The

HARTEBEEST
Alcelaphini | Alcelaphinae

Blue | White | Brindled | Common Wildebeest/Gnu (Connochaetes taurinus)

Black | White tailed Wildebeest/Gnu (Connochaetes gnu)

Hartebeest | Kongoni | Kaama (Alcelaphus buselaphus)

Hunter’s Hartebeest | Hirola (Beatragus hunteri)

Topi | Tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus)

Bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus)

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THE ALCELAPHINES
 The Hartebeest tribe, carries the nominated Hartebeest famous as Kongoni, Wildebeest, Topi, Bontebok as
well Hirola.
 Etymologically, the word ‘alcelaphus’ is a New Latin, from Latin ‘alces’ for ‘elk’ in conjunction with Greek
word ‘elaphos’ for ‘deer’, named after their flat faces that to some extent match that of an elk.

Connochaetes taurinus
BLUE | COMMON WILDEBEEST | WHITE-BEARDED GNU | BRINDLED GNU
NYUMBU

ETYMOLOGY (The origin of the name and it’s respective meaning)

 The blue wildebeest was first described by English naturalist William John Burchell in 1823 and he gave it the
scientific name Connochaetes taurinus, it shares the genus Connochaetes with the black wildebeest
(Connochaetes gnou).
 The generic name Connochaetes derives from the Greek words konnos, for "beard”, and khaite, "flowing
hair", "mane" and the specific name taurinus originates from the Greek word tauros, which means a “bull”
or “bullock”.
 The common name "blue wildebeest" refers to the conspicuous, silvery-blue sheen of the coat, while the
alternative name "gnu" originates from the name for these animals used by the Khoikhoi people, a native
pastoralist people of southwestern Africa.
 The alcelaphines common name “wildebeest” is an Afrikaans name that means “wild beast” or “wild cattle”
(bees’ “cattle”).

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
 Wildebeest are African bovids with broad shoulders, bovine like horns, and a broad muzzle, and carrying a
long, black tail, which is around 60–100 cm in length.
 This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, further, the heavy build and
disproportionately large forequarters give it a bovine appearance, youngs are born tawny brown, and begin
to take on their adult coloration at the age of 2 months.
 The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish-gray to light gray or even grayish-brown, the back and
flanks are slightly lighter than the ventral surface and underparts.
 Dark brown, vertical stripes mark the area between the neck and the back of the ribcage, thus giving it the
name "brindled gnu", the manes of both sexes appear long, stiff, thick, and jet black, the same colour as the
tail and face, while the manes of the western and eastern white-bearded wildebeest are lank, those of the
Nyassaland wildebeest and common wildebeest stick up.
 Scent glands, which secrete a clear oil, are present in the forefeet and are larger in ♂♂ than ♀♀.

THE HORNS
 Both sexes possess a pair of large horns, resemble those of the ♀♀ African buffalo, the horns are unridged,
have a parenthetical shape, and are thicker in ♂♂ than in ♀♀.
 These head ornamentations extend outward to the side, and then curve upward and inward, in the ♂♂, the
horns can be 85 cm long, while the horns of the ♀♀ are 30–40 cm long.

THE BODY MASS

 ♂♂ are larger and darker than ♀♀, ♂♂ typically weigh 165 to 290 kg and ♀♀ weigh 140 to 260 kg, the blue
wildebeest is typically 170–240 cm in head-and-body length.
 The average height of the species is 115–145 cm.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION

 Blue wildebeest can be found in a wide variety of habitats, from dense bush to open woodland floodplains,
however, they appear to prefer acacia savannahs and plains with rapidly regrowing grasses and moderate
soil moisture levels.
 Blue wildebeest are common in eastern and southern Africa, from Kenya to eastern Namibia, their southern
range is bordered by the Orange River in South Africa.
 These alcelaphines occur in five (5) documented subspecies, as mentioned below:

