Mestrado Em Biologia Da Conservaç˜Ao the Mammals of Iona National
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Universidade de E´vora - Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia Mestrado em Biologia da Conservac¸˜ao Dissertação The Mammals of Iona National Park and surrounding areas, Namibe Province, southwestern Angola: a preliminary checklist Catarina Laia Franco Albino Freixial Orientador(es) | Luís Miguel Pires Ceríaco João Eduardo Rabaça Rosemary Groom E´vora 2021 Universidade de E´vora - Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia Mestrado em Biologia da Conservac¸˜ao Dissertação The Mammals of Iona National Park and surrounding areas, Namibe Province, southwestern Angola: a preliminary checklist Catarina Laia Franco Albino Freixial Orientador(es) | Luís Miguel Pires Ceríaco João Eduardo Rabaça Rosemary Groom E´vora 2021 A Dissertação foi objeto de apreciação e discussão pública pelo seguinte júri nomeado pelo Diretor da Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia: Presidente | Paulo Sá-Sousa (Universidade de Évora) Vogais | Adam Ferguson () (Arguente) Luís Miguel Pires Ceríaco () (Orientador) E´vora 2021 Adjustments to the dissertation due to Covid-19 My dissertation was based in field work in the Namib Desert, Angola. I went there from November 10th until December 3rd, 2019 to install camera traps equipment and perform distance sampling analyses through Iona National Park and its vicinities. The initial idea was to go back in March 2020 to collect the cameras and repeat the distance sampling analyses, to compare the data of the dry and wet seasons in the desert. The main objective of my study was to understand the dynamics of the cheetah’s prey inside the park and its vicinities. This objective came after a complaint of the owner of Omauha Farm, a lodge that is located in the vicinities of the park, about the presence of cheetahs inside the farm eating some species of ungulates present there. Antidorcas marsupialis and probably Oryx gazella were going to be the species studied here through the collected data of the distance sampling analysis. But, due to the covid-19 pandemic, it was not possible to complete the second part of the field work. Therefore, this study had to have some changes, and with the data gathered from the first field work, the possible study was to make a checklist of the mammal’s species present in the park and its vicinities. i Acknowledgements I want to thank the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Environment of the Republic of Angola and INBAC for providing the institutional support and permits for this work, and Range Wide Conservation Program for cheetah and African wild dogs for all the logistical and technical support. To my advisor Dr. Luís Ceríaco a huge thank you for believing in us and help making it possible for us to go to Africa when almost nobody else thought we could do it, for being an incredible example of what it is to be working in this area and also for helping with the writing of this dissertation. To my co-advisors Sara and David Elizalde another huge thank you for helping us fulfil this dream to work in Africa and being, once again, other incredible examples of what it is to be working in this area, for helping with the writing of this dissertation, for giving us your garden to sleep in and putting up with us! To my advisor Dr. João Eduardo Rabaça for telling me that my dream could come true and for a big help in search of projects and people to work with in Africa. To my advisor Dr. Rosemary Groom, from Range Wide Conservation Program for cheetah and African wild dogs, for letting two students be a part of a study with the RWCP, and always be ready to help with the writing of this dissertation. To Mr. Alvaro and Varito for letting us stay in the incredible Omauha Farm, one of the most amazing places I have ever been. To my colleague and friend, Solange Nunes, for being my partner in this adventure and for always helping me when I needed. It was a bigger adventure having you there with me! Last but not least I would like to thank my family, friends, cats and dogs, and André for is friendship and knowing always when I needed to catch some fresh air, but specially to my parents, that were there for me each and every step of the way, on the bad and good moments, and also for giving me the opportunity and all the support needed to go on this adventure. ii The Mammals of Iona National Park and surrounding areas, Namibe Province, southwestern Angola: a preliminary checklist Abstract Angola has 14 protected areas throughout the country. Iona National Park is one, but due to the civil war few studies about the mammals were conducted here. This study aims to present a first preliminary checklist of the mammal fauna of this park and its surroundings. For this purpose, recent observation data (based on camera traps, opportunistic observations and records of reliable sources) and historical data (available in bibliography, museum collections and grey literature) were compiled and critically reviewed. A total of 14 orders, 37 families and 120 species were recorded for the study area. Of these, 26 species have recent records, while the remaining 94 only have historical records (where 38 are presented as potential species from the park). New data was obtained and species with no historical records inside Iona National Park were recorded, such as aardvark (Orycteropus afer), zorilla (Ictonyx striatus) and ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii). Key words Angola; Conservation; Iona; Checklist; Mammals. iii Os Mamíferos do Parque Nacional do Iona e áreas circundantes, Província do Namibe, sudoeste Angola: uma lista preliminar Resumo Angola tem 14 áreas protegidas ao logo do país. O Parque Nacional do Iona é uma delas, mas, devido à guerra civil, poucos estudos sobre mamíferos foram realizados aqui. Este estudo tem como objetivo apresentar a primeira lista de espécies de mamíferos deste parque e áreas circundantes. Para isso, foram compilados e criticamente revistos dados recentes (baseados em foto-armadilhagem, observações diretas e registos de fontes de confiança) e históricos (disponíveis em bibliografia, coleções de museus e literatura). Um total de 14 ordens, 37 famílias e 120 espécies foram registadas para esta área. Destas, 26 espécies têm registos recentes, enquanto as restantes 94 apenas têm registos históricos (onde 38 são apresentadas como potenciais espécies do parque). Novos dados foram obtidos e espécies sem dados históricos foram registados dentro do Parque Nacional do Iona, como o porco- formigueiro (Orycteropus afer), o zorilla (Ictonyx striatus) e o pangolim terrestre (Smutsia temminckii). Palavras-chave Angola; Conservação; Iona; Checklist; Mamíferos. iv Contents Adjustments to the dissertation due to Covid-19 .......................................................... i Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... ii Abstract ....................................................................................................................... iii Key words ........................................................................................................... iii Resumo ....................................................................................................................... iv Palavras-chave ................................................................................................... iv List of figures .............................................................................................................. xii List of tables .............................................................................................................. xiv Introduction.................................................................................................................. 1 Iona National Park: brief description ............................................................................ 3 Materials and Methods ................................................................................................ 8 Results ...................................................................................................................... 12 SPECIES ACCOUNTS .............................................................................................. 14 Order HYRACOIDEA ................................................................................................ 14 Family PROCAVIIDAE ........................................................................................ 14 Procavia capensis (Pallas, 1766) .................................................................... 14 Order PROBOSCIDEA .............................................................................................. 15 Family ELEPHANTIDAE ..................................................................................... 15 Loxodonta africana Blumenbach, 1797 ........................................................... 15 Order MACROSCELIDEA ......................................................................................... 16 Family MACROSCELIDIDAE .............................................................................. 16 v Elephantulus intufi (A. Smith, 1836) ................................................................ 16 Order TUBULIDENTATA ........................................................................................... 17 Family ORYCTEROPODIDAE ............................................................................ 17 Orycteropus afer (Pallas, 1766) ....................................................................... 17 Order PRIMATES .....................................................................................................