Parasite-mediated competition between BurcheU's zebras and an endangered population of Grevy's zebras in two different regions of Kenya
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Authors
Stockdale, Lauren A.
Issue Date
2005
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Three different species of zebra are found on the continent of Africa. Of these
three species, two are found in Kenya and only one is endangered. This endangered
species is called Grevy's zebra. There are many reasons for which this species is
endangered but one factor that has not been widely considered is parasite-mediated
competition between these zebras and the non-endangered BurcheIrs zebras, which
inhabit some of the same areas. Parasite-mediated competition between the two species of zebra was the issue studied in this experiment.
The research for this study was conducted in central Kenya at two different
locations known as Lewa and Wamba. Herds of zebras in both areas were observed and fecal samples from ninety individual zebras were collected for laboratory analysis.
Parasite loads were determined by counting and identifying parasite eggs found in the
fecal samples and calculating the total number of eggs per gram. Thirty of these samples were taken from Grevy's zebras in Wamba, thirty were from Grevy's zebras in Lewa, and thirty were from Burchelfs zebras in Lewa. No samples were collected from Burchelfs zebras in Wamba because there are so few of them although they are abundant in Lewa. We determined that the Burchelfs zebras are negatively impacting the Grevy's zebra population in Lewa through the spread of parasite-mediated disease and thus parasite-mediated competition is a possible factor in the decline of Grevy's zebra numbers.
Description
v, 28 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo College
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder.