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Ituri Rainforest
How much rainfall- 75 inches
Plants- There, Cynometra alexandrii and Brachystegia laurentii, which together comprise less than 40 percent of the canopy, are interspersed with numerous other tall species (e.g., Albizia, Celtis, and Ficus).
Temperature
88 degrees and with humidity around 88%
Terrain
The altitude of the Ituri Forest ranges from 2,300 feet (700 meteres) in the south to 3,300 feet in the north. The geography is softly rolling in the south, but there are many rock outcrops of polished granite several hundred feet above the forest in the north.
Competition
Inter-species – Males also utilize their necks in fights when territorial issues may emerge. When competing to mate with a female, males will also fight with their necks. Because the okapi has limited eyesight, most communication is done through what has been described as a faint 'chuff' sound.
Intra-species –The leopard is the okapi's most fearsome predator. Other rainforest cats, including servals and golden cats, also prey on okapi.
Animals-
Forest Buffalo
spotted-necked otter
okapi
Hippopotamus
Debrazza's guenon
Schmidt's spot- nosed guenon
Great blue turaco
emerald starling
congo peafowl
Distribution
Okapi are exclusively found in Africa's Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Diet
Okapis are strictly herbivores, eating leaves, buds, twigs, fruits, and other understory plants. They devour 45 to 60 pounds (20 to 27 kg) of foliage per day as browsers.
Causes of death
Leopards represent significant cause of death for adult okapi. Serval cat and golden cats prey on young okapi.
Okapis are generally tranquil and non-aggressive, but males can be aggressive when competing for females. Male okapi will engage in ritualized neck fighting, head butting, and charging in order to compete for females.
Diarrheal diseases can cause severe problems in okapi calves, with the principle pathogen being a rotavirus that is
endemic in the captive okapi population. Other common causes of enterocolitis in okapi calves are E. coli and coronavirus.
The younger the calf, the more serious the risk of severe disease or death from diarrheal disease.
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