Zoology Research Papers/Topics

Abundance and control of malaria mosquito larvae in the traditional water management agro-ecosystem of Kasagam, western Kenya /

Abstract/Overview This study investigated the abundance and control of malaria mosquito larvae in a traditional water management agro-ecosystem of Kasagam, Kisumu City, western Kenya. The study of larval habitats of malaria vectors is important in determining abundance and fitness of resultant adult mosquito populations and planning for suitable control measures. Dominant types of plants found in the study site were identified, recorded and categorized. Sampling of mosquito larvae was don...

Stocking Density Induced Stress on Plasma Cortisol and Whole Blood Glucose Concentration in Nile Tilapia Fish (Oreochromis niloticus) of Lake Victoria, Kenya

Abstract Effects of high stocking densities (HSDs) were evaluated for Nile tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) under culture to determine its influence on plasma cortisol and whole blood glucose concentration. Plasma cortisol levels (ng/ml) were assayed by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Whole blood glucose levels were determined using a hand-held one touch ultraglucose meter (MD-300) and test strips. Plasma cortisol and whole blood glucose level determinations were replicated th...

Pangenomics of the cichlid species (Oreochromis niloticus) reveals genetic admixture ancestry with potential for aquaculture improvement in Kenya

Abstract Background Nile tilapia has a variety of phenotypes suitable for aquaculture farming, yet its entire gene pool with potential for breeding climate ready strains in resource-limited settings remains scanty and poorly documented. SNP calling has become increasingly popular in molecular genetic studies due to their abundance and precision in estimating and identifying an organism’s genetic makeup. SNPs are versatile in trait-specific breeding, which, in contrast to pedigree breeding,...

An Analysis of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Communities in Lake Victoria, Kenya on Microcystin Toxicity

Abstract Exposure to microcystin poses a potential health hazard to humans and other living organisms. This results from eutrophication and warrants an investigation into the problem of microcystin toxicity in Lake Victoria. This study was conducted in Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya and Busia counties to understand the effects of microcystin toxicity among fisherfolk and lake riparian communities. Data collection involved 90 semi-structured questionnaires, 11 key informant interviews and seven focu...

Fish Species Composition and Diversity of Small Riverine Ecosystems in the Lake Victoria Basin, Kenya

Abstract Riverine ecosystems in the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) significantly contribute to the lake’s water budget and aquatic biodiversity. Despite their significance to the lakes fisheries, only limited biodiversity studies have been carried out, particularly in the smaller riverine ecosystems. This study investigated the fish species composition, diversity and distribution in two small riverine ecosystems (Rivers Awach Seme and Kisian) draining the Kenyan Lake Victoria Basin. Sampling wa...

INFLUENCE OF LARGE WOODY DEBRIS ACCUMULATIONS ON MACROINVERTEBRATE DISTRIBUTION IN A LOW ORDER FORESTED TROPICAL STREAM, SAGANA RIVER, KENYA

Abstract Woody debris accumulations are important ecological components in low order forested streams. They provide forage and refuge for a macroinvertebrates, which are key trophic components for riverine fish. The occurrence of woody debris in tropical streams is however threatened by large scale destruction of catchment forests thereby threatening the riverine biodiversity. Despite their importance, the current status of woody debris accumulations in tropical forested streams is unknown. ...

An assessment of demographic parameters of African rhinoceros species (Diceros bicornis and Ceratotherium simum) and their significance to management in captivity

Abstract: Captive-breeding has been identified as an integral part of the conservation of threatened species. The black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) as a species is currently listed by the IUCN as critically endangered (CR), while the white rhinoceros’s (Ceratotherium simum) current status is near-threatened (NT). Three African rhinoceros subspecies currently occur in captive populations in regional population management programmes, namely the South-central black rhinoceros (Diceros bicor...

Impacts of a specialist diet on aardwolf ecology

Abstract: The diet of an animal plays a fundamental role in its ecology, and the consequence of a specific diet may be more pronounced in mammals with a specialised diet that are more reliant on a specific food type. This can have a dramatic effect on its activity patterns, home range size and the interaction with heterospecifics. Investigating the diet of specialist mammals and the subsequent effects it will have on their ecology is thus vital to the management and subsequent conservation o...

Population structure and predation in the harvester termite, Trinervitermes trinervoides

Abstract: Little information is available on the termite species in southern Africa, especially Trinervitermes trinervoides (Sjöstedt). This is an endemic, non-detrimental harvester termite that performs vital ecosystem functions in the semi-arid grassland ecosystem of southern Africa. T. trinervoides is the only termite species that does not compete with grazers for foraging material since they harvest litter grass. T. trinervoides are highly eusocial, mound-building, nasute termites. The ...

The functional importance of termites across a savanna rainfall gradient

Abstract: Termites are ecosystem engineers with well documented functional roles in African savannas. However, how their importance changes across environmental gradients, such as rainfall and nutrition, is less understood. Using LiDAR data from the Carnegie Airborne Observatory, I mapped the distribution of termite mounds across an entire river catchment in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Abiotic factors shaped mound densities at broader landscape scales, while local hillslope morph...

The retinal photoreceptor topography and daily responses to illumination in a nocturnal and a diurnal South African rodent

Abstract: A number of daily rhythms were investigated under different lighting conditions and the topographical arrangements of visual (rods/cones) and non-visual retinal photoreceptors (ipRGCs) determined, in the Namaqua rock mouse (Micaelamys namaquensis) and the four striped field mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio). The present study provides evidence that M. namaquensis possesses a distinctly nocturnal locomotor activity rhythm that is endogenously entrained by the light-dark cycle, with a near 2...

A Genetic Study Of Two Inshore Dolphin Species (Cephalorhynchus Heavisidii And Tursiops Aduncus) Found Along The Coast Of South Africa

Abstract: Genetic parameters such as genetic variability, gene flow, relatedness and migration were determined between two South African coastal delphinid species, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii (Heaviside’s dolphin) and Tursiops aduncus (Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphin), in order to contribute towards designing efficient conservation management strategies. The molecular markers used in this study include the mitochondrial DNA control region (mtDNA) and several microsatellite loci that were ch...

Phylogeography and venom composition of the rinkhals, Hemachatus haemachatus (Squamata: Elapidae)

Abstract: Phylogeographic patterns as well as divergence date estimates and the past population demography of Hemachatus haemachatus were analysed using nuclear and mitochondrial genetic markers. My results suggest that H. haemachatus forms a continuous population that diverged into two broad lineages due to glacial and interglacial cycles during the Plio-Pleistocene interval. During this interval, stable populations existed in the southern Cape and eastern inland regions of southern Africa....

Investigating Private Landowners' Willingness to Manage and Protect Oribi Antelope ( Ourebia ourebi )

Abstract: Oribi antelope (Ourebia ourebi), South Africa’s most endangered antelope species, are predominantly found on privately-owned lands. As such, the implementation of conservation strategies on these lands is essential if the species is to avoid extinction in South Africa. In order to develop effective private land conservation strategies for oribi, it is necessary to go beyond the ecology of the species and possess an understanding of private landowners’ attitudes towards and know...

Phenotypic flexibility of digestion in White-browed Sparrow-Weavers (Plocepasser mahali): limits to digestive flexibility and dietary enzyme modulation

Abstract: Many aspects of animal digestive form and function vary with ecological factors including diet composition and food availability. I examined phenotypic flexibility of digestive traits in white-browed sparrow-weavers (Plocepasser mahali), a widespread southern African passerine in which the ratio of insects to plant matter consumed varies seasonally. I predicted that digestive traits of P. mahali are modulated in response to diet composition. For experiment one, I caught forty-five ...


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