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Use of Datura innoxia by ungulates in the Hoanib River, Namibia

The behaviour of springbok Antidorcas marsupialis feeding on the alien invasive plant Datura innoxia is described, as well as nervous symptoms possibly arising from tropane alkaloid poisoning. Dung collected from five herbivore species prior to 1989 contained no D. innoxia seeds, and other signs of use of it were rare. Feeding on this plant, principally by springbok and gemsbok, is currently limited to the vicinity of the Hoanib River floodplain. This is the first record of use of D. innoxia

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Arthropod parasites of springbok, gemsbok, kudus, giraffes and Burchell’s and Hartmann’s zebras in the Etosha and Hardap Nature Reserve, Namibia

A total of 48 springbok, 48 gemsbok, 23 kudus and 6 giraffes were examined for ticks and lice, while 9 Burchell’s zebras and 6 Hartmann’s mountain zebras were examined only for ticks. Springbok and gemsbok were shot in both the Etosha National Park in the north and the Hardap Nature Reserve in the south of Namibia. All the other animals were shot in the Etosha National Park. A total of 7 ixodid tick species and 8 lice species were recovered.

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Prey preferences of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) (Felidae: Carnivora): morphological limitations or the need to capture rapidly consumable prey before kleptoparasites arrive?

As a charismatic carnivore that is vulnerable to extinction, many studies have been conducted on predation by the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus. Cheetah are generally considered to capture medium‐sized prey; however, which species are actually preferred and why has yet to be addressed. We used data from 21 published and two unpublished studies from six countries throughout the distribution of the cheetah to determine which prey species were preferred and which were avoided using Jacobs’ index. The mean Jacobs’ index value

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