CARNIVORES
Lion
The
lion (Panthera leo) is
one of the four big cats
in the genus
Panthera, and a member of the
family Felidae.
It is the second-largest living cat after the tiger.
Lions are found in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. It prefers grasslands
and open woodlands.
Lions
are carnivorous in nature. They consume a wide variety of prey, from
wildebeest, impala, zebra, buffalo and wild hogs to sometimes hippos. They will
also feed on smaller animals such as hares, birds and reptiles. Lions are also
known to attack elephants when food is scarce. They scavenge, displacing other
predators (such as the Spotted Hyena) from their kills. Although Lions drink
regularly when water is available, they are capable of obtaining their moisture
requirements from prey and even plants. A lion may gorge itself and eat up to
30 kg in one sitting; if it is unable to consume the entire kill it will rest
for a few hours before consuming more. On a hot day, the pride may retreat to
shade leaving a male or two to stand guard. An adult lioness requires an
average of about 5 kg of meat per day, a male about 7 kg.
Crocodile
Nile
crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) are found most frequently in coastal
lagoons, estuaries, and in the rivers bordering the equatorial forest belt.
Young
hatchlings generally feed on
smaller prey, preferring insects
and small aquatic invertebrates
before taking on fish,
amphibians
and small reptiles.
Juveniles and sub-adults
take a wider variety of prey with additions such as birds
and small to mid-sized mammals.
Throughout its life, both young and mature crocodiles can feed on fish
and other small vertebrates
on separate occasions, when large food is absent, as a side diet. Adults are apex predators
and prey upon various birds,
reptiles
and mammals.
Among the mammals,
diet consists of gazelles,
antelope,
waterbuck, sitatunga,
lechwe,
wildebeest, zebra,
warthog,
young hippos,
giraffe,
buffalos, young elephants,
cheetah,
and even big cats such as leopards
and lions.
Leopard
Dense
bush in rocky surroundings and riverine forest are their favourite habitats,
but leopards (Panthera pardus) adapt
too many places in both warm and cold climates. Their adaptability, in fact,
has helped them survive the loss of habitat to increasing human settlement.
The
leopard is one of the most secretive and elusive of the large carnivores. It is
the strongest climber of the large cats and capable of killing prey larger than
itself. They prey on small antelopes, rodents, baboons, monkeys and birds,
being quick and efficient hunters. Leopards, like other cats, spend about two
thirds of their lives sprawled out in relaxed slumber.
Honey Badger
The
honey badger (Mellivora capensis) may
be found in almost every type of habitat, including open plains and forested
country (Williams, 1967).
They
are primarily carnivorous animals feeding on carrion, small rodents, scorpions,
birds, lizards, tortoises and frogs. They have developed bodies that are
somewhat resistant to snake toxins so they can easily hunt them. They honey
badger is also known to prefer honey hence the name. They also eat fruits and
vegetables such as berries, roots and bulbs.
HERBIVORES
Hippopotamus
Hippos
(Hippopotamus amphibious) are plentiful in Zambia’s many
waterways and often groups of over 60 can be seen in one spot. They are
widespread and common in suitable inland waters and swamps. They inhabit lakes,
swamps and rivers with sufficient water.
They
are vegetarian animals, feeding mainly at night and returning to lounge in the
water before sunrise. They pluck grass with their wide lips but are also known
to eat the fruit and flowers of the sausage tree. They consume up to 60kg of
grass every night. Hippos will graze about 3 km from water, although some
individuals move farther inland. An individual may walk 10 km to seek
food on land, spending an average of 5-6 hours on land per night.
Common Zebra
The
common zebra (Equus burchelli) occurs
on open grassy plains, savannah grasslands and semi-arid grass-bush.
Zebras
feed almost entirely on grasses, but may occasionally eat shrubs, herbs, twigs,
leaves and bark. Their digestive systems allow them to subsist on diets of
lower nutritional quality than that necessary for other herbivores.
Warthog
Warthogs
(phacochoerus aethiopicus) inhabit
open plains and grasslands, savannah country and semi-arid grass-bush.
The
warthog is mainly a grazer and has adapted an interesting practice of kneeling
on its calloused, hairy, padded knees to eat short grass. Using its snout and
tusks, it also digs for bulbs, tubers and roots during the dry season.
Defassa Waterbuck
The
defassa waterbuck (kobus defassa)
inhabit grassy areas near water and riverine woodland. They live on the
savanna.
Up to 90
percent of the waterbucks diet is grass. It also eats leaves of shrubs. The
waterbuck must drink plenty of water to help digest all the vegetable protein
in its diet.
African Elephant
The
African elephant (Loxodonta africana)
inhabits forests, savannahs, river valleys, and marshes. They may be found
either in dense forests, mopane and miombo woodlands.
Elephants
are herbivores; they eat grasses, bark, roots, leaves, and fruit. They consume
from 200 to 300 kg of food, and up to 150 litres of water daily. Though they
take in that much food their digestive system is not very efficient and only
40% of this food is properly digested.
OMNIVORES
Chacma Baboon
Chacma
baboons (Papio ursinus) live mostly
in the woodland savannah and highland grasslands. They never wander far from
trees, or a source of water. Unlike what you would expect, baboons do not live
in trees. They spend most of their time on the ground. The only time they go
into trees is to escape predators, get food, or spend the night.
The
Chacma baboon is omnivorous with a preference for fruits, while also eating
insects, seeds, grass and smaller vertebrate animals. The Chacma baboon is
generally a scavenger when it comes to game meat and rarely engages in hunting
large animals.
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