Joseph Grosse
Professor: Lisa M. Bullard
Writing 101
10/16/2012
African Forest Buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus)
African forest buffalo is a small variety of African buffalo (Korte 115). It is related to the cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer) and the sudanese buffalo (Syncerus caffer brachyceros); however, it is the only subspecies to choose a habitat in the African rain forest (Melletti et al. 1312).
Description The African forest buffalo is a smaller variety of African buffalo. Cape buffalo weigh anywhere from 400 to 800 kg (880-1760 lbs), whereas African forest buffalo are much lighter, weighing in at 250 to 320 kg (550-705 lbs) (Korte 115). Weight is not the only differentiation, however; this subspecies has the special characteristic of reddish brown hide that is darker in the facial area. The shape and size of the horns is another trait that distinguishes forest buffalo from other subspecies. African field buffalo have much smaller horn size than their savanna counterparts, the cape buffalo (Korte 115). Cape buffalo’s horns will many times grow and fuse together, but forest buffalo’s horns will almost never fuse.
Ecology African forest buffalo live in the rain forests of Western and Central Africa, as the name implies (Melletti et al. 1312); however, their home ranges typically consist of a combination of marshes, grassy savannas, and the wet African rain forests. Savannas are the area where the buffalo graze, while the marshes serve as wallows and help with the insects (Korte 123). In fact, forest buffalo are very rarely observed in the unbroken canopy of the forests (Blake 81). They instead spend most of their time in clearings, grazing on grasses and sedges (Melletti et al. 1313). Consequently, their diet is made up of mainly grasses and other plants that grow in clearings and savannas (van der Hoek et al. 1). The mixture of habitats is essential for the forest buffalo. Expansion and encroachment of the rainforest on the surrounding savannas and openings is a major difficulty of maintaining the ecosystem. Forest buffalo enjoy old logging roads and tracks, where the forest is thinner and grass and other foods can grow. In these areas forest buffalo depend on the grass that is able to develop as a result of the areas that have been previously clear-cut (Bekheis, Jong, and Prins 674). In some areas park management staff burn off the savannas on a regular basis to keep the rainforest from growing onto the savannas and changing the ecosystem of the area(Korte 116). Large home ranges can be associated with less-productive habitats (Korte 122); however, a larger area of open grassland has been observed to have a positive relationship with herd size (Korte 234). Home ranges remain remarkably constant and stable year after year. The only documentation of the actual home range boundaries of these animals is relatively recent, so time can only tell how these boundaries remain over large lengths of time; however, studies have shown almost no movement in range boundaries from one year to the next (Korte 115). Although the area included in a home range is relatively constant over time, the preferences in regards to what part of the range is most used shifts with the seasons. From March until August forest buffalo will spend most of their time in the forest, while from September through February they will favor the savannas and marshes (Korte 121). African forest buffalo tend to use resting places based on sand during the wet season; however, they like to use dirt and leaves during the dry season (Melletti, Penteriani, and Boitani 186). African forest buffalo arrange themselves into herds, which help in defense against predators; however, they are not immune to assault. Leopards will feast on juvenile forest buffalo when they have the opportunity (Korte 116).
Social Behavior African forest buffalo have relatively small herds compared to the well-studied cape buffalo. Cape buffalo can have herds of over one thousand members; however, forest buffalo will stay in much smaller groups—as small as three and rarely over thirty. If forest buffalo are in a large group, they will spend more time grazing since there is less need to devote time to alert behavior (Melletti et al. 1315). A herd of forest buffalo typically consists of one or occasionally two bulls, and a harem of female cows, juveniles, and calves. Unlike the cape buffalo, forest buffalo bulls remain with the herd continually, year round. Whereas, Cape buffalo bulls stay in bachelor herds until the wet season when young bulls join the females, mate, help protect the young calves, and then leave. Animals usually remain in the same herd for their entire lives. Herd-switching has been observed in the female cows; however, this is not a usual occurrence and instead is an exception to the rule. (Korte 125) Herds can split into two groups for a short period of time before merging back together (Melletti et al. 1316). Forest buffalo are relatively unaffected by seasonal cycles. However, in the wet season, herds will be more spread out (Melletti et al. 1316), and these animals tend to use resting places based on sand during the wet season but use dirt and leaves during the dry season (Melletti, Penteriani, and Boitani 186).
Bibliography
Blake, Stephen. “Forest Buffalo Prefer Clearings to Closed-canopy Forest in the Primary Forest of Northern Congo.” Oryx 36.1 (2002): 81-86. Print.
Melletti, Mario, Penteriani Vincenzo, Mirabile Marzia, and Boitani Luigi. “Some Behavioral Aspects of Forest Buffalo (Syncerus Caffer Nanus): From Herd to Individual.” Journal of Mammalogy 88.5 (2007): 1312-1318. Print.
Korte, Lisa M. “Habitat Selection at Two Spatial Scales and Diurnal Activity Patterns of Adult Female Forest Buffalo.” Journal of Mammalogy 89.1 (2008): 115-125. Print.
---. “Variation of Group Size Among African Buffalo Herds in a Forest-savanna Mosaic Landscape.” Journal of Zoology 275.3 (2008): 229-236. Print.
---. “Herd-switching in Adult Female African Forest Buffalo Syncerus Caffer Nanus.” African Journal of Ecology 47.1 (2009): 125-127: Print.
Hoek, Yntze van der, Lustenhouwer Ivo, Jefferry Kathryn J., and Hooft Pim van. “Potential Effects of Prescribed Savannah Burning on the Diet Selection of Forest Buffalo (Syncerus Caffer Nanus) in Lope´ National Park, Gabon.” African Journal of Ecology 50.3 (2012):1-8. Print.
Melletti M., Penteriani V., and Boitani L.. “Habitat Preferences of the Secretive Forest Buffalo Syncerus Caffer Nanus) in Central Africa.” Journal of Zoology 271.2 (2007): 178-186. Print.
Bekhuis, Patricia D.B. M.,De Jong Christine B., and Prins Herbert H. T.. “Diet selection and density estimates of forest buffalo in Campo-Ma’an National Park, Cameroon.” African Journal of Ecology 46.4 (2008): 668-675. Print.