The feeding ecology of yearling, juvenile and sub-adult Nile crocodiles, Crocodylus niloticus, in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

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dc.contributor.advisorLeslie, Alison J.
dc.contributor.authorWallace, Kevin Michaelen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherUniversity of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Agrisciences. Dept. of Conservation Ecology and Entomology.
dc.date.accessioned2008-08-07T09:50:46Zen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2010-06-01T08:48:46Z
dc.date.available2008-08-07T09:50:46Zen_ZA
dc.date.available2010-06-01T08:48:46Z
dc.date.issued2006-12en_ZA
dc.descriptionThesis (MSc(Conservation Ecology and Entomology)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.
dc.description.abstractThe stomachs of 286 crocodiles (17 cm to 166 cm snout to vent length) were lavaged over a two year period. Crocodylus niloticus has a similar ontogenetic shift in diet to that of other crocodilians. Yearlings predated primarily on aquatic insecta and arachnida, as crocodile size increased (juveniles) the diet became more diverse including crustacea, amphibia and fish. The largest size class (sub-adults) consumed primarily fish. Yearlings fed consistently throughout the year, however a higher proportion of empty stomachs occurred within the juvenile and sub-adult size classes during the winter months. A captive experiment with wild caught crocodiles (0.7 kg - 20 kg) indicated a decrease in satiation rate (maximum mass of food eaten as a percentage of crocodile body mass) from 11.3 % to 6.5 % with an increase in crocodile size. Wild yearlings consumed 0.48 % of their body mass in prey per day, and juveniles, 0.23 %. The wild food conversion rates of natural prey were low, 32 % and 40 % for yearlings and juveniles respectively. This was possibly due to a high percentage of indigestible (chitinous) invertebrate mass in the diet. The percentage of stomach stone mass to crocodile body mass increased with crocodile size. Seven species of nematodes were found within the stomachs, four of which represent new geographic records.en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2439
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
dc.rights.holderUniversity of Stellenbosch
dc.subjectNile crocodileen_ZA
dc.subjectFeeding ecologyen_ZA
dc.subjectOkavango Deltaen_ZA
dc.subjectDigestionen_ZA
dc.subjectDissertations -- Conservation ecology and entomologyen
dc.subjectTheses -- Conservation ecology and entomologyen
dc.titleThe feeding ecology of yearling, juvenile and sub-adult Nile crocodiles, Crocodylus niloticus, in the Okavango Delta, Botswanaen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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