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  Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus taurinus)
 Eastern white-bearded wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus albojubatus)
 Cookson's wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus cooksoni)
 Nyassaland wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus johnstoni)
 Western white-bearded wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus mearnsi)

FEEDING BEHAVIOUR
 Wildebeest are grazers, and will eat during both the day and moonlit nights, their primary food consists of
rapidly growing colonial grasses found on the savannah and the plains, when grasses are sparse, they may
eat leaves off of shrubs and trees.
 During times of decreased food abundance, migratory herds of several thousand wildebeest travel hundreds
of kilometers to find food, thanks to its acute sense of smell they can smell thunder and thus predict showers
within 80km radius, the smell guarantees a productive range land so they move into.
 Wildebeest commonly associate with plains zebras as the latter eat the upper, less nutritious grass canopy,
exposing the lower, greener material which the wildebeest prefer.
 Whenever possible, the wildebeest likes to drink twice daily and due to its regular requirement for water, it
usually inhabits moist grasslands and areas with available water sources, the blue wildebeest drinks 9 to 12
litres of water every 1 to 2 days, despite this, it can also survive in the arid semi-desert, where it obtains
sufficient water from melons and water-storing roots and tubers (succulents).
 The alcelaphines are known to feed on the 3 dominant kinds of grass of the area, namely: Themeda triandra,
Digitaria macroblephara, and Pennisetum mezianum.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR | ORGANISATION

 Wildebeest are gregarious and territorial, when sedentary, herds are formed, when mobile, loose,
gregarious aggregations form.
 The state of a herd, mobile versus sedentary, is determined by access to water and food, since wildebeest
are obligate drinkers, the area most commonly inhabited by a herd may be only a few hectares, however, as
water and food sources dwindle, herd move up to 50 km to find better pasture.

BREEDING HERD | HAREM

 Breeding Herds or Harems are generally made up of about 8 ♀♀ and their calves, with territorial bulls that
are alphas.
 Transient cows are driven to leave by the territorial bull. As the rainy season subsides and food sources
dwindle, herd structure diminishes, and only mothers and the young calves remain while new food sources
are sought.
 Bulls mark the boundaries of their territories with heaps of dung, secretions from their scent glands, and
certain behaviors, body language used by a territorial ♂♂ includes standing with an erect posture, profuse
ground pawing, and horning, frequent defecation, rolling and bellowing, and the sound "ga-noo" being
produced, most territories are of a temporary nature and fewer than half of the ♂♂ population hold
permanent territories.
 When competing over territory, ♂♂ grunt loudly, paw the ground, make thrusting motion with their horns,
and perform other displays of aggression.
 ♀♀ calves will stay with their mothers and other related ♀♀ of the herd throughout their lives, ♀♀ individuals
in a herd are from a wide range of ages, from yearlings to the oldest cow.

BACHELOR HERD
 Bulls are relatively docile and are relegated to the marginal feeding areas by territorial bulls, ♂♂ wildebeest
become territorial and compete for mate access around 4 to 5 years of age.

COMMUNICATION AND PERCEPTION

 Wildebeest communicate visually, vocally, and through olfaction, a ♂'s bellow can be heard in a radius of 2
km.
 Preorbital and pedal gland secretions are important in olfactory communications, along with urine and
feces.
 Pedal glands allow herds to follow one another during migrations, Wildebeest rub their preorbital glands and
faces on the behinds of others for social contact.
 Individuals may also sniff and rub their nose and neck on other individuals.

