Adapted to Deforestation ? Eastern Tree Hyraxes (Dendrohyrax validus) in Crevices in Pare (…)

ABSTRACT

Extensive forest exploitation decreases ecosystem integrity and forces species to adapt to changes in their habitats. Following thousands of years of human settlement in the Pare Mountains, less than 3% of the area remains covered with natural forests. We studied nocturnal and arboreal eastern tree hyraxes Dendrohyrax validus in North and South Pare. We compared their calls and songs from the Pare Mountains with calls from the Taita Hills (Kenya) and Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) and found some similar calls indicating that these populations are closely related. D. validus in the Pare Mountains mostly inhabit steep rocky outcrops with crevices, demonstrating that this species is not obligately arboreal or entirely dependent on old-growth forests.