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Fauna of Africa
JOrnitho: I'm making this new topic after Биолог mentioned some interesting ideas for descendants of the tree hyraxes with more adaptations for an arboreal lifestyle. I was also thinking that they could be adapted to jump between branches and even trees. Биолог, do you have more ideas about these animals?
Биолог: JOrnitho Very good!
лягушка: Interesting animals!
медведь: Interesting animals!
JOrnitho: Thanks, everyone! I have some more descriptions: Bioko antelope (Amplicephalophus biokoensis) Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Habitat: Tropical forests of Bioko Island The human actions during the Holocene caused the decline of many species. However the species that were resilient enough survived, with their descendants now living in the Neocene. In Bioko Island, the Ogilby’s duiker (Cephalophus ogilbyi) was capable of surviving the anthropogenic onslaught and gave rise to a new species, the Bioko antelope. This animal inhabits the tropical forests of the island. The Bioko antelope is the largest mammal that inhabits Bioko. It stands 110 cm tall at the shoulder, with an average body length of 160 cm. They have a relatively long neck. The males have 40 cm long horns, while in the females the horns only have 21 cm. Their fur is chocolate brown, while the legs and underparts are reddish brown. Both sexes have a patch of yellow hairs on their rump, which stand when the animal is alarmed or feels threatened. This species is herbivorous, feeding on tree leaves and buds, grasses, ferns, fruits, and fungi. The Bioko antelope uses its long neck to reach leaves and fruits in the understory of the forest. When foraging, they’ll be seen close to giant guenons and will flee when hearing the primates’ alarm call. The females form small herds of eight individuals, with an older female and her daughters. The males are solitary, only visiting these herds during the mating season. During this period, which starts at the end of the rainy season, the males will move from one herd to another. Females become sexually mature at about one-and-a-half years old, while males reach maturity after two years. The gestational period is around 220 days long, following which usually a single calf is born. Parturition takes 2 hours, and the female stands throughout this period, though she may rest during brief intervals. The mother consumes the afterbirth and extensively grooms the infant. As in other ruminants, the infant can stand within 30 minutes of birth. Juveniles start taking solid food from 3 months, and weaning takes place at 6 months. While the females remain in their mother’s herd, the males are expelled after one year. Their lifespan is 27 years. Bioko forest dog (Canis sylvaticus) Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Habitat: Tropical forests of Bioko Island During their expansion, the humans had transported several domesticated animals with them. Among them was the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), which was capable of surviving in Bioko Island after the disappearance of the humans. In the Neocene, the domestic dog had originated the Bioko forest dog, the largest predator of the tropical forests of the island. The average male Bioko forest dog has a head to tail length of 115 cm, but some can reach 126 cm. The females are smaller, measuring 112 to 123 cm. The head is the widest part of the body, wedge-shaped, and large in proportion to the body. The upper and lower jaws are strong and broad, giving them a powerful bite. Their fur is black with clearly defined markings of light brown on the cheeks, muzzle, throat, chest and legs, as well as over both eyes and under the base of the tail. This species is carnivorous, actively hunting other animals. Most of their prey are mammals, with the Bioko antelope being their main prey. They will also occasionally eat rodents, birds and monkeys that venture in the ground. They are more active during dawn and dusk, but can also hunt at night. They avoid the hot hours of the day. When hunting, the pack will split in small groups of two or three individuals. When hunting antelopes, one of the dogs will bite its neck while the others attack the rear. The Bioko forest dog is monogamous, with the male and female forming a pair that will remain together for the rest of their lives. Should one of the pair die, another mate is found quickly. Together with their young, the mated pair form packs of five to six individuals. They become mature at the age of two years and sexually mature from the age of three years. Females are capable of producing pups every year, one litter annually being the average. Oestrus and rut begin in the second half of the dry season and last for two weeks. Dens are usually constructed for the pups. When building dens, females make use of natural shelters like fissures in rocks, cliffs overhanging riverbanks and holes thickly covered by vegetation. Sometimes, the den is the appropriated burrow of smaller animals. An appropriated den is often widened and partly remade. The gestation period lasts 67 days with pups being born blind and deaf and are covered in short soft gray fur. Young females give birth to four to five young, and older females from six to eight young and up to 14. They begin to see after nine to 12 days. Pups first leave the den after three weeks. At one-and-a-half months of age, they are agile enough to flee from danger. The mother does not leave the den for the first few weeks, relying on the father to provide food for her and their young. The Bioko forest dog has a lifespan of 16 years. Giant guenon (Parapapio giganteus) Order: Primate Family: Cercopithecidae Habitat: Tropical forests of Bioko Island, foraging in both trees and ground The human actions during the Holocene caused the decline of many species. However the species that were resilient enough survived, with their descendants now living in the Neocene. In Bioko Island, the red-eared guenon (Cercopithecus erythrotis) was capable of surviving the anthropogenic onslaught and gave rise to a new species, the Giant guenon. This animal inhabits the tropical forests of the island, sharing its habitat with the Bioko antelope. The giant guenon is one of the largest monkeys in Africa, with an adult male having 70 cm head-body length. The females are smaller, with 55 cm. Their morphology is very similar to that of a baboon, with a stocky body with a large head and muzzle, as well as a short, 20 cm long, tail. The limbs are evenly sized and fingers and toes are elongated. Their fur is reddish-brown with a yellow-orange beard, the underside is white. The males have a red face with a blue nose, the females lack such colors, being pale pink. This species is an omnivore, feeding on fruits, seeds, leaves, flowers, eggs, insects, lizards and other small animals. They forage in the ground, preferably close to Bioko antelopes. These monkeys will pay attention to the bovids' alarm calls to flee from predators. They are mostly diurnal and are awake around 10 hours per day from morning to dusk. To sleep, they pick a new tree every night. Groups consist of a single male with at least 10 reproducing females and their infants. In good conditions, adult females reproduce annually. Gestation lasts about 7 months, and the young nurse for a further 6 months. Normally, only a single infant is born. Although the young are born in a fairly well-developed condition, with open eyes and able to grasp their mothers, giant guenon mothers appear anxious and possessive, rarely letting young infants leave them. As infants grow, however, they become very playful. Juveniles reach sexual maturity at an age of about 3 years. Daughters remain in their mothers' social groups, while males leave their natal groups shortly before attaining sexual maturity. This species has a lifespan of 20 years.
