughton , 1910); South Africa
  • H. b. hindei ( Wroughton , 1910); Kenya
  • H. b. hoogstraali typesetter , 1956; Sudan
  • H. b. kempi ( Thomas , 1910); Kenya
  • H. b. lademanni brewer , 1917; Tanzania
  • H. b. manningi ( Wroughton , 1910); Malawi
  • H. b. mossambicus ( Peters , 1870); Mozambique
  • H. b. muenzneri ( Brauer , 1913); Tanzania
  • H. b. princeps ( Thomas , 1910); Ethiopia
  • H. b. prittwitzi Brauer , 1917; Tanzania
  • H. b. pumilus ( Thomas , 1910); Somaliland
  • H. b. ruddi ( Wroughton , 1910); Mozambique
  • H. b. rudolfi ( Thomas , 1910); Ethiopia
  • H. b. somalicus ( Thomas , 1892); Somaliland
  • H. b. ssongeae brewer , 1917; Tanzania
  • H. b. thomasi ( Neumann , 1901); Sudan
  • H. b. victorianjansae brewer , 1917; Tanzania

Another subspecies was named H. b. antineae adopted in Algeria . This was described in 1932 by Henri Heim de Balsac and Max Bégouen , but according to recent studies it is closer to the hyrax. It is currently unclear whether the high number of subspecies actually exists, a revision of the genus is considered necessary. However, based on the color of the fur, a strong variability can be demonstrated over the entire distribution area. There are also other differences. The form H. b. chapini, the only representative of the bush hyrax, has only two pairs of teats , which are located in the groin area. On the other hand, for H. b. princeps and H. b. thomasi from the northeast, for H. b. lademanni from the eastern as well as for H. b. mossambicus from the southern section of the distribution area documented a more tree-dwelling way of life.

Individual forms were recognized as independent species in the second half of the 20th century, including Heterohyrax chapini and also Heterohyrax antineae , but most modern classifications see the hyrax as a single species and the genus as monotypical . In contrast, preliminary molecular genetic studies suggest that the genus is probably composed of several cryptic species . So the two forms H. b. ruddi and H. b. granti from southern Africa are not closely related, but the former is H. b. hindei from eastern Africa closer. Comprehensive genetic analyzes have not yet been presented. In general, the chromosome number is 2n = 54. The chromosome set consists of 20 acrocentric, 2 telocentric, 2 submetacentric and 2 metacentric autosome pairs . The X chromosome represents the largest submetacentric chromosome and contains 5.2% of the female genome, the Y chromosome is small and acrocentric with 1.4% of the genome.

In addition to today's bush hyrax, a fossil species is distinguished:

Research history

John Edward Gray (1800-1875)

The systematic history of the bush sleeper is complex. The scientific name in use today, Heterohyrax brucei, goes back to John Edward Gray in 1868. Gray introduced generic and species names independently of one another. He created the genus Heterohyrax due to comparable skull features as a subgenus of Dendrohyrax , but set the two apart through the development of the postorbital arch, which is incomplete in the former and complete in the latter. For the time being he determined the type species Heterohyrax blainvillii . The name refers to Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville , who in the third volume of his work Ostéographie ou description iconographique comparée du squelette et du système dentaire des mammifères récents et fossiles in 1863 had extensively dealt with the hyrax and described the anatomy of the skull and skeleton. The view that heterohyrax is a subspecies of Dendrohyrax was partly followed well into the 20th century. The low-crowned molars were regarded as a unifying characteristic. As a rule, however, heterohyrax is now recognized as an independent genus within the hyrax, as there are not only significant differences in anatomy, but also deviations in the behavior and lifestyle of the animals.

