AFRTS l African Field Ranger Training Services

African Field Ranger Training Services

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CRITICALLY ENDANGERED: A taxon is Critically Endangered when it is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future. For example; The Black Rhino is critically endangered mainly due to poaching.

WILDLIFE SNIPLETS.

ETHOLOGY: Defined as the science or study of animal behavior, in it’s natural environment/habitat.

Key function of a field rangers duty is to ensure that the natural resources within a protected area are
conserved. A field ranger must be able to identify fauna and flora but also spoor & signs
(tracks, rubbing marks, feeding habits, droppings, hair, etc.)

Impala (Aepyceros melampus)

Female impalas outnumber males two to one.

Impala’s have a scent gland above their hoof.

They can roam great distances, and follow their scent trail back to their herd.

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Cheetah's accelerate from 0-70 km/h in under 2 seconds. The cheetah is the
fastest land animal, they can bound at speeds of up to 100 TO 120 km/h.
Cheetahs can breed at any time of year but tend to copulate in the dry
season, with cubs being born at the onset of the wet season.

African Giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis)

A Giraffe stands while sleeping. A Giraffe is the tallest of all living land
mammals. Each Giraffe has its own unique pattern of coat markings.
The Giraffe has seven neck vertebrae like a human, despite its long neck. Giraffe’s tongue’s are blue and can extend more than 40cm long.

Collective name is a Tower.

Black Rhinocerus (Diceros bicomis)

The rhinoceros belongs to the same family as horses. The black rhinoceros,
despite its size and weighing an average of 1.5 tonne, can run at speeds of
up to 45 km/h. name comes from 2 greek words, "rhis" meaning nose
and "ceros" meaning horn literally nose-horn. There are 5 species of Rhino:
White, Black, Javan, great Indian and Sumatran.

Rhinos collective name is called a Crash.

African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)

The only mammal with a life span comparable to humans is the elephant.
Over the past 150 years, ivory hunters have ruthlessly hunted them for their
tusks. Between 1979 and 1989, Africa's elephant population plummeted from
1,300,000 animals to 750,000, due mostly to ivory hunting.

African Lion (Panthera leo)

Lions live in groups of related females called prides, which may include from
several to 40 individuals, plus one or more adult males. More than 10,000
years ago, lions thrived from North and South America to Europe, Africa, and
Asia. Today, following climatic changes and after centuries of hunting and
habitat degradation by people, lions live in scattered habitats across Africa.

Saddle Billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis)

The largest of the African storks, very tall and is usually seen singly or in pairs near open water, the large brightly coloured bill makes it easy to recognise, although the saddle is absent in juvenile and immature birds. The bird in the photograph is a male, the male has dark brown eyes and small wattles at the base of the bill. Females got yellow eyes.

Snake Venom

Types can be divided into 5 groups according to its clinical effect on the victim

Neurotoxic

The venom acts on the nervous system and brain.

Cytotoxic

The venom has a localized action at the site of the bite.

Hemotoxic

The venom act on the heart and cardiovascular system.

Proteolytic

The venom dismantles the molecular structure of the area surrounding and including the bite.

Allergic reaction

The exposure to any of the venoms above can cause an allergic reaction in a patient.

Black mamba The highly venomous Black Mamba is actually grey. It is named after the black inside of the mouth.

BLACK MAMBA (Dendroaspis polylepis)

Neurotoxic

The highly venomous Black Mamba is actually gray. It is named after
the black inside of the mouth. It can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h.
It's the largest venomous snake in Africa with adults reaching an
average of 8 feet in length (2.5m).

PUFF ADDER (Bitis arietans)

Cytotoxic

The Puff Adder is considered to be Africa's deadliest snake because it is responsible for the most human fatalities.
Many fatalities occur because bites are not treated correctly, leading
to infection and gangrene.

BOOMSLANG (Dispholidus typus)

Hemotoxic

A quick, alert snake, able to glide through trees, bushes and overland.
If molested, it inflates its neck and body to a considerable size, often twice the normal girth and may strike sideways in rapid, jerky action. Vision is excellent.

Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica)

Cytotoxic

A shy snake that seldom stands its ground. When cornered may spread a narrow hood but will not hold this pose for long. It may not always spread a hood before spitting and may only open its mouth slightly before doing so.