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BREEDING | REPRODUCTION
 Specific mating season, also known as rut, lasts 3 weeks and coincides with favorable climatic conditions,
yielding a high conception rate, optimal reproductive conditions occur immediately after the rainy season,
when wildebeest can feed on lush healthy grasses.
 Although blue wildebeest can reproduce at 16 months, average age of first reproduction is 28 months.
 Rut typically begins during a full moon, when bellowing ♂♂ form leks, leading up to the rut, increased
testosterone production stimulates sperm production, resulting in increased calling, herding, and fighting
amongst ♂♂, ♂♂ do not sleep or eat while there are sexually active ♀♀ in the vicinity, and are constantly
mating with or herding together as many ♀♀ together as possible.
 When in close proximity of mature ♀♀, bachelors and territorial ♂♂ serenade them by humming, bellowing,
and croaking.
 ♂♂ compete for access to mates via direct physical contact, which includes sparring, once a particular ♂
gains access to mate, the ♀ remains near her mate, and as long as she and her herd are stationary, up to
several dozen copulations may occur.
 During calving season, pregnant mothers, mothers with recently born young, groups of yearlings separated
from their mothers, and bachelor ♂♂ segregate into separate groups, calving usually coincides with a
migration to more fertile lands, which also them decrease risk of predation due to decreased predator
abundance.
 Evidence suggests that blue wildebeest are both polygynous and polygynandrous.
 Blue wildebeest breed once yearly during a 3-week period that immediately follows the rainy season.
 After gestation, which lasts an average of 8 or 8.5 months, a single calf is born, average birth weight of new
born calves is approximately 19 kg, approximately 5 minutes after birth, calves can stand on their own and
begin to nurse, “imprinting” is critical, and the mother must remain near the calf to ensure that the process
is successful, mother-offspring recognition is originally achieved by scent alone, once “imprinting” has
occurred, mothers and their calves continue to recognize one another through scent, even when they
become separated during large herd movements.
 At about 8 months old, young leave their mothers and form peer groups, ♀♀ become sexually mature by 16
months of age, and ♂♂ become sexually mature by 24 months.
 Young calves stay very close to their mothers for the first few months of their lives, the synchronicity of births
in the herd limit predation, as does the calves innate behavior of following their mothers, mothers protect
young from predation, and ♂♂ aid in the protection of the herd.

LONGEVITY | LIFESPAN
 On average, blue wildebeest live for 20 years in the wild and 21 years in captivity, with the oldest known
captive individual living to be 24.3 years old.

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 Alcelaphus buselaphus
COKE’S HARTEBEEST | KONGONI
KONGONI

ETYMOLOGY (The origin of the name with its respective meaning)

 The name Hartebeest derives from Afrikaans “hartebees”, from Dutch hert for a “deer” and the word beest
that is taken to mean a “beast”.
 The vernacular name "hartebeest" may have originated from the obsolete Dutch word hartebeest, literally
deer beast, based on the resemblance (to early Dutch settlers) of the antelope to deer.
 The first use of the word "hartebeest" in South African literature was in Dutch colonial administrator Jan van
Riebeeck's journal Daghregister in 1660.
 Another name for the hartebeest is kongoni, a Swahili word, Kongoni is often used to refer in particular to
one of its subspecies, Coke's hartebeest.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
 The hartebeest is a large ungulate that is a synonymous of the Tsessebe, it is characterized by a steeply
sloping back, long legs, large glands below the eyes, a tufted tail, and a long, narrow rostrum.
 The body hair is about 25mm long and is quite fine in texture, it has paler patches of hair on most of its rump
and chest and on parts of its face.
 It has been suggested that the pale hair on the rump may be presented in attracting mates or to ward off
aggressors.
 There are several subspecies which are distinguished from each other by coat color, which varies from pale
brown to brownish gray, and by horn shape.

THE HORNS
 All subspecies have 2 horns, in both sexes, that rise from a single pedicel and are 45 to 70cm in length, and
has a series of annulations.

THE BODY MASS

 ♂♂ Kongonis may measure anywhere from 117-124 cm and weigh about 129-171 kg, while ♀♀ Kongonis are
slightly smaller with a height of 112 cm and weigh around 116-148 kg.
 Its tail is 30 to 70 m and shoulder height is 1.1 to 1.5 m.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION

 Alcelaphus buselaphus inhabits the savannahs and grasslands of Africa, it is tolerant of high grasses and
may be found in woodland or scrubs areas more than other alcelaphines.
 The hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus, was originally found in grasslands throughout the African continent,
it ranged from Morocco to northeastern Tanzania and, south of the Congo, it ranged from southern Angola
to South Africa.
 Its range has been drastically reduced, however, due to hunting by humans, habitat destruction and foraging
competition with domestic cattle, now the hartebeest is found only in parts of Botswana, Namibia, Ethiopia,
Tanzania, and Kenya.
 Eight (8) subspecies have been described, including 2 sometimes considered to be independent species.

