Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Madagascar) do not hold many endemic species. Because many of these areas
remain inaccessible, less is known about the extent and ecology of the animals of
this biome.
Mammals
Mammals in the seasonal forests of Africa include a mixture of families found in
the savanna or rainforest. Many of these mammals spend part of their time in the
seasonal forests when food is abundant and retreat to riparian areas or rainforests
during the dry season. The southern seasonal forests share many mammal species
with nearby savannas. Savanna mammals migrate in and out of the savanna into
dry forests. Twenty-five different mammal families occur in these African forests
(see Table 5.3).
Insectivorous pangolins, aardvarks, tenrecs, and shrews are found in the sea-
sonal forests and scrublands in Africa. All tend to be specialized feeders, eating
mainly termites and ants. Pangolins will switch food preference during the dry sea-
son, feasting on termites instead of ants, because of their higher moisture content.
Pangolins are typically small, solitary, nocturnal mammals. Tenrecs are a diverse
family of mammals that have evolved to filled many niches within the tropical for-
ests of Madagascar. They are highly variable in form and size, ranging from small
mouse to cat in size. Most tenrecs have pointed snouts and small eyes. Tenrecs
have a limited distribution on the African continent, but a large and diverse group
live on the island of Madagascar. Aardvarks are the only member of their order
(Tublidentata) and are endemic to Africa. They look a bit like large long-snouted
pigs with large ears. They can weigh 88-200 lbs (40-100 kg) and are excellent dig-
gers. Aardvarks take advantage of the abundance of ants and termites found in the
seasonal forests and hunt at night.
Bats live in most seasonal forests in Africa. They are abundant and both major
groups of bats, Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera, are present. Megachiroptera,
large fruit-eating bats, are often seasonal residents, taking advantage of the abun-
dance of fruit at the start of the dry season. Microchiroptera are the small bats that
use echolocation to navigate and locate prey. Most bats are nocturnal and rest dur-
ing the day. Bats are important consumers of insects and fruits and are agents for
seed dispersal and are pollinators for many tropical plants. Several bat species
recently have been identified as a vector for the transmission of several deadly dis-
eases in Africa.
Rodents are a very large and successful order in Africa. Squirrels, gerbils, spiny
mice, pouched rats, and mole rats are residents of the seasonal forests. Many of
these species are nocturnal, with the exception of squirrels and a few mice and rats.
Several are important consumers of seedlings, seeds, and insects, and play a major
role in forest dynamics and regeneration. Squirrels are the most abundant arboreal
rodent in the forest and vary in size and color. The forest also houses a few flying
squirrels that glide from tree to tree eating fruits, flowers, bark, and sometimes
insects. The pygmy scaly tailed and the long-eared scaly tailed flying squirrels are
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