медведь: Interesting animals!
лягушка: They're good, but I don't think that this small island can support its own species of antelope.
JOrnitho: лягушка пишет: They're good, but I don't think that this small island can support its own species of antelope. Bioko is relatively larger than São Tomé e Príncipe, with its ancestor already living here. However, I can reduce their size if it would increase their chance of surviving. As consquence, I'll need to make its predator smaller too. By the way, Bioko was connected to África during the last glacial period. I wonder if it would repeat and affect the island geography in the Neocene. Perhaps it would be a bit large? The tectonic forces could also influence its size and proximity with the continent.
лягушка: JOrnitho I think that island will stay unchanged, but will become a bit smaller. I think you need to slighty reduce size of dog and antelope.
Биолог: JOrnitho Good animals! I'm adding them to the catalogue.
JOrnitho: I edited the size of the dog and antelope to suit the size of the island. Any idea for animals that could enter Bioko during the last glacial age? It would need to be small mammals, since the niche of large ones is already filled.
лягушка: Animals that can enter Bioko are birds and rodents, maybe, reptiles and some kinds of other mammals.
Биолог: лягушка And, of course, invertebrates!
JOrnitho: Биолог пишет: And, of course, invertebrates! I'll be in debt with this one, invertebrates are beyond my area of expertise.
медведь: Biologist can surely help!
Биолог: JOrnitho медведь Sure! If only I have enough time and electricity... But I'll do my best! First, I have to look up information on which species can arrive there from Africa. I think we can make some butterflies and/or moths there, as well as beetles.
JOrnitho: Once we have more species, we could start thinking about the chapter about the islands of the Gulf of Guinea. Among the mammals that could enter in Bioko from the continent during the Ice Age could be the rodents of the Anomaluridae families. They could fill the niche of diurnal squirrels.
Биолог: JOrnitho They could. But will they retain their ability of gliding flight?
JOrnitho: Биолог пишет: But will they retain their ability of gliding flight? I'm not sure, while it would be interesting to see them ratining it, I'm not sure if the change on their lifestyle would make it necessary. Perhaps they retained this ability to escape from snakes that hunt them in the trees.
JOrnitho: This description was around my computer for some time, it's a large predatory bat. Olitiau or Great demon bat (Diablopteron olitiau) Order: Chiroptera Family: Carnonycteridae Habitat: Tropical forests of Western and Central Africa, including those in the Congo Basin. During the Age of Man, the rainforests of Africa have always been shrouded in mysterious cryptids, such as the Mokele-mbembe. In the Neocene, an equivalent of one of the African cryptids appeared, the Great demon bat or Olitiau. This name, Olitiau, is the same name of a giant bat-like cryptid which is said to live in the forests near the rivers in the modern day Cameroon. Like the cryptid of the same name, the Olitiau is a large bat, with 27 cm of length and 130 cm of wingspan. Their fur is black, with reddish-brown in the head and brown skin in their wings. This bat has powerful muscles in the skull, allowing them to deliver a powerful bite in their prey. Their skull is also robust, with a rather short and broad jaw. The teeth are strongly convergent with those of carnivoran mammals, bearing carnassial-like molars. It's similar to that of the bat Necromantis, from the Eocene. They had large ears and a good sense of hearing, which helps them locate prey in the dark. Contrary to what it seems, this species does not descend from a megabat (Megachiroptera) but from a microbat (Microchiroptera). Their closest living relative is the Cat-headed pipistrelle (Hirtofalco felinocephalus), thus the olitiau is also a member of the family of Predatory bats (Carnonycteridae). They live in the tropical forests of Western and Central Africa, including those in the Congo Basin. The diet of the Olitiau consists of vertebrates: birds, reptiles, rodents and other bats, including smaller megabats. They are good hunters, capturing birds and bats during flight and delivering a powerful bite in the skull. With the prey dead, they'll eat it in tree branches. They will also attack birds by surprising them while they are sleeping in roosts during the night and they can also ambush fruit bats while they are eating fruits. This species is monogamous, with a pair staying together for the rest of their lives. If one of them dies, the other will find a replacement. Spending the day in hollows and cracks of large trees, the Olitiau don’t form colonies. They mate in the middle of the dry season and give birth to twins during the rainy season. The young are able to fend for themselves from quite a young age, the females wean then within weeks of birth. At this point they leave their parents den in search for their own territory. Sexual maturity is reached with three months and they have a lifespan of 10 years.
медведь: And could it have carnassial-like molars like the Eocene bat Necromantis, that had a similar lifestyle?
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