 COKE’S HARTEBEEST (Alcelaphus buselaphus cokii)

Classified by Günther, 1884: Known as Kongoni, native to and confined within Kenya and northern Tanzania.

 LICHTENSTEIN’S HARTEBEEST (Alcelaphus buselaphus lichtensteinii)

Classified by Peters, 1849: Inhabits the miombo woodlands of eastern and southern Africa, it is native to
Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and
Zimbabwe.

 BUBAL | NORTHERN HARTEBEEST (Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus)

Classified by Pallas, 1766: Formerly occurred across northern Africa, from Morocco to Egypt, it was
exterminated by the 1920s and was declared extinct in 1994 by the International Union for the Conservation
of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

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  RED | CAPE HARTEBEEST (Alcelaphus buselaphus caama)
Classified by Saint-Hilaire, 1803: Formerly occurred in southern Angola; northern and eastern savannahs of
Namibia; central, southern and southwestern Botswana; Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Free
State, Northwest and Gauteng provinces and western KwaZulu-Natal of South Africa.
Presently has been eliminated from all these areas except Northern Cape, central and southwestern
Botswana and Namibia.
Major re-introductions have taken place in these countries, the population of this hartebeest is on the rise.

 LELWEL HARTEBEEST (Alcelaphus buselaphus lelwel)

Classified by Heuglin, 1877: Formerly found in northern and northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo;
southeastern and southwestern Sudan; and the northwestern extreme of Tanzania.
Drastic population decrease since the 1980s has confined most individuals to protected areas inside and
outside its range.

 WESTERN HARTEBEEST (Alcelaphus buselaphus major)

Classified by Blyth, 1869: Formerly occurred widely in Mali, Niger, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea,
Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, southwestern Chad, Cameroon, western Central African Republic and Benin.
Nowadays it occurs in much lower numbers mainly in protected areas of these countries, it is probably
extinct in Gambia.

 SWAYNE’S HARTEBEEST (Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei)

Classified by Sclater, 1892: Restricted to the southern Rift Valley in Ethiopia, it formerly occurred throughout
the Rift Valley, and its range extended eastward into northwestern Somalia.
It has disappeared from Somalia by 1930, its populations are very low and, on the decline.

 TORA HARTEBEEST (Alcelaphus buselaphus tora)

Classified by Gray, 1873: Formerly occurred in northwestern Ethiopia and western and southwestern Eritrea.
Its present status is unclear, though locals have reported small numbers from these areas.

FEEDING BEHAVIOUR
 Hartebeests are grazers that feed almost entirely on grass, greater than 95% of their food in the wet season
is grass and grass never comprises any less than 80% of their diet.
 Schuette determined that Alcelaphus buselaphus in Burkina Faso, West Africa eats primarily Andropogon
grass during the rainy season, between seasons their diet is primarily Culms grass.
 It eats a small percentage of Hyparrhenia grass and legumes throughout the year, Jasminium kerstingii is
also part of its diet at the beginning of the rainy season.
 The hartebeest is exceptionally tolerant of poor-quality food, the long rostrum in A. buselaphus enhances
mastication ability and allows it to crop grasses better than other bovids, thus, when availibility of succulent
grasses is limited, as in the dry season, the hartebeest is able to eat the tougher senescent grasses.
 It has been substantiated elsewhere that A. buselaphus is able to digest a higher percentage of its food than
other bovids.
 A. buselaphus does not migrate, although during extreme conditions, such as a drought, a population may
significantly change location.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR | ORGANISATION

