Afrotheria Slide Show

Afrotheria Specialist Group

P U O a The IUCN/SSC Afrotheria Specialist Group R i G r T S I e L A I C h The IUCN/SSC Afrotheria Specialist Group facilitates E t P the conservation of hyraxes, the aardvark, sengis, S golden-moles, tenrecs, and their habitats by: o r f 1) providing sound scientific advice and guidance to conservationists, governments, and other

A interested groups; 2) raising public awareness; and 3) developing research and conservation programmes.

U The Afrotheria Specialist Group Is Concerned With 76 Species O a R i Of Mammals From Africa And Madagascar G r T S I e L A I C h E t P S o r © S. Cilliers

f © Peter J. Stephenson 1 Aardvark

A 33 Tenrecs

5 Hyraxes © G.B. Rathbun © G.B. Rathbun 16 Sengis 21 Golden Moles One quarter are Threatened, and several others are NearThreatened or too

Data Deficient to categorize

P U

O Aardvark (Tubulidentata) a R i G r T • The last living species of its Order, it used to be considered a relative of anteaters from S I e L South America, but this was only based on superficial resemblances due to convergent A I evolution. C h E t P

S • Weighs up to 60 kg and occurs across most of Africa south of the Sahara. o r

f • Aardvark distribution is not well known and might be defined by the abundance

A and distribution of its ant and termite prey.

P U O a Golden Moles (Chrysochloridae) R i G r T S I e L • Linnaeus first describe golden moles nearly 250 years ago, yet knowledge of A I

C these blind, subterranean small mammals is still limited. h E t P S

o • The greatest diversity of golden moles is in southern Africa. r f • 10 golden mole species are

A • threatened due to habitat • degradation from mining, • urbanization, agricultural • development, or poor • management of indigenous • forests.

U Hyraxes (Hyracoidea) O a R i G r T

S • Fossil and morpholigical evidence shows these animals have similarities with I e L elephants and seacows, the other two afrotherian taxa. A I C h E t P

S • The Eastern Tree Hyrax is heavily o hunted for its fur in the forest belt r

f around Mt. Kilimanjaro.

A • Because forests are disappearing at an alarming rate in Africa, the Tree Hyraxes are probably the most at risk of all hyraxes.

P U O a Sengis or Elephant-shrews (Macroscelidea) R i G r T S I e L • Sengis occur from deserts to dense forests, but are absent from the Sahara and A I

C West Africa. h E t P S

o • Sengis are mostly ant and

r • termite eaters, but many of f • their life history traits are

A • antelope-like.

• The four species of giant • sengi are Threatened or at • risk due to forest • destruction and • fragmentation.

U Tenrecs (Tenrecidae) O a R i G

r • The most diverse group of afrotheres, with terrestrial, aquatic, fossorial, and T S

I arboreal species. e L A

I • C h

E • The largest species, the t P

S • tailless tenrec produces o • litters of up to 32 young. r f • The 7 Threatened species A • require conservation of • rainforests and river • systems in western • Africa and Madagascar.

U Main Threats To Afrotheres O a R i G r T

S • Habitat loss and I e L fragmentation. A I C h E t P S o r f A

Incidental capture and subsistence hunting for fur and meat.

U Conservation Actions Needed for Afrotheres O a R i G r T • Forest and riverine habitat S I conservation and restoration in e L A

I Africa and Madagascar. C h E t P

S • Ecological surveys to establish o distribution, abundance, and r conservation status of poorly f known species. A

P U O a R i G

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