2
Breediq first six months) the hand-reared sloth was always most active at night. Hearing. In sloths, hearing appears to be acute, at least when the animals are awake. From three weeks of age, it was startled by loud noises and would react by jumping, tensing and clutching tightly. When fright- ened by a strange sound while climbing, the hair over the entire body erects or ‘puffs’ so that the animal appears almost double its body size. When startled during a meal, all chewing stops for several moments. Vocnlisatioii. Expulsion of air through the nose (‘snorting’) is not uncommon during active play and a similar sound is often heard when a new object is sniffed, but true vocalis- ation appears to be extremely rare in sloths. In eight months the animal was heard to produce a sound only five times, very briefly on each occasion. This was a soft squeaking bark, seemingly a distress call. It was heard when the animal was cold and wet, after being alone for longer than usual. Groowing and Clenrzliness. Grooming with the claws of both fore- and hind-feet was first observed in the fourth week. Earliest attempts at grooming were clumsy but noticeable improvement in co-ordination was noted by the eighth week. The animal kept itself extremely clean with little or 110 human aid. A bath was required only once after crawling through a dish of yoghourt. The animal showed no alarm when soaked with tepid water. HEALTH The most serious set-back suffered in eight months was the decrease in weight, remedied by the change of the feeding formula. The animal choked badly once on the membrane of an orange section. Hiccoughs were not uncommon but were seldom of long duration. Slightly dry skin at the age of six weeks was quickly alleviated by a few applications of baby oil. Some excess ear wax was removed once during the eighth week and for a period of about one month there was some minor difficulty with eye filming but a few washings with water and a mild boric acid solution cleared this condition completely. Generally, the over-all development of the hand-reared sloth was free from any major or seriousillness. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author is indebted to former University of Virginia students, Mrs Elaine R. Shetler, Mr Lloyd H. McFarland and Mr Robert E. Dubos for their kind assistance in supplying photographs and re- calling details of the birth, and to Dr Charles 0. Handley, Jr, for recalling details of the birth, as well as supplying anatomical and sex differentiation information on Choloepus didactylus. REFERENCES CRANDALL, L. S. (1964): The managemelit of wild mammals in captivity. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. HANDLEY. C. 0. (1~6~): Pers. comrn. HEDIGER, ’H. (1g84j: ‘kiwild animals in captivity. New York: Dover Publications. WALKER, E. P. (1964): Mammals oftke World, I. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press. A NOTE ON BREEDING THE CAPE PANGOLIN Manis temniincki AT BLOEMFONTEIN ZOO by C. A. van Ee Director, Bloemfontein Zoo, South Afiica THE Cape pangolin, Manis tmzrrrincki, like all pangolins has a reputation for being difficult in captivity and Crandall (1964) mentions that the best longevity recorded at Pretoria Zoo was six weeks, while at London Zoo the maximum longevity was two months (Year- Look, 1961). Bloemfontein Zoo obtained its first pair from Bechuanaland in 1951. They lived for two years and four months. The second pair arrived from South-West Africa in 1956 and lived for three years and two months. They were fed a mixture of meat, eggs, meal, milk and vitamins (see Table I) and 2 lb of live termites a day. The artificial food was put into their cage at 2000 hours, and the termites at 1100 hours. They took to the food within 14 days. After the first pair of pangolins had been at the zoo for 14 months, a baby was found curled up at the breast of the female. Mating had not been observed. The female was fairly aggressive and when we tried to handle the youngster she attacked us with her front claws. She curled up as soon as we tried to

A NOTE ON BREEDING THE CAPE PANGOLIN Manis temniincki AT BLOEMFONTEIN ZOO

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Page 1: A NOTE ON BREEDING THE CAPE PANGOLIN Manis temniincki AT BLOEMFONTEIN ZOO

Breediq

first six months) the hand-reared sloth was always most active at night. Hearing. In sloths, hearing appears to be acute, at least when the animals are awake. From three weeks of age, it was startled by loud noises and would react by jumping, tensing and clutching tightly. When fright- ened by a strange sound while climbing, the hair over the entire body erects or ‘puffs’ so that the animal appears almost double its body size. When startled during a meal, all chewing stops for several moments. Vocnlisatioii. Expulsion of air through the nose (‘snorting’) is not uncommon during active play and a similar sound is often heard when a new object is sniffed, but true vocalis- ation appears to be extremely rare in sloths. In eight months the animal was heard to produce a sound only five times, very briefly on each occasion. This was a soft squeaking bark, seemingly a distress call. It was heard when the animal was cold and wet, after being alone for longer than usual. Groowing and Clenrzliness. Grooming with the claws of both fore- and hind-feet was first observed in the fourth week. Earliest attempts at grooming were clumsy but noticeable improvement in co-ordination was noted by the eighth week. The animal kept itself extremely clean with little or 110 human aid. A bath was required only once after crawling through a dish of yoghourt. The animal showed no alarm when soaked with tepid water.

H E A L T H

The most serious set-back suffered in eight months was the decrease in weight, remedied by the change of the feeding formula. The animal choked badly once on the membrane of an orange section. Hiccoughs were not uncommon but were seldom of long duration. Slightly dry skin at the age of six weeks was quickly alleviated by a few applications of baby oil. Some excess ear wax was removed once during the eighth week and for a period of about one month there was some minor difficulty with eye filming but a few washings with water and a mild boric acid solution cleared this condition completely. Generally, the over-all development of the hand-reared sloth was free from any major or serious illness.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author is indebted to former University of Virginia students, Mrs Elaine R. Shetler, Mr Lloyd H. McFarland and Mr Robert E. Dubos for their kind assistance in supplying photographs and re- calling details of the birth, and to Dr Charles 0. Handley, Jr, for recalling details of the birth, as well as supplying anatomical and sex differentiation information on Choloepus didactylus.