 Hartebeests are social animals living in organized herds of up to 300 animals, they have been known to form
aggregations of up to 10,000 animals, within a herd, there are four types of animal groupings:

TERRITORIAL MALES
 These are just Harems, at 3 to 4 years old, ♂♂ may begin to attempt to take over a Territory and the ♀♀ within
it, once a Territory has been established, the ♂ will defend it and does not usually leave.
 ♂♂ are aggressive and if challenged will fight, a series of head movements and stances, and depositing
droppings on established dung piles, precedes any contact, if that does not suffice, ♂♂ bend forward and
leap with their horns lowered, injuries and fatalities do occur but are quite rare.
 ♀♀ and young may move in and out of the Territories freely, following the best grazing.
 ♂♂ lose their territory after 7 to 8 years.

BACHELOR HERD
 These are infact non-territorial ♂♂ just hanging around with no defined residence, before they chance to
herd a harem.

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  The non-territorial ♂♂ form these groupings after they upgrade their status from the so-called creche.

CRECHE OF MALE CALVES

 Young ♂♂ leave breeding herds at about 20 months to join groups of other ♂♂, technically creche in which
they’ll be thriving until they reach puberty and move to the higher herd status.
 A creche is a defined social structure that youngs are kept and give their mothers a free time to forage.

BREEDING HERD
 ♀♀ within a herd form groups of 5-12 animals with up to four generations of offspring in their group, they do
not form secure groups with other adult ♀♀.
 It is thought that there are strong dominance relationships between ♀♀ and that these groups define the
social organization for the entire herd.
 ♀♀ have been observed to occasionally fight one another, ♂♂ offspring may remain with their mother for up
to 3 years, but usually leave their mothers at about 20 months to join groups of other young ♂♂.

COMMUNICATION AND PERCEPTION

 Kongoni are usually conspicuous and sedentary, they may have a sentinel to warn the herd of predators.
 Although appearing slightly awkward, they may reach speeds of 70 to 80 kph, it had been documented that
they are very alert and cautious in comparison to other plains ungulates.
 Hartebeests rely primarily on their vision to spot predators, and they snort to warn each other of approaching
danger.
 They gallop away in single file, after they see one of the members of the herd bolt and they have been
observed tacking, that is making a sharp 90 degree turn after taking only 1-2 strides in a given direction.

BREEDING | REPRODUCTION
 Breeding in A. buselaphus takes place in Territories that are defended by single ♂♂, preferably in open areas
on or ridges, Territorial ♂♂ sniff the ♀♀'s genitalia.
 If she is estrous, the ♂ follows her around with his ears depressed, he will occasionally position himself
laterally to the ♀ and attempt to block her way, once the ♀ stands still, she allows the ♂ to mount her.
 Copulation is brief but may be repeated several times, as copulation is always interrupted if another ♂
intrudes, the intruder is usually chased away.
 Reproduction varies seasonally depending on the population or subspecies of Hartebeest involved,
reportedly that there are birth peaks from October to November in South Africa, December to February in
Ethiopia, and February to March in Nairobi National Park.
 Gestation is 214-242 days and usually a single calf is born, ♀♀ isolate themselves in scrub areas to give birth,
this is markedly different than the birthing habits of their close relative the wildebeest, which give birth in
groups on the open plains.
 ♀♀ A. buselaphus then leave their young hidden in the scrub for a few weeks, coming back only to suckle.
 Calves are weaned at 4 months.
 Sexual maturity may occur as early as 12 months in ♀♀, and the ♂♂ mature later at the age of 1.5 years.

LONGEVITY | LIFESPAN
 On average, Kongoni live for 20 years in the wild and 21 years in captivity.

