Butynski further refines IDs

From: TButynski@aol.com

Subject: Re: Karura Mammals

Date: 3 September 2015 06:58:29 GMT+3

Dear Harvey,

Thank you for the many excellent camera trap images.  

All the duiker images appear to be those of Harvey's duiker Cephalophus harveyi. 

Nice, clear, images of the rump of the porcupine.  Rump looks good and black.  That makes it 'North African crested porcupine' Hystrix cristata.  

All the mongoose images are of slender mongoose Herpestes sanguineus.

I think your 'mystery mammal' must be a 'southern tree hyrax' Dendrohyrax arboreus.   They are known to forage on the ground at night.  There are no large, tailless, rodents in Africa.  Please try to get more photos of this animal.  Too robust to be a tailless pouched rat.  Body shape more like that of a tailless cane rat Thryonomys sp....at least one species of which is also likely to be in Karura.  Best bet, however, by far, is that this is a D. arboreus.  Don't people hear D. arboreus calling at night in Karura.  This species is almost certainly in Karura as it seems to be most everywhere else in the Nairobi area. 

I see your point about the vernacular 'Kolb's monkey' (which is the vernacular used in Mammals of Africa).  Would seem fine, however, to call it 'Mt. Kenya Sykes's monkey'...but good to give the subspecies name as, in this case, we know what the subspecies is...Cercopithecus mitis kolbi.  

Is there action by KFS and FKF to replace most of those eucalyptus with indigenous species...especially those species much liked by wildlife...e.g., figs, Teclea, Celtis, Podo, Syzygium, Albizia, Acacia, Warburgia, Erythrina,Grewia).

Senegal galago Galago senegalensis should be at least on the edge of Karura.  Any records yet for that species?

Best wishes,

Tom