December 1998 
5 
Award #5542-95 io Dr Smart Pimm of the University 
of Tennessee. 
Nixon Sagita\ Titus Imhoma. Nicholas 
Shikuyenze', Smith Lika re'. George Amutete 2 . 
Christine Wilder _ .md Thomas 
Brooks 245 
1 Kakamega National Reserve. PO Box 34. 
Kakunga via Kakamega. KENYA 
2 Ornithology Department. National Museums 
of Kenya. P O. Box 40658. Nairobi. KENYA, 
e-mail: kbirds@users afncaonline co ke 
3 128 Euclid Circle. Oak Ridge TN 37830. 
U S A., e-mail cmw6a@virginia.edu 
4: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary 
Biology. 569 Dabney Hall. University of 
Tennessee, Knoxville TN 37996. U S A 
5: Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies and 
Department of Biological Sciences. 12 Ozark 
Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR 
72701, U.S.A.. e-mail; tbrooks@cast.uark.edu 
References 
Anonymous. (1997) Sandgrouse, mangroves and 
illadopses. Kenya Birds 5: 51. 
Bennun, L., C. Dranzoa & D. Pbmeroy, (1996) The 
forest birds of Kenya and Uganda Journal of East 
African Natural Histon 85 5-21 
Diamond. J M. (1992) The Third Chimpanzee the 
Evolution and Future of the Human Animal . New 
York. USA: Harper Collins. 
KI FCON (1 994) Kakamega Forest The official guide 
Kenya Indigenous Forest Conservation Programme. 
Nairobi, Kenya. 
KWFT (1984) Conservation of vulnerable tropical 
forest ecosystems the case study of Kakamega forest . 
Report presented to the United Nations Environment 
Programme and Kenya Wildlife Conservation and 
Management Department by the Kenya Wildlife 
Fund Trustees Nairobi. Kenya: Kenya Wildlife Fund 
Trustees 
Savalli. U. M (1989) Checklist of Birds of the Kakamega 
Forest and National Reserve. Unpublished report 
Zimmerman. D A . D A. Turner. D J. Pearson. I 
Willis and H. D Pratt (1996) The Birds of Kenya 
and Northern Tanzania. Russel Friedman Books. 
CC. South Africa 
REPRODUCTION IN A GROUP OF CAPTIVE 
SOUTHERN TREE HYRAX DENDROHYRAX 
ARBOREUS 
Introduction 
While some studies of short duration on tree hyraxes 
Dendrohyrax have been undertaken, most are on eastern 
tree hyrax D. validus and western tree hyrax D. dorsalis, 
living in Tanzania and Central and West Africa, 
respectively. None provide a reproductive record even 
on these species, except for occasional births that were 
recorded (Mollaret, 1962). This article presents data 
on reproduction in a small, captive southern tree hyrax 
Dendroh\ra\ arboreus group observed from 1979-1989 
Material and Methods 
An adult female and an adult male were trapped (20 
December. 1 978 and 19 December. 1979. respectively) 
in the attic of a Nairobi suburban dwelling where they 
had been free living for some time A young female 
daughter of the adult female was caught in early 1979 
and died of Toxoplasmosis infection a few months aft :r 
capture 
Data on the subsequent liners of the adult female 
(Tanga) sired by the adult male (Meru) are presented 
here. 
The age of the female could not be determined 
exactly, but judging from her tooth development the 
daughter trapped was probably not her first liner. Even 
assuming that it was only her second litter, her age 
when captured would have been' at least four years 
assuming a 7.5-8 month pregnancy (Murray. 1942: 
Roche. 1962). a one year birth interval based on this 
study and age at first liner of about two years (Seattle 
Zoological Gardens, pel's, comm.) 
Judging bv teeth development, the male must have 
been older 
The animals were housed in a garden in the Athi 
River area, in a wire mesh enclosure 3.5 m by 10 m by 
2.4 m high with natural flooring and wire mesh ceiling 
Several shelters, feeding tables, running hoards and 
latrines were provided For further details see Rudnat. 
1984a 
The animals were trained to step onto a kitchen scale 
by offering favoured food. 
Results 
Between June 1 979 and December 19X8 six litters were 
bom In most cases two ova were fertilised and in lour 
out of the six pregnancies two live young were born 
One miscarriage occurred with two foetuses about 2.5 
months old (Martin Fischer, pens, comm ) being born 
lour days apart weighting 85 g each. On another occasion 
a miscarriage was assumed when the female lost weight 
from 1 900 g on 10 November to 1.625 g on 17 
November. 1983. This was about otic week after she 
had fallen off a board from a height of about 30 cm 
On i wo occasions one live female and one dead 
loetus was produced On Oct 20. 1988, Tanga was 
seen crouching on the ground and straining, after having 
gained weight since June, 1988, A large 4 cm bubble 
appeared and disappeared repeatedly but no young were 
forthcoming. Alter repeated straining she was taken to 
the vet who performed a Caesarean section which 
