Отправлено: 04.05.22 04:20. Заголовок: Fauna of Africa

I'm making this new topic after Биолог mentioned some interesting ideas for descendants of the tree hyraxes with more adaptations for an arboreal lifestyle. I was also thinking that they could be adapted to jump between branches and even trees.
Биолог, do you have more ideas about these animals?

 Отправлено: 04.12.22 18:36. Заголовок: I agree with Биолог...

I agree with Биолог.

 Отправлено: 30.12.22 16:41. Заголовок: I made the descripti..

I made the description of the African civet.

Algalia (Paracrocuta ferox)
Order: Carnivora
Family: Viverridae
Habitat: Forests of São Tomé Island
During the Holocene, the humans had introduced many species in new locations. In the island of São Tomé, they introduced the African civet (Civettictis civetta). There, this species survived the transition into the Neocene and their descendant is the algalia, the largest predator of the island. Algalia is a word of Portuguese origin that was used to name both its ancestor and the civetone that it produced.

The algalia have 180 cm of length and 70 cm of shoulder height. The tail is short and thick, with 30 cm. The females are slightly smaller than the males. This species has strong muscles in the skull, giving them a powerful bite capable of breaking bones. Their fur is creamy yellow to reddish on the back, with black stripes, spots, and blotches. Horizontal lines are prominent on the hind limbs, spots are normally present on its midsection and fade into vertical stripes above the forelimbs. Its muzzle is pointed, ears small and rounded. A black band stretches across its small eyes, and two black bands are around its short broad neck. Following the spine of the animal extending from the neck to the base of the tail is an erectile dorsal crest.

This species is mostly carnivorous, hunting large terrestrial prey that they will kill with a powerful bite in the skull. However, the algalia will occasionally visit the beaches after shellfish and beached animals. They can also consume soft fruits, but to a lesser extent than their ancestors.

The algalia is a solitary species, with males and females only being seen together during the mating season. Usually three females share their territory with that of a male. They deposit their feces in large piles called latrines and use their perineal gland secretion to mark their territories around their latrines. When they feel threatened, algalias raise their dorsal crest to make themselves look larger and thus more formidable and dangerous to attack. The mating season starts during the end of the dry season, with the male entering the territory of the females. Females create a nest which is normally in dense vegetation and commonly in a rock crevice. They normally give birth to one to four young. The young are born in advanced stages compared to most carnivores. They are covered in dark, short fur and can crawl at birth. The young leave the nest after 18 days but are still dependent on the mother for milk and protection for another two months. The algalia have a lifespan of 18 years.

 Отправлено: 31.12.22 12:58. Заголовок: JOrnitho Good one!..

JOrnitho
Good one!

 Отправлено: 30.12.22 16:48. Заголовок: Good animal, interes..

Good animal, interesting.

 Отправлено: 30.12.22 19:56. Заголовок: Interesting animal, ..

Interesting animal, thanks!

 Отправлено: 31.12.22 14:36. Заголовок: Thanks, everyone! I&..

Thanks, everyone!
I'll work in the description of the descendant of the domestic goat and of the mona monkey. Any of you have an idea for an interesting descendant of the domestic rat? Maybe by filling a different niche.

 Отправлено: 31.12.22 14:45. Заголовок: Interesting, I'm..

Interesting, I'm waiting for it!

 Отправлено: 31.12.22 16:20. Заголовок: Would be possible fo..

Would be possible for rats and least weasels (they were also introduced) to more between the islands by floating in debris? It would allow each island to have their own species.

 Отправлено: 31.12.22 21:12. Заголовок: JOrnitho I agree ab..

JOrnitho
I agree about floating, although mammals are least likely to arrive this way: two (one male + one female) must arrive, not one, or else a pregnant female.

 Отправлено: 01.01.23 12:54. Заголовок: Биолог пишет: I agr..

Биолог пишет:

цитата:

I agree about floating, although mammals are least likely to arrive this way: two (one male + one female) must arrive, not one, or else a pregnant female.

But they would not be originated from the continent. I thought that the least weasel and the rodents would be descendants of the ones introduced by the humans in São Tomé, then they would float in rafts to the others.
By the way, my idea for one of the rodents was that it could be a porcupine-like animal living in trees.

 Отправлено: 01.01.23 20:30. Заголовок: JOrnitho descendant..

JOrnitho

цитата:

descendants of the ones introduced by the humans

Ah, that really solves the problem!

цитата:

By the way, my idea for one of the rodents was that it could be a porcupine-like animal living in trees.

Quite plausible, if they have enough treetops to live, feed and reproduce.

 Отправлено: 31.12.22 16:22. Заголовок: Yes, they can move a..

Yes, they can move across the sea in driftwood, because why not?

 Отправлено: 03.01.23 02:14. Заголовок: More two animals for..