Depiction of Ashkoko after James Bruce 1790

In the same essay, Gray presented the species Hyrax brucei , which he referred to near the Klippschliefers, but distinguished it from it by its softer fur. Gray specified Abyssinia as the type region, i.e. today's Ethiopia and Eritrea . The name refers to James Bruce , a Scottish naturalist who stayed in Abyssinia from 1770 to 1772 and also looked for the sources of the Nile . In his travel stories Travels to discover the sources of the Nile from 1790, he dealt in detail with an animal for which he used the local name ashkoko . His description of the ashkoko clearly refers to the bush hyrax with its dark back and light belly, the yellow spot on the back, the missing tail and the sociable way of life. Only two years later, Johann Christian von Schreber devoted himself to the slavers in detail. He referred to Bruce's comprehensive descriptions of the bush sleeper and named the species Hyrax syriacus , but with the inclusion of other reports that treated animals from the Near East . He separated his new form from the then known South African rock snakes, which he carried under the name Hyrax capensis . In his first description of Hyrax brucei in 1868, Gray already pointed out the fact, as well as the fact that the Abyssinian form does not occur in the Middle East. He therefore re- described it as Hyrax brucei . In contrast, he led the animals from the Middle East under Hyrax sinaiticus . In 1892 Oldfield Thomas supported this separation, he identified Procavia brucei as a type of Heterohyrax and put the Near Eastern hyrax to Procavia syriaca . As a justification for the latter step, Thomas stated that the specimen on which Bruce used his description as a basis actually came from Lebanon .

Especially at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, numerous new forms of hyrax were described. The use of the genus Heterohyrax was very variable, rather the animals were grouped together in a " Heterohyrax group". Oldfield Thomas alone introduced five representatives of the bush sleeper in 1892 and 1910, also in 1910 Robert Charles Wroughton established four forms and in 1913 and 1917 August Brauer named a dozen other new members. In an unpublished manuscript, Brauer then expanded the genus Heterohyrax to 11 species with up to 28 subspecies. In 1934 Herbert Hahn revised Brauer's draft and presented a comprehensive revision of the hyrax. In it he summarized all the bush hyraxes into one species and called them Heterohyrax syriacus . He contradicted Thomas' view. Hahn argued that Schreber, in his description of Hyrax syriacus , referring to Bruce, explicitly meant the animals from Abyssinia. Outwardly, with the light abdominal color contrasting sharply against the dark back, these did not correspond to the Near Eastern rock hyrax. As an older name for the bush hyrax, Schreber's species name would therefore be the correct one. The summary of a species was largely accepted, with a few exceptions, and individual scientists also adopted the species name Heretohyrax syriacus . Contrary to Hahn, however, John Ellerman and colleagues said in the early 1950s that Heterohyrax syriacus was not the correct species name. Schreber based his species on Bruce's description of the bush sleeper, but also included the North Asian rock hyrax in it. Schreber's Hyrax syriacus can therefore be viewed as a hybrid of two species. Taking into account the priority rule, Heterohyrax brucei is the oldest available name for the bush hyrax. It has been used by the majority since then.

Tribal history

The oldest records of procavid hyrax come from the Miocene . Finds of the genus Heterohyrax are documented from the Otavibergen in northern Namibia . These are lower jaw and skull finds that were stored in a cave breccia on Mount Aukas and represent one adult and two younger animals. They are assigned to the species Heterohyrax auricampensis , which was scientifically introduced in 1996 by D. Tab Rasmussen with the participation of Martin Pickford and other researchers. The animals surpassed today's bush hyrax in their body dimensions and corresponded in this to the rock hyrax. The teeth are very low-crowned and resemble those of the tree hyrax , but the radius is clearly flattened and is therefore not suitable for strong rotational movements that are required for climbing. The finds are about 10 million years old, which corresponds to the beginning of the Upper Miocene. Other finds came to light in Omo , Ethiopia . They belong to the Pliocene , but have not yet been described.

Threat and protection

The bush hyrax is listed by the IUCN in the category “not endangered” ( least concern ). No major threats are known. The animals are hunted locally and the skins are made into blankets, which can lead to a considerable thinning of the local population. Overall, the species is widespread and a drastic decline in the total population is not expected. It occurs in numerous protected areas.

literature

  • Ronald E. Barry and Hendrik N. Hoeck: Heterohyrax brucei Bush Hyrax (Yellow-spotted Hyrax). In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume I. Introductory Chapters and Afrotheria. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, pp. 161-165.
  • Ronald E. Barry and Jeheskel Shoshani: Heterohyrax brucei. Mammalian Species 645, 2000, pp. 1-7.
  • Angela Gaylard: Heterohyrax brucei Gray, 1868 - Bush hyrax. In: John D. Skinner and Christian T. Chimimba (Eds.): The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion. Cambridge University Press, 2005, pp. 46-48.
  • Hendrik Hoeck: Family Procaviidae (Hyraxes). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 2: Hooved Mammals. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2011, ISBN 978-84-96553-77-4 , pp. 28-47 (pp. 45-46).
  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .

Videos

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Ngoni Chiweshe: Dassie census in the Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe. Afrotherian Conservation 1, 2002, pp. 6-7.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Ronald E. Barry and Jeheskel Shoshani: Heterohyrax brucei. Mammalian Species 645, 2000, pp. 1-7.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g Angela Gaylard: Heterohyrax brucei Gray, 1868 - Bush hyrax. In: John D. Skinner and Christian T. Chimimba (Eds.): The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion. Cambridge University Press, 2005, pp. 46-48.
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Hendrik Hoeck: Family Procaviidae (Hyraxes). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 2: Hooved Mammals. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2011, ISBN 978-84-96553-77-4 , pp. 28-47 (pp. 45-46).
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Ronald E. Barry and Hendrik N. Hoeck: Heterohyrax brucei Bush Hyrax (Yellow-spotted Hyrax). In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume I. Introductory Chapters and Afrotheria. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, pp. 161-165.
  6. ^ A b Hendrik Hoeck: Systematics of the Hyracoidea: toward a clarification. In: Duane A. Schlitter (Ed.): Ecology and taxonomy of African small mammals. Bulletin of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History 6, 1978, pp. 146-151.
  7. ↑ a b c d Herbert Hahn: The family of the Procaviidae. Journal for Mammalian Science 9, 1934, pp. 207-358 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).
  8. ↑ Martin Pickford: Fossil hyraxes (Hyracoidea: Mammalia) from the Late Miocene and Plio-Pleistocene of Africa, and the phylogeny of the Procaviidae. Palaeontologia africana 41, 2005, pp. 141-161.
  9. ^ A b J. du P. Bothma: Recent Hyracoidea (Mammalia) of Southern Africa. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 25, 1967, pp. 117-152.
  10. ↑ a b Michael Hoffmann, Hendrik N. Hoeck and Koenraad De Smet: Does the bush hyrax Heterohyrax brucei occur in North Africa? Afrotherian Conservation 6, 2008, pp. 6-8.
  11. ^ Peter Coals and Francis Gilbert: Notes on hyrax in South Sinai's high mountains. Afrotherian Conservation 11, 2015, pp. 5-8.
  12. ↑ a b c d e f g HN Hoeck: Population dynamics, dispersal and genetic isolation in two species of hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei and Procavia johnstoni) on habitat islands in the Serengeti. Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie 59, 1982, pp. 177-210.
  13. ↑ a b c HN Hoeck: Demography and competition in hyrax: a 17 years study. Oecologia 79, 1989, pp. 353-360.
  14. ↑ a b Ronald E. Barry and Peter J. Mundy: Population dynamics of two species of hyraxes in the Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe. African Journal of Ecology 36, 1998, pp. 221-236.
  15. ^ RE Barry, N. Chiweshe and PJ Mundy: Ten years of population data on two species of hyrax in the Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe. Afrotherian Conservation 2, 2003, pp. 8-9.
  16. ↑ a b Ngoni Chiweshe: An update on the annual dassie census in Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe. Afrotherian Conservation 3, 2005, pp. 7-8.
  17. ↑ Ronald E. Barry, Ngoni Chiweshe and Peter J. Mundy: Fluctuations in bush and rock Hyrax (Hyracoidea: Procaviidae) Abundances Over a 13-Year Period in the Matopos, Zimbabwe. African Journal of Wildlife Research 45 (1), 2015, pp. 17-27.
  18. ↑ a b c d e f g h MIM Turner and IM Watson: An introductory study on the ecology of hyrax (Dendrohyrax brucei and Procavia johnstoni). African Journal of Ecology 3 (1), 1965, pp. 49-60.
