A Study of the Feeding Habits of the Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus AmphibiusLinn.) in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, With Some Management Implications

Field, Christopher R.

doi:10.1080/00445096.1970.11447382

Cited by 83 publications

(91 citation statements)

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“…Because hippos spend most of day time in water or next to it; they exhibit notable demographic sensitivity to rainfall [19]. Field records and research conducted over the past 50 years in many parts of Africa including the Luangwa Valley have quantified marked changes in hippopotamus demographic rates in response to rainfall fluctuations [20][21][22].…”

Section: Population Status Of the Luangwa Hippopotamusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Has the Luangwa (Zambia) hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) population stabilized after reaching its asymptote? What are the management challenges?

Chomba¹,

Simpamba²,

Nyirenda³

2013

OJE

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The population size of hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius Linnaeus 1758) in Luangwa valley, Zambia was earlier assessed for the period 1976-2008 and repeated 2009-2012 and found to have reached and maintained carrying capacity K of 6000 individuals over a 165 km river stretch. This study covered the period 2009-2012 and used river bank count method as in previous studies. The method involved counting individuals and taking GPS locations of hippo schools. During the period 2009-2012 the population had maintained irregular cycles oscillating above and below K of 6000 and was still within carrying capacity band of 2000 individuals. The highest population size was still 6832 hippos (rounded off to 7000) and density of 42/km reached in 1984, and the lowest was 4765 hippos (rounded off to 5000) and density of 29/km recorded in 1978. Between 1976-2008, and 2009-2012 the population still oscillated between 5000 -7000 individuals,which is symptomatic of a population that had reached its asymptote. Plot of population size for the period 1976-2012 assumed a population model which was a hybrid between less accurate regulation and stable limit cycle. The slowdown in population growth at K and oscillations were attributed to environmental resistance. More studies are required to identify the impact of climate change on the population size and density fluctuations to determine whether K will rise or drop.

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Section: Population Status Of the Luangwa Hippopotamusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Has the Luangwa (Zambia) hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) population stabilized after reaching its asymptote? What are the management challenges?

Chomba¹,

Simpamba²,

Nyirenda³

2013

OJE

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“…We interviewed 11 park rangers, who have each spent at least 15 years in the park, and they reported that before this time they had never witnessed aquatic feeding of hippos. In addition, we found virtually no mention of aquatic feeding by hippos in the literature (Bere 1959, Field 1970, Mackie 1976, Scotcher et al 1978, and references cited therein), even in papers describing situations where hippos were overgrazing their habitat (Lock 1972, O'Connor andCampbell 1986). Field (1970) provides an exception to this generalization : « I have occasionally observed hippo eat aquatic vegetation, e.g., Pistia stratiotes, in wallows shortly before emerging in the evening, but in small quantities only».…”

mentioning

confidence: 89%

“…In addition, we found virtually no mention of aquatic feeding by hippos in the literature (Bere 1959, Field 1970, Mackie 1976, Scotcher et al 1978, and references cited therein), even in papers describing situations where hippos were overgrazing their habitat (Lock 1972, O'Connor andCampbell 1986). Field (1970) provides an exception to this generalization : « I have occasionally observed hippo eat aquatic vegetation, e.g., Pistia stratiotes, in wallows shortly before emerging in the evening, but in small quantities only». Finally, we noted that some hippos remained on their nocturnal grazing lawns during the day, and during the height of the dry season some hippos left their diurnal shelter in the middle of the afternoon to forage on their grazing lawns.…”

mentioning

confidence: 89%

Aquatic foraging by Hippopotamus in Zaïre: Response to a food shortage?