I read more about the islands of the Gulf of Guinea and noticed that Bioko Island could have more representatives of continental fauna, due to it being close to the continent. It is large, so there is the possibility that more speciels could survive there, for example the drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus), guenons, Ogilby's duiker (Cephalophus ogilbyi), turacos. All these species already live here in the Holocene.

By the way, more two animals for São Tomé. Next will be the rodents and the least weasel's descendant.

Solitary goat-antelope (Solitaricapra tomei)
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Habitat: Forests of São Tomé Island
During the Holocene, the humans had introduced many species in new locations. In the island of São Tomé, they introduced the domestic goat. There, this species survived the transition into the Neocene and their descendant is the solitary goat-antelope. While it shares the name with the bovids of Zinj Land, the solitary goat-antelope is only distantly related to them.

This species has 150 cm of length and stands at 70 cm in the shoulder. The males are slightly larger than females and have 40 cm long horns, with a black fur and chestnut brown underparts. The females are hornless and their fur is totally chestnut. The young of both sexes have a coloration similar to that of the females. Their tails are 15 cm long and have a white tuff.

The solitary goat-antelope is a grazer, feeding on grasses and young shoots. They are naturally diurnal, feeding during the daytime hours. Fallen fruits can also be consumed.

As their name says, this bovid is mostly solitary. Only juveniles occasionally form herds with a clan hierarchy. Males and females are known to associate all year round, but this interaction lasts only a few hours. Adult males are often solitary and aggressive, while adult females can be alone, accompanied by a bull, or their young of different ages. During the mating season, there will be disputes between males for the females. They fight by clashing their horns against each other. The adult female gives birth to one offspring after a gestation period around 235 days. There is an interbirth interval of two years and the calf stays for 2–4 years with its mother before becoming independent. The solitary goat-antelope has a lifespan of 20 years. THeir main predator is the algalia.

Superb false-marmoset (Mona splendida)
Order: Primates
Family: Cercopithecidae
Habitat: Forests of São Tomé Island, tree canopy
During the Holocene, the humans had introduced many species in new locations. In the island of São Tomé, they introduced the mona monkey (Cercopithecus mona). There, this species survived the transition into the Neocene and their descendant is the superb false-marmoset, a small colorful primate that inhabits the canopy of the island’s forests.

As their name says, these monkeys have similar size and habits to the marmosets of South America. Males have an average size of 22 cm while the females are 19 cm. This species has a colorful appearance, with bright maroon arms and legs. The rump and belly are golden-yellow. The male has bright orange patches around the eyes, while in the females they are pale yellow. Their crown is reddish, their temples are silver and their foreheads are black. The males also have a distinctive blue scrotum.

Besides their size, the superb false-marmoset also developed a similar diet to that of the true marmosets. They developed claw-like nails that allow them to cling to the side of a tree and, with their long lower incisors, chew a hole in the tree. The monkey then licks up the exudates or swoops them with the teeth. They also eat insects, fruits, seeds and flowers.

The superb false-marmoset is usually found in family groups of about twelve individuals, with a single mature male. The troop moves through the canopy foraging. It is a highly vocal species with a wide repertoire of calls. Both males and females have vocal sacs which are inflated to be used as resonators. Even being small, the booming call made by the adult male can be heard from great distances. Social interactions include tail twining between resting monkeys and a ritualized head display.

When conditions are right, adult females breed regularly for the rest of their lives. Females flick their tongues at males to solicit mating. The gestation period lasts for 5 months, and females are ready to breed again around 10 days after giving birth. Five months pass between each parturition, so they can give birth twice a year. Usually, the females will give birth to twins. They are weaned with 3 months and reach sexual maturity within 15 months. They have a lifespan of 9 years.

 Отправлено: 03.01.23 10:51. Заголовок: JOrnitho Wow, great..

JOrnitho
Wow, great, I'll add them to the catalogue. I think this can make up a chapter about the Sao Tome islands.

 Отправлено: 03.01.23 10:57. Заголовок: Interesting animals!..

Interesting animals! But I think that drill is too rare to leave descendants in the Neocene.

 Отправлено: 03.01.23 11:04. Заголовок: медведь I agree, dr..

медведь
I agree, drill is unlikely to survive and have descendants.

 Отправлено: 03.01.23 13:07. Заголовок: медведь пишет: But ..

медведь пишет:

цитата:

But I think that drill is too rare to leave descendants in the Neocene.

Maybe one of the other monkeys of Boiko could fill their niche in the island?

 Отправлено: 03.01.23 11:05. Заголовок: They're good and..

They're good and interesting.
Bear
I also agree about drill.

 Отправлено: 03.01.23 13:47. Заголовок: Yes, I think so...

Yes, I think so.

 Отправлено: 03.01.23 22:13. Заголовок: Finished the descrip..