  19. ^ A b c HN Hoeck, H. Klein and P. Hoeck: Flexible social organization in hyrax. Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie 59, 1982, pp. 265-298.
  20. ^ G. Gerlach and HN Hoeck: Islands on the plains: metapopulation dynamics and female biased dispersal in hyraxes (Hyracoidea) in the Serengeti National Park. Molecular Ecology 10, 2001, pp. 2307-2317.
  21. ↑ JB Sale: The habitat of the rock hyrax. Journal of the East African Natural History Society 25 (3), 1966, pp. 205-214.
  22. ↑ Nadine Gravett, Adhil Bhagwandin, Oleg I. Lyamin, Jerome M. Siegel and Paul R. Manger: Sleep in the Rock Hyrax, Procavia capensis. Brain Behavior and Evolution 79, 2012, pp. 155-169.
  23. ^ A b JB Sale: The Behavior of the Resting Rock Hyrax in Relation to its Environment. Zoologica Africana 5 (1), 1970, pp. 87-99.
  24. ^ CR Taylor and JB Sale: Temperature regulation in the hyrax. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 31 (6), 1969, pp. 903-907.
  25. ↑ George A. Bartholomew and Michael Rainy: Regulation of Body Temperature in the Rock Hyrax, Heterohyrax brucei. Journal of Mammalogy 52 (1), 1971, pp. 81-95.
  26. ↑ JB Sale: Unusual External Adaptations in the Rock Hyrax. Zoologica Africana 5 (1), 1970, pp. 101-113.
  27. ↑ a b HN Hoeck: Differential Feeding Behavior of the Sympatric Hyrax Procavia johnstoni and Heterohyrax brucei. Oecologia 22, 1975, pp. 15-47.
  28. ↑ JB Sale: The feeding behavior of rock hyraxes (genera Procavia and Heterohyrax) in Kenya. African Journal of Ecology 3 (1), 1965, pp. 1-18.
  29. ↑ WB Neaves: The Annual Cycle Testicular in An Equatorial Colony of Lesser Rock Hyrax, Heterohyrax brucei. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 206 (1163), 1979, pp. 183-189.
  30. ↑ RB Heap, S. Gombe and JB Sale: Pregnancy in the hyrax and erythrocyte metabolism of pregesterone. Nature 257, 1975, pp. 809-811.
  31. ↑ Ronald E. Barry: Synchronous parturition of Procavia capensis and Heterohyrax brucei during drought in Zimbabwe. South African Journal of Wildlife Research 24 (1/2), 1994, pp. 1-5.
  32. ↑ TM Caro and RM Alawi: Comparative aspects of behavioral development in two species of free-living hyrax. Behavior 95, 1984, pp. 87-109.
  33. ↑ Ronald E. Barry and Lisa M. Barry: Species Composition and Age Structure of Remains of Hyraxes (Hyracoidea: Procaviidae) at Nests of Black Eagles. Journal of Mammalogy 77 (3), 1996, pp. 702-707.
  34. ↑ Ronald E. Barry and Peter J. Mundy: Seasonal variation in the degree of heterospecific association of two syntopic hyraxes (Heterohyrax brucei and Procavia capensis) exhibiting synchronous parturition. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 52, 2002, pp. 177-181.
  35. ↑ N. Chiweshe: Black Eagles and hyraxes - the two flagship species in the conservation of wildlife in the Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe. Ostrich 78 (2), 2007, pp. 381-386.
  36. ^ JH Grobler and Vivian J. Wilson: Food of the leopard Panthera pardus (Linn.) In the Rhodes Matopo National Park, Rhodesia, as determined by faecal analysis. Arnoldia 35 (5), 1972, pp. 1-9.
  37. ^ Richard Mark Smith: Movement pattern and feeding behavior of leopard in the Rhodes Matopo National Park, Rhodesia. Arnoldia 13 (8), 1977, pp. 1-16.
  38. ↑ K. Amanda Maswanganye, Michael J. Cunningham, Nigel C. Bennett, Christian T. Chimimba and Paulette Bloomer: Life on the rocks: Multilocus phylogeography of rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) from southern Africa. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 114, 2017, pp. 49-62.
  39. ↑ Hans-Georg Scheil and Hendrik N. Hoeck: Electrophoretic investigations of the serum amylases (EC 3.2.1.1) of the Klippschliefers Procavia johnstoni matschie Neumann 1900 and the Bush sleeper Heterohyrax brucei habeneri (Vic. Njansae) Brauer 1917 - Hyracoidea: Mammalia. Zoologischer Anzeiger 215, 1985, pp. 129-132.