REFERENCES CRANDALL, L. S. (1964): The managemelit of wild mammals in captivity. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. HANDLEY. C. 0. ( 1 ~ 6 ~ ) : Pers. comrn. HEDIGER, ’H. (1g84j: ‘kiwild animals in captivity. New York: Dover Publications. WALKER, E. P. (1964): Mammals oftke World, I. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press.

A N O T E ON BREEDING T H E CAPE PANGOLIN

Manis temniincki AT BLOEMFONTEIN ZOO

by C. A. van Ee Director, Bloemfontein Zoo,

South Afiica

THE Cape pangolin, Manis tmzrrrincki, like all pangolins has a reputation for being difficult in captivity and Crandall (1964) mentions that the best longevity recorded at Pretoria Zoo was six weeks, while at London Zoo the maximum longevity was two months (Year- Look, 1961).

Bloemfontein Zoo obtained its first pair from Bechuanaland in 1951. They lived for two years and four months. The second pair arrived from South-West Africa in 1956 and lived for three years and two months. They were fed a mixture of meat, eggs, meal, milk and vitamins (see Table I ) and 2 lb of live termites a day. The artificial food was put into their cage at 2000 hours, and the termites at 1100 hours. They took to the food within 14 days.

After the first pair of pangolins had been at the zoo for 14 months, a baby was found curled up at the breast of the female. Mating had not been observed. The female was fairly aggressive and when we tried to handle the youngster she attacked us with her front claws. She curled up as soon as we tried to

Page 2: A NOTE ON BREEDING THE CAPE PANGOLIN Manis temniincki AT BLOEMFONTEIN ZOO

Breeding

Table 1. Diet fed per animal to Cape pangolins, Manis temmincki, at Bloemfontein Zoo.

Food Quantity -

Minced meat 8 1b Boiled mealie meal & lb Raw eggs 2 Embelex' I teaspoon Fresh jersey milk 2 pints All ingredients blended together in a mixer for t hour

remove the youngster to measure it and we were only able to uncurl her with great difficulty. There were two swollen mammary glands between the front legs and the teats measured nearly 8 in. in length. When the baby pangolin started drinking, the niother uncurled half-way and then lay still. The baby was 7 in. long and weighed 15 oz on the day we first saw it. Its eyes were open. Within three months it had reached a weight of 4 lb 7 oz and after a year it weighed 7 lb 10 oz.

Unfortunately both the parents and the young animal died after being attacked by ticks and being treated with a DDT solution for their removal.

The second pair of pangolins also bred while they were at the zoo. We were fortunate to observe copulation. The male mounted the female sideways and forced his hind-parts underneath her; both their tails curled round each other. Copulation was not observed again. After a gestation period of 139 days a male baby was born. It weighed IZ oz and measured 6 in. in length at birth. Eyes were open at birth. The female kept the baby close to her breast and only let go of it when she came out for food. At four weeks she started carrying the baby on her back in such a way that the baby leant against her tail. At four weeks the baby pangolin was seen taking termites for the first time. At 35 days it ate some of the food-mixture. It grew very rapidly but died when it was 10 months old. The rockery underneath which it had its burrow collapsed after a rainstorm and the young animal was kdled.

Seven months after the birth of their first young, the second pair of pangolins produced a second male baby but it only survived for one day. Nearly a year later both pangolins died: they had been transferred to a new cage which a month previously had been cleaned with soluble Lindane which contains BHC (10 per cent gamma). The feniale was pregnant when she died.

BREEDING LEMMINGS L-emmus lemmus

FOR EXHIBITION by L. L. de Kork

Zoological Society, Marischal College, Aberdeen, Scotland

THE much famed lemming, Lemmus lemmus, is rarely exhbited in zoological parks. The reason may be that they have the reputation of bein difficult to keep. This, however, is

keepers should not experience any exceptional difficulties if the following conditions are fulfilled.

Aberdeen & North of Scotland

true o 9 y to a certain extent - trained animal

Housing. The best results are obtained if each animal is kept in a separate compartiiient measuring about 2 in.^ I) in. We use large aquaria tanks where the glass of one small side has been replaced by fine wire mesh to allow a certain air circulation. Thu tank is then subdivided by wire sections. The lid consists of a similar all-wire frame. Each partition contains a layer of dry peat moss and in one comer (preferably along the front glass pane) there is a ball of hay and dried moss to serve as sleeping quarters. Usually the animal can thus be seen sleeping in its nest. The background is formed by a series of flat stones arranged in such a way that the lem- ming can run under and over them. On these stones the food and water should be put. Between the sleeping nest and the stone 'dyke' enough room should be left for a hamster-size exercise wheel, which is used

'Embelex is a tonic, the product of Maybaker (SA) Ltd, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It contains caffeine citrate BPC 0.21 g, potassium glycerophosphate solution BPC 1-84 g, sodium glycerophosphate solution BPC 0.92 g, aneurine hydrochloride BP 0.018 g, nicotinic acid BP 0.088 g, riboflavine-+phosphate sodium 0.024 g, methyl hydroxybenroate BPC 0'2 g, flavouring and sweetening q.s,, distilled water to roo cc.

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