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Home , Desert warthog, Kobus (antelope), Samburu National Reserve, Waterbuck

LOLLDAIGA HILLS RESEARCH PROGRAMME

NEWSLETTER

Tom Butynski & Yvonne de Jong

June 2017 (Issue 14)

Cover photograph: Panthera leo, Lolldaiga Hills Ranch. Photograph by Paul Benson.

New to lolldaiga.com • Blog: ellipsiprymnus of Laikipia County • Blog: Beisa of Lolldaiga Hills Ranch • Camera trap portfolio for June 2017

Blog Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus of Laikipia County Yvonne de Jong & Tom Butynski

Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus, one of biggest on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch (Laikipia County, central ), are found throughout the Ranch but prefer the higher grasslands and vegetation along the streams and dams of central and south Lolldaiga. are, as their name indicates, highly water-depended. They are limited in their ability to conserve water and are unable to endure dry periods in hot environments.

Two Waterbuck taxa occur in Kenya: Defassa Waterbuck Kobus (ellipsiprymnus) defassa and Common (or Ellipsen) Waterbuck Kobus (ellipsiprymnus) ellipsiprymnus. Their taxonomic arrangement is debated; some authors (e.g., Lorenzen et al. 2006, Spinage 2013, Kingdon 1982, 2015) treat these taxa as , while others (e.g, Stewart & Stewart 1963, Groves & Grubb 2011) consider them . Generally, Defassa Waterbuck occur in Kenya and west of the Eastern Rift Valley, and Common Waterbuck east of the Rift. Their ranges overlap in north Tanzania (e.g., Lake Manyara) and in south and central Kenya (Stewart & Stewart 1963, Lorenzen et al. 2006, Spinage 2013). Defassa Waterbuck occur on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch (Figure 1) while Common Waterbuck are present ca. 50 km to the northeast in (Figure 2) and ca. 100 km to the east in . It is not known where Defassa Waterbuck gives way to Common Waterbuck in this region, or whether Common Waterbuck are present in Laikipia County.

Figure 1. Defassa Waterbuck Kobus (ellipsiprymnus) defassa, Lolldaiga Hills Ranch. Photograph by Paul Benson.

The two (sub)species of Waterbuck are similar in appearance. The main distinguishing character in the field is the colour pattern on the rump; Common Waterbuck have a distinct white ellipse (or crescent) around the rump, whereas Defassa Waterbuck have a wholly white (or whitish) rump (Figure 3). Here we use the rump as the primary phenotypic indicator to distinguish the two taxa.

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Figure 2. Adult male Common Waterbuck Kobus (ellipsiprymnus) ellipsiprymnus, Samburu National Reserve, central Kenya. Photograph by Yvonne de Jong and Tom Butynski.

Figure 3. The colour pattern on the rump is the main trait by which the two taxa of Waterbuck are distinguished in the field. Left: Adult male Common (or Ellipsen) Waterbuck Kobus (ellipsiprymnus) ellipsiprymnus. Right: Adult male

Defassa Waterbuck Kobus (ellipsiprymnus) defassa. All four photographs by Yvonne de Jong and Tom Butynski in Kenya.

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During a primate and survey in 2016 in north and east Laikipia County, west County, and south , locality information and photographs were obtained of all Waterbuck herds encountered. To better understand the geographic limits of Defassa Waterbuck and Common Waterbuck, the photographs (together with photographs obtained during several previous surveys), were geotagged and published on a Photographic Map (available at: http://www.wildsolutions.nl/photomaps/kobus/).

During these surveys, only Defassa Waterbuck were encountered in Laikipia. Previous records of Waterbuck in Laikipia, as well as records on iNaturalist.com (11 records as of June 2017), are all of Defassa Waterbuck. It appears that Common Waterbuck are absent from Laikipia County. We did not, however, encounter Waterbuck in extreme northeast Laikipia (Lekurruki Conservancy and Il’Ngwesi Conservancy) just south of Samburu National Reserve, which is that part of Laikipia where we most expect to find Common Waterbuck.

In Samburu National Reserve, we observed Common Waterbuck (Figure 2). Here two adult male Waterbuck were encountered that were phenotypically intermediate between Common Waterbuck and Defassa Waterbuck; one was in Samburu National Reserve and one was just to the west in southeast West Gate Conservancy (Figure 4).