  40. ↑ a b Jeheskel Shoshani, Paulette Bloomer and Erik R. Seiffert: Family Procaviidae Hyraxes. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume I. Introductory Chapters and Afrotheria. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, pp. 150-151.
  41. ^ Paulette Bloomer: Genus Heterohyrax Bush Hyraxes. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume I. Introductory Chapters and Afrotheria. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, p. 161.
  42. ^ Henri Heim de Balsac and Max Bégouen: Faits noveaux concernant les Damans del l 'Ahaggar. Bulletin du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle 2, 1932, pp. 478-483 ( gallica.bnf.fr ).
  43. ^ Robert T. Hatt: An annotated catalog of the Hyracoidea in the American Museum of Natural History, with a description of a new species from the Lower Congo. American Museum Novitates 594, 1933, pp. 1-13.
  44. ^ Robert T. Hatt: The hyraxes collected by the American Museum Congo expedition. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 72, 1936, pp. 117-139.
  45. ↑ Herbert Hahn: From tree, bush and clip sleepers. Wittenberg, 1959, pp. 1-88.
  46. ↑ Don E. Wilson and DeeAnn M. Reeder: Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005 ( departments.bucknell.edu ).
  47. ↑ Paulette Bloomer: Extant hyrax diversity is vastly underestimated. Afrotherian Conservation 7, 2009, pp. 11-16.
  48. ^ Paulette Prinsloo and TJ Robinson: Comparative cytogenetics of the Hyracoidea: chromosomes of two Hyrax species from South Africa. Journal for Mammalian Science 56, 1991, pp. 331-338.
  49. ↑ a b D. Tab Rasmussen, Martin Pickford, Pierre Mein, Brigitte Senut and Glenn C. Conroy: Earliest Known Procaviid Hyracoid from the Late Miocene of Namibia. Journal of Mammalogy 77 (3), 1996, pp. 745-754.
  50. ↑ a b c John Edward Gray: Revision of the species of Hyrax, founded on the specimens in the British Museum. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 4 (1), 1868, pp. 35-52 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).
  51. ^ Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville: Ostéographie ou description iconographique comparée du squelette et du système dentaire des mammifères récents et fossiles pour servir de base à la zoologie et à la géologie. Tome 3: Quaternatés: des damans (Buffon). Paris, 1863, pp. 1-45 ( gallica.bnf.fr ).
  52. ^ J. Roche: Systematique du genera Procavia et desmans en general. Mammalia 36, ​​1972, pp. 22-49.
  53. ↑ James Bruce: Travels to discover the source of the Nile: in the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773. Vol. VI. Dublin, 1790, pp. 1-286 (pp. 171-180) ( biodiversitylibrary.org ); German: Journeys to discover the sources of the Nile in the years 1768. 1769. 1770. 1771 and 1772. Volume V. Leipzig, 1791, pp. 1–384 (pp. 145–152) (digital.bibliothek.uni -halle. de ).
  54. ↑ Johann Christian Daniel Schreber: The mammals in illustrations according to nature with descriptions. Fourth part. Erlangen, 1792, pp. 923-926 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ) and panel volume 1 panel 240 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).
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  60. ^ GH Swynnerton and RW Hayman: A Checklist of the Land Mammals of the Tanganyika Territory and the Zanzibar Protectorate. Journal of the East African Natural History Society 20, 1950, pp. 274-392 (p. 338).
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  63. ↑ D. Tab Rasmussen and Mercedes Gutiérrez: Hyracoidea. In: Lars Werdelin and William Joseph Sanders (eds.): Cenozoic Mammals of Africa. University of California Press, Berkeley, London, New York, 2010, pp. 123-145.
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