49
 Damaliscus lunatus
TOPI | TSESSEBE | TIANG | SASSABY
NYAMERA

ETYMOLOGY (The origin of the name with its respective meaning)

 D. lunatus is a large African Alcelaphine whose monomorphic pelage and the fact that they gave out from a
little muddy hill technically a termitarium had it dubbed “tope” or rather “topi”.
 The word “tope” or “topi” is Swahili, and was first recorded by the German explorer Adolph Gustav Fischer
on the ancient city island of Lamu off the Kenyan coast.
 Other names recorded in East Africa by various German explorers were “mhili” in Sukuma and “jimäla” in
Nyamwezi.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
 Topi is a large African Alcelaphine that resembles hartebeest but have a darker colouration and lack sharply
angled horns, they have elongated heads, and a distinct hump at the base of the neck.
 The body of the Topis is covered with a short, glossy coat that is tan in color with purple spots underneath,
bodies are chestnut brown or reddish brown.
 They have a mask-like dark colouration on the face and their tail tufts are black; the upper forelimbs and
thighs have greyish, dark purple or bluish-black-coloured patches.
 Their hindlimbs are brownish-yellow to yellow and their bellies are white and ♂♂ tend to be larger and darker
than ♀♀.
 Topi also have preorbital glands that secrete clear oil and the front legs have hoof glands.

THE HORNS
 Topis carry horns that are ringed, marked with annulations and lyrate in shape, horns range from 35 cm for
♀♀ to 40 cm for ♂♂.
 For ♂♂, horn size plays an important role in Territory Defense and mate attraction, although horn size is not
positively correlated with Territorial factors of mate selection.

THE BODY MASS

 They are quite large animals, with ♂♂ weighing 140 kg and ♀♀ weighing 120 kg, on average, head-and-body
length can range from 150 to 210 cm and the tail measures 40–60 cm.
 They are a tall species, ranging in height from 100 to 130 cm at the shoulder.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION

 Nyamera prefer grassland habitats, these areas range from large treeless plains to areas with little bush and
tree savannas.
 Topis are sometimes found in the uplands but are usually found in the lowlands, during the rains, Topis avoid
short or very mature grasses.
 In the dry season, they are abundant in any plant communities where there is a lot of grass, the range of the
Tsessebe includes a series of segregated populations, these populations extend from the northern savanna
to east and southern Africa.

FEEDING BEHAVIOUR
 The diet of topis is composed almost entirely of grass, is a selective feeder and uses its elongated muzzle
and flexible lips to forage for the youngest blades of grass and these Alcelaphines have two feeding peaks,
one in the morning and one in the late afternoon, but they can be found feeding at any time.
 Topis do not have to drink if the grass they are eating is water saturated, if they are eating dry grass, then
they must drink water every day or two, during the rains, Topi feed for longer periods of times and at shorter
intervals.
 The periods before and after feeding are spent resting (siesta) and digesting (cud chewing) or watering
during dry seasons, Topi can travel up to 5 km to reach a viable water source.
 Nyamera are migratory, they migrate great distances each year in a quest for fresh grazing and water that
diminish in their range.

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SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR | ORGANISATION
 Habitat and ecological conditions determine the social structure of the Topis, these Bovids practice several
social structures.
 Territories may or may not have the same borders, depending on the size of the different Territories.

TERRITORIAL MALES
 Usually, a harem with an adult buck that acts as the head of the group and is highly Territorial, most territories
can support 2 to 6 ♀♀ and their young under the age of 1, some ♀♀ may occupy the same ♂♂'s territory for
up to 3 years.
 All territories have high vantage points that are used by both ♂♂ and ♀♀, ♂♂ use these mounds to display
where their territory is.
 ♂♂ act differently depending on the social organization of the group, in a small herd, they are very protective
of the ♀♀, they alert the ♀♀ and young of approaching danger and defend them against predators.
 Territorial ♂♂ have exclusive rights to the ♀♀, therefore, the herds are considered closed and both the ♂♂
and ♀♀ work to keep intruders out.

BREEDING HERD
 The ♀♀ herds when the bull is gone, the highest ranking ♀♀ takes over the position of leader and is in charge,
traveling herd of Topis travel through neutral territory and in dangerous areas.
 ♀♀ use the mounds as a way to alert others of danger.