Figure 4 Left: Phenotypically intermediate adult male Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus, southeast West Gate Conservancy, central Kenya. Right: Phenotypically intermediate adult male Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus, Samburu National Reserve, central Kenya. Photographs by Yvonne de Jong and Tom Butynski.

Stewart and Stewart (1963), Kingdon (1982), Lorenzen et al. (2006), Groves and Grubb (2011), Spinage (2013), and Foley et al. (2014) refer to a Waterbuck (or ‘intermediate’) zones for East Africa--reporting phenotypically intermediate individuals in several areas, including along the North Ewaso Nyiro River (e.g., Samburu National Reserve), Athi River (e.g., ), South Ewaso Nyiro River, and Lake Manyara. In their molecular study, Lorenzen et al. (2006) suggest that “…hybridization was probably very recent, perhaps within the past few centuries — or perhaps it is still undergoing.” According to Spinage (2013), zones of intermediate-patterned Waterbucks are narrow--possibly due to reduced fertility of hybrids.

Our preliminary findings indicate that the zone for intermediate-patterned Defassa Waterbuck and Common Waterbuck in central Kenya is, indeed, narrow and lies in south Samburu County, probably extending southward across the North Ewaso Nyiro River into west Isiolo County and, perhaps, into extreme north and/or northeast Laikipia County and the Nyambeni Range.

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To clarify the geographic limits of this intermediate-zone, we are in particular need of photographs of Waterbuck from south Samburu County (e.g., West Gate Conservancy, , Meibae Conservancy), west Isiolo County (e.g., Mpus Kutuk Conservancy, Ol Donyiro Conservancy, Longopito area), north and northeast Laikipia County (e.g., Lekurruki Conservancy and Il’Ngwesi Conservancy), and Nyambeni Range.

If you have photographs of Waterbuck from these regions, please share them with us. Photographs can be sent to Yvonne de Jong at: [email protected] Thank you!

Reference: Foley et al. 2014. A Field Guide to the Larger of Tanzania. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ; Groves, C. and Grubb, P. 2011. Ungulate . The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD; Kingdon, J. 1982. East African Mammals: An Atlas of Evolutions in Africa. Vol. III, Part C: Bovids. Academic Press, London. Kingdon, J. 2015. The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals. Bloomsbury, London; Lorenzen, E. D., Simonsen, B.T., Kat, P. W., Arctander, P. and Siegismund, H. R. 2006. Hybridization between subspecies of waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) in zones of overlap with limited introgression. Molecular Ecology 15: 3787–3799; Spinage, C. A. 2013. Kobus ellipsiprymnus waterbuck. In: J. Kingdon and M. Hoffmann (eds.). Mammals of Africa, Volume 6: , , , Giraffes, and Bovids, pp. 461–468. Bloomsbury, London; Stewart, D. R. M. and Stewart, J. 1963. The distribution of some large mammals in Kenya. Journal of the East African Natural History Society and Coryndon Museum 24: 1–52.

Blog Beisa Oryx of Lolldaiga Hills Ranch Carly Butynski, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

One of the most striking residents of Lolldaiga Hills Ranch, the Beisa Oryx Oryx beisa beisa, is a timid but distinctive figure in the northern and semi-arid bushlands of the property. Standing 1.1–1.2 m at the shoulder and weighing 116-188 kg (♀) and 167-209 kg (♂), it is a compact, robust . Males and females are both easily distinguished by a rather square body, slender legs, muscular neck, tapered head, and long, slightly backswept horns (Kingdon 2015). The tawny-grey coat is broken by bold black and white demarcations on the face, ears, chest, forelegs, and flanks. A false mane, slightly darker than the body, stretches from poll to wither. As a point of identification, the ears are rounded and trim, and do not terminate in the black tassels that are unique to the Fringe-eared Oryx Oryx beisa callotis, the subspecies found south and east of the Tana River. In regards to the Beisa Oryx, there is little superficial difference between the sexes.

Adult Beisa Oryx Oryx beisa beisa, Lolldaiga Hills Ranch. Photograph by Paul Benson.