Mugangu¹

1992

Mammalia

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During dry seasons, hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius L.) were observed to forage on aquatic vegetation on the plains of Lake Rutanzige in Virunga National Park (VNP), Za'ire. Crude protein content of the aquatic vegetation, as well as from plants collected at drier sites, were determined. During the dry seasons of 1989, grasses did not yield adequate levels of crude protein to sustain a hippo except for Panicum repens. Although aquatic vegetation may not be well suited to hippos' foraging behavior, they were obliged to feed on it. Our observations suggest that the hippo population of VNP may be growing beyond the carrying capacity of the parkland during the dry seasons.Resume. -Pendant les Saisons seches de 1989, nous avons observe des hippopotames (Hippopotamus amphibius L.) qui se nourrissaient de la vegetation aquatique dans les plaines du lac Rutanzige dans le Pare National des Virunga (PNV) au Zaire. Le contenu proteique de quelques plantes aquatiques et de quelques plantes colleclees a des endroits plus sees a etc dose chimiquement. Nous avons trouve que pendant les saisons seches, ä exception de Panicum repens, les graminees qui constituaient le fourrage des hippopotames ne contenaient pas de proteines en proportion süffisante pour entretenir un hippopotame. Bien que cette vegetation aquatique ne soit pas adaptee au comportement alimentaire des hippopotames, ces grands ongules sont obliges de s'en nourrir. Nos observations suggerent que, pendant la saison seche, la population d'hippopotames du PNV depasse la capacite de charge de son päturage.A large population of hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) occurs in Virunga National Park (VNP), Zaire, in the plains surrounding Lake Rutanzige (formerly Lake Edward), its tributary rivers (Ishasha, Rutshuru, and Rwindi), and its outlet river (Semliki). Hippos rest submerged during the day in these rivers, the shallow waters of Lake Rutanzige, and transient wallows and ponds such as Cabuganga, Kikere, and Kizi (Delvingt 1978). Hippos' use of aquatic habitats is primarily Mammalia, t. 56, n° 3, 1992.

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“…However, behavioural adjustments in amphibious mammals have not been well documented. The common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is one of the largest amphibious mammals that shares its time between water during the daytime and land at night while foraging (Field 1970;Eltringham 1999;Noirard et al 2004). Hippos are typically found in social groups in wetlands, rivers and lakes across sub-Saharan Africa where air temperatures are high and solar radiation intense.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal variation of thermoregulatory behaviour in the Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)

Noirard

Berré

Ramousse

et al. 2007

J Ethol

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The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) spends more than 12 h a day in the water. Hippos are often submitted to water temperatures that vary with the seasons. We hypothesize that this difference between cool and warm water temperatures leads to variations in behavioural thermoregulation. We recorded the exposure of hippos to sunshine at the beginning and at the end of the dry season. Our results show that (1) sunshine exposure lasted much longer in cool water and (2) sun-bathing occurred during the hottest hours. It is therefore likely that in cool water hippos were cold and expressed an original behaviour of search for heat.

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A Study of the Feeding Habits of the Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus AmphibiusLinn.) in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, With Some Management Implications

Cited by 83 publications

References 1 publication

Has the Luangwa (Zambia) hippopotamus (<i>Hippopotamus amphibius</i>) population stabilized after reaching its asymptote? What are the management challenges?

Has the Luangwa (Zambia) hippopotamus (<i>Hippopotamus amphibius</i>) population stabilized after reaching its asymptote? What are the management challenges?

Aquatic foraging by Hippopotamus in Zaïre: Response to a food shortage?

Seasonal variation of thermoregulatory behaviour in the Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)

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A Study of the Feeding Habits of the Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus AmphibiusLinn.) in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, With Some Management Implications

Cited by 83 publications

References 1 publication

Has the Luangwa (Zambia) hippopotamus (&lt;i&gt;Hippopotamus amphibius&lt;/i&gt;) population stabilized after reaching its asymptote? What are the management challenges?

Has the Luangwa (Zambia) hippopotamus (&lt;i&gt;Hippopotamus amphibius&lt;/i&gt;) population stabilized after reaching its asymptote? What are the management challenges?

Aquatic foraging by Hippopotamus in Zaïre: Response to a food shortage?

Seasonal variation of thermoregulatory behaviour in the Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)

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Product

Resources

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Has the Luangwa (Zambia) hippopotamus (<i>Hippopotamus amphibius</i>) population stabilized after reaching its asymptote? What are the management challenges?

Has the Luangwa (Zambia) hippopotamus (<i>Hippopotamus amphibius</i>) population stabilized after reaching its asymptote? What are the management challenges?