RECORDS OF MAMMALS BRED IN THE NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS OF SOUTH AFRICA DURING THE PERIOD 1908 TO 1960

Based on the records of the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa covering the period 1908 to 1960, this paper provides information relating to mammals born in that institution during the above period, their breeding seasons, litter sizes, gestation periods and, where possible, sex ratios of litters. It was found that on the basis of their breeding seasons, mammals may be divided into the following categories: (a) those with a clearly-defjned breeding season; (b) those with definite peak periods with scattered births throughout the year, and (c) those which, irrespective of season, have a more or less even birth distribution throughout the year. Further, it affords a comparative study of births in captivity and those in natural habitats, as well as between the two hemispheres.