Creatures of Habit - Understanding African Animal Behaviour

Peter Apps and Richard du Toit
Struik, Cape Town. 2000. ISBN: 1 86872 433 6
257x222mm, 160 pages, 60 000 words, 190 colour photographs Price R149-95

The study of animal behaviour as a scientific discipline - ethology - dates back less than 100 years, although our hunter-gatherer ancestors were as keenly aware of the actions and reactions of the species with which they co-existed, and those species were of them. Modern ethology emphasises habits in relation to body structure and habitat, and attempts to answer not only the when, where and how, but also why of animal behaviour. This is, of course, a fascinating endeavour for anyone with an inquiring mind and it is the topic of this marvellous book.

The author Peter Apps uses (mostly) the larger and often dramatic animals of African savannahs to explore six key aspects of mammal behaviour: birth and infancy, food and water, strategies for survival, social life, communication and reproduction. Each of these is allocated a chapter, and preceded by an introduction which briefly discusses evolution, animal senses and the ability of mammals to learn.

"To a human observer, antelope seem to be in a state of constant nervous tension, continually scanning for danger and startling for no reason. In reality, their apparent nervousness is responses to stimuli that are too weak for human perception, but that the acute senses of the antelope can pick up clearly. Non-human mammals have senses so finely tuned that they can communicate, navigate, forage and avoid enemies by sensory signals that humans cannot even detect."

This paragraph sets the tone for a text which is constantly illuminating. Did you know that the social system of hippos and hyrax are remarkably similar, that the blue testicles of the male vervet monkey advertise his status, or that rhino middens act as territory markers as well as information centres? Ever wondered why lions and spotted hyenas are gregarious, and why several different species of herbivore choose to feed together? Worry no more, it's all here!

The text is comprehensive, fascinating and well structured, but it is the magnificent photography that really brings the book to life. Richard du Toit's photographs are not merely classic portraits of African mammals, but capture the very behavioural traits which Apps discusses in the text. The images have clearly been well chosen, and many were taken specifically for the book. Each photograph is given a fairly detailed caption, which means that one can flip through the book, gleaning tidbits of information, and delve deeper into the main body of text at places of particular interest. These photographs cannot be praised too highly and demonstrate a slightly different angle for budding nature photographers.

This is a highly recommended book for anyone interested in African wildlife and will be especially useful to guides and tour leaders. Its value could have been enhanced, however, if a list of further reading on the topic of animal behaviour were provided.

Posted: Other by CC Africa, Date: 21 November 2006