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Beisa Oryx Oryx beisa beisa in typical habitat on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch. Photograph by Carly Butynski.

A behaviorally and socially dynamic species, herd composition and size varies on the Ranch. Smaller herds are frequently seen grazing and moving alongside Plains Equus quagga, from whom they likely gain a sense of security from predators. Herds are composed of individuals of varying age and sex, although adult females comprise the majority. While both sexes establish hierarchical relationships within their herd, there is invariably a dominant, sexually active, male. Group movement, however, is dictated by older females.

Herd dynamics are determined and maintained largely by ‘tournament displays’, during which individuals adopt a dramatic floating gallop, tilt their chin upward, and swing their horns laterally in time with their gait. Males ‘roar’ gutturally as they pace and stir plumes of dust. These displays most often occur around dawn and are performed frequently by sub-adults and young adults. The performance is likely a way of establishing rank within the herd, by gauging the response of higher-ranking individuals (Estes & Otte 1990, Kingdon 2015).

Herds of as many as 26 Oryx are sometimes seen on the Ranch, though groups of 6-14 are more common. The Ranch’s largest herds of Oryx are found in the northwest, grazing in semi-arid glades bordered by Whistling Thorn Acacia drepanolobium woodland. An estimated 35 Oryx were on the Ranch in June 2017.

Laikipia boasts an overall population of approximately 700 Oryx (Hillman-Smith et al. 2016). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017 lists Beisa Oryx as ‘Near Threatened’, based on the latest status assessment (IUCN/SSC Antelope Specialist Group 2008). This status is attributed, in part, to habitat fragmentation and the species’ considerable sensitivity to the encroachment of livestock on traditional ranges.

Reference: Estes, R. D. & Otte, D. 1990. The Behavior Guide to African Mammals. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA; Hillman Smith, A. K. K., Ojwang, G. O. & Mose, V. N. 2016. Systematic aerial sample survey of Laikipia County, 2016. Preliminary report. Unpublished report of the Laikipia Wildlife Forum and Mpala Research Centre, , Kenya; Kingdon, J. 2015. The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals (2nd edition). Bloomsbury, London; IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group. 2008. Oryx beisa ssp. beisa. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T136871A4347853. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T136871A4347853.en.

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New publication Dark grey Gazella (Cetartiodactyla: ) in Arabia: Threatened species or domestic pet? Torsten Wronski, Hannes Lerp, Eva V. Barmann, Thomas M. Butynski, Martin Plath

Abstract: True gazelles ( Gazella) are a prime example of a mammalian group with considerable taxonomic confusion. This includes the descriptions of several dark grey taxa of questionable validity. Here, we examined captive dark grey putative Neumann’s Gazella erlangeri. Our concerted efforts to retrieve mitochondrial sequence information from old museum specimens of two dark grey gazelles, putative G. erlangeri and putative Muscat gazelle G. muscatensis, were unsuccessful. We did, however, find the mtDNA haplotypes of extant putative G. erlangeri to be nested within the haplotype variation of the Arabian gazelle G. arabica. The observed population genetic divergence between G. arabica and putative G. erlangeri (based on 11 nuclear microsatellites) was driven by genetic impoverishment of putative G. erlangeri. These results, along with morphological signatures of domestication (e.g., reduced brain case size), suggest genetic bottle necks and domestication effects as a consequence of prolonged captive breeding. Three hypotheses are discussed: (a) G. erlangeri and/or G. muscatensis are valid species but are now extinct; (b) one or both taxa represent phenotypic variation within G. arabica and, therefore, are synonyms of G. arabica; and (c) captive stocks, exhibiting the effects of domestication and inbreeding, are the sources for the descriptions of G. erlangeri and G. muscatensis. As concerns the conservation of gazelles, based on current knowledge, we strongly advise against using putative G. erlangeri for any introduction initiative but recommend the continued captive management of putative G. erlangeri.