Finished the description of the rodent and of the weasel

São Tomé quilled tree-rat (Pectinorattus elegans)
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Habitat: Forests of São Tomé Island, tree canopy
During their expansion, the humans had inadvertently transported several commensal species with them. The black rat (Rattus rattus) was one of the animals that became widespread thanks to anthropogenic expansion. In the islands of the Gulf of Guinea, this species was able to survive in the Neocene and originated the genus Pectinorattus, the quilled tree-rat. The type species is the São Tomé quilled tree-rat, an inhabitant of the canopy of the tropical forests of São Tomé Island.

The São Tomé quilled tree-rat has a body length 16 cm, with a tail of 22 cm. Their fur is chestnut brown with a lighter underside. Their main characteristic is the long hairs that are modified into hard quills in the adult. Being found in the back and side of the rodent’s body, these quills are dark brown with white tips. A case of convergent evolution with the porcupines, the quilled tree-rats also use these structures as a defensive mechanism. Their tail is semi-prehensile, being used most to help them maintain balance while moving through the branches of trees.

While being omnivorous, this species has a great preference for food of plant origin. They eat seeds, fruit, stems and leaves. The consumption of fungi is also common, while invertebrates and eggs are very rare. Being nocturnal, the São Tomé quilled tree-rat will forage during the night.

This rodent is mostly monogamous, with males and females forming pairs that remain together for their entire life. Even then, there are cases of a male and two females bonding. Usually one of the females is younger. During the day, they rest in a cavity in a hollow tree. Quilled tree-rats rarely descend to the ground, being very careful when it happens. They can breed throughout the year if conditions are suitable, with a female producing up to five litters a year. Females are able to produce and raise two healthy litters of normal size and weight without significantly changing their own food intake. However, when food is restricted, females can extend pregnancy by over two weeks, and give birth to litters of normal number and weight. The gestation period is only 21 days, and litters can number seven. The male helps the female take care of the young. They reach sexual maturity in about five weeks and have a lifespan of 5 years, but many are preyed upon before reaching an old age.

Príncipe quilled tree-rat (Pectinorattus minor) is another representative of the genus. Inhabiting the island of Príncipe, this species is smaller than the others, with a body length of 12 cm and a tail measuring 15 cm. Their fur is dark brown, with the characteristic quills being light and having yellowish tips. The tropical forests of Bioko Island are the habitat of the giant quilled tree-rat (Pectinorattus giganteus). With 27 cm of body length and 25 cm in the tail, this is the largest representative of the genus. Their fur is light brown, with the quills being black with cream-colored tips.

Guinea weasel (Mustela guianensis)
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Habitat: Tropical forests of the islands of the Gulf of Guinea
During the Holocene, the humans had introduced many species in new locations. In the island of São Tomé, they introduced the least weasel (Mustela nivalis). There, this species survived the transition into the Neocene and their descendant is the Guinea weasel. Through rafting, the ancestors of this mammal were able to reach the other islands of the Gulf of Guinea. It lives in the ground of the tropical forests.

The Guinea weasel had preserved many of its ancestors' characteristics. Average body length in males is 13 to 26 cm, while the females average 11 to 20 cm. Their tail measures 8 cm in males and 6 cm in females. Their fur is very short, sparser and rougher. The upper parts are dark brown, while lower parts, including the lower jaw and inner sides of the legs, are yellowish-white.

The Guinea weasel feeds predominantly on rodents, shrews and lizards. Frogs, fish, small birds and bird eggs are occasionally eaten. Despite its small size, this mustelid is a fierce hunter, capable of killing animals five to 10 times its own weight. They forage undercover, to avoid being seen by predators. It is adapted for pursuing its prey down tunnels, though it may also bolt prey from a burrow and kill it in the open.

They are solitary animals, with the male territory ranges encompassing multiple female ranges. Their territory is marked with scent, with feces, urine and anal and dermal gland secretion. The population density of each territory depends greatly on food supply and reproductive success, thus the social structure and population density of any given territory is unstable and flexible. The Guinea weasel does not dig its own den, but nests in the abandoned burrow of another species. The burrow entrance measures about 2 cm across and leads to the nest chamber located up to 17 cm below ground. The nest chamber measures 10 cm in diameter, and is lined with straw and the skins of the weasel's prey.

They breed during the entire year. The average litter size consists of 6 kits and these reach sexual maturity with 4 months. Males may mate during their first year of life, though this is usually unsuccessful. The female raises its kits without help from the male. Newborn kits are born pink, naked, blind and deaf, but gain a creamy coat of downy fur at the age of 4 days. At 10 days, the margin between the dark upper parts and light under parts becomes visible. The milk teeth erupt at 3 weeks of age, at which point the young start to eat solid food, though lactation can last 12 weeks. The eyes and ears open at 4 weeks of age, and by 8 weeks, killing behaviour is developed. The family breaks up after 9 weeks. The Guinea weasels can live for 8 years.