The full publication is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.4404/hystrix-28.1-11816 and at: 10.4404/hystrix-28.1- 11816

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Publications and Reports

Published

• Wronski, T., Lerp, H., Bärmann, E. V., Butynski, T. M. & Plath, M. 2017. Dark grey gazelles Gazella (Cetartiodactyla: Bovidae) in Arabia: Threatened species or domestic pet? Hystrix. DOI: 10.4404/hystrix- 28.1-11816

In press

• Butynski, T. M. & De Jong, Y. A. Phacochoerus africanus. In Ecology, Evolution and Management of Wild Pigs and . Implications for Conservation. Melletti, M. & Meijaard, E., eds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. • Butynski, T. M. & De Jong, Y. A. Primates of Africa’s coastal deltas and their conservation. In Primates in Flooded Habitats: Ecology and Conservation. Barnett, A. A., Matsuda, I. & Nowak, K., eds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. • Cunneyworth, P., De Jong, Y. A., Butynski, T. M. & Perkin, A. W. IUCN/SSC Red List assessment for the Peter's Angolan colobus Colobus angolensis palliatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017. IUCN/SSC, Gland, Switzerland. • De Jong, Y. A. & Butynski, T. M. Distributions in , Kenya, and north Tanzania of members of the Günther’s dik-dik Madoqua (guentheri) and Kirk’s dik-dik M. (kirkii) species groups, regions of sympatry, records of aberrant-coloured individuals, and comment on the validity of Hodson’s dik-dik M. (g.) hodsoni. Gnusletter. • De Jong, Y. A. & Butynski, T. M. Phacochoerus aethiopicus. In Ecology, Evolution and Management of Wild Pigs and Peccaries. Implications for Conservation. Melletti, M. & Meijaard, E., eds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. • De Jong, Y. A. & Butynski, T. M. IUCN/SSC Red List 2017 assessments for 47 taxa of African primate.

Submitted

• Butynski, T. M. & De Jong, Y. A. Geographic range, taxonomy, and conservation of the Mount Kilimanjaro guereza colobus monkey (Primates: Cercopithecidae: Colobus) • Butynski, T. M., De Jong, Y. A., King, J. & Ting, N. Piliocolobus rufomitratus (Peters, 1879). IUCN/SSC Red Colobus Action Plan, IUCN/SSC, Gland, Switzerland. • De Jong, Y. A. & Butynski, T. M. Lost species: Mount Kenya potto.

In preparation

• Amin, R., Wacher, T. & Butynski, T. M. Sympatry among three suid species (Family ) on the north coast of Kenya. • Butynski, T. M. & De Jong, Y. A. Survey of the eastern patas monkey Erythrocebus patas pyrrhonotus and other primates in eastern Laikipia County, central Kenya. Report for Primate Conservation Inc. • De Jong, Y. A. & Butynski, T. M. Primates of East Africa. Pocket Identification Guide. • De Jong, Y. A., d’Huart, J. P. & Butynski, T. M. Biogeography of the desert warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus (Pallas, 1766) and common warthog Phacochoerus africanus (Gmelin, 1788) in the of Africa.

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Rainfall on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch Rainfall data kindly provided by Peter Karani.

Monthly rainfall (mm) on Lolldaiga Hills Rainfall (mm) at four sites on Ranch during 2017 Lolldaiga Hills Ranch during June (mean of four sites) 2017 250 35 29 195 30 200 25

150 20

100 15 10 50 38 4 21 10 5 0 8 0 0 0 0 January February March April May June South West Central North

Fireball lily Scadoxus multiflorus, May 2017, Lolldaiga Hills Ranch. Photograph by Yvonne de Jong.

Species totals as of end of June 2017

Mammals on the Lolldaiga Hills Conservation Landscape…………………………..104 species Birds on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch……………………………………………………………………..386 species Birds on the proposed IBA/KBA………………………………………………………………….525 species Reptiles on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch……………………………………………..……………….….33 species Amphibians on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch...... 12 species Butterflies on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch……………… ……………………………………………135 species Moths on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch...... >200 species Except for moths, species list for the above taxonomic groups can be viewed at www.lolldaiga.com

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Best Zoological Society of London/Lolldaiga Hills Research Programme camera trap photographs on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch (June 2017)

Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori) Bat-eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis)

Impala (Aepyceros melampus) (Aepyceros melampus) and Olive Baboon (Papio anubis)

Plains Zebra (Equus quagga) Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)

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Common Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) White-tailed Mangoose (Ichneumia albicauda)

Savanna (Loxodonta africana) Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)

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