MIXED HERD
 The herd comprises of the ♂♂ and ♀♀ of the different ages, encompasses the subordinate ♂♂, adolescents
♂♂ and the ♀♀ that have not been secured in a defined territory.
 When there is a large group of Topis, ♂♂ are no longer protective and their only concern is meeting and
securing ♀♀ so they can transfer genes.

COMMUNICATION AND PERCEPTION

 These Bovids employ both tactile as well as chemical modes of communications.

BREEDING | REPRODUCTION
 Every year, ♂♂ go to traditional breeding areas, and the ♀♀ arrive shortly afterwards in small groups or
singly.
 ♂♂ approach a ♀♀ in either a rocking canter or in a low stretch posture, searching for a ♀♀ in heat, the ♀♀
shows that she is ready by raising her head and standing tall.
 Before mounting, the ♂♂ stands stationary behind the ♀♀, a cow will mate many times during her 1 - 1.5 days
of heat with either the same ♂ or many ♂♂.
 Topis breed once a year; most populations breed at the same time but a few populations have two calving
peaks in a year.
 Unlike their close relatives, Topis usually calve at the end of the dry season and have a good success rate.
 Gestation usually lasts around 8 months; the calves are unusual because they can grow up as either a
follower or a hider, if a calf is a follower, it is concealed within a large group of Topis and is protected from
predators by being in the herd.
 In small herds, babies may be "hiders"; that is, the mother may leave the herd for the birth of the calf and first
few months afterward, ♀♀ only do this if there are places with considerable cover in which to hide from
predators.
 Sometimes even in the large groups, the calves will leave the group at night to hide, the maternal bond lasts
about a year or until the next calf is born.
 ♂♂ as young as 8 months have been found in bachelor herds, but most ♂♂ join these herds at the age of 1
year, at the end of the calving season or by the beginning of the rut, ♀♀ can breed at 16 - 18 months and
reach their adult size in 2 years, ♂♂ mature at 3 years of age, but it is unlikely that any will mate before 4
years of age.

LONGEVITY | LIFESPAN
 On average, Topis or rather Nyamera may live up to 15 years in the wild.

51
 The
MARSH ANTELOPES
Reduncini | Reduncinae

Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) Bohor Reedbuck (Redunca redunca)

Kob (Kobus kob) Mountain Reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula)
Lechwe (Kobus leche) Southern Reedbuck (Redunca arundinum)
Nile Lechwe (Kobus megaceros)
Puku (Kobus vardonii) Grey Rhebok (Pelea capreolus)

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THE REDUNCINES
 The bovid subfamily Reduncinae or tribe Reduncini is composed of 9 species of antelope, all of which dwell
in marshes, floodplains, or other well-watered areas, including the waterbucks and reedbucks.
 The Bovids id est Reduncines are technically “marsh-antelopes” after their peculiar behaviour of taking
refuge in these water saturated lands or floodplains.

Kobus ellipsiprymnus
WATERBUCK
KURO

 These Reduncines had the vernacular name “waterbuck” assigned to them only to reflect the tribe’s
tendency of turning marshlands or floodplains into dwellings thus securing themselves from enemies at times
predator.
 Waterbuck prefer grassland habitat that is close to water, the best habitats are by draining lines and in
valleys, while they prefer dry ground, they remain close to water for food and as an escape from predators.
 The waterbuck’s hide has the tiny microscopic forms of glands technically sebaceous glands, they do
secrete a greasy substance referred to as sebum that aids in water-proofing the skin when the bovid dives
into the water, it also renders meat unpleasant to predators.
 The facial features of the waterbuck include a white muzzle and light eyebrows and lighter insides of the
ears, a cream-coloured patch called "bib" is on the throat.
 The specific name ellipsiprymnus refers to the white, elliptical ring on the rump, from the Greek “ellipse”
(ellipse) and prymnos (prumnos, hind part).
 On the basis of rump patch, 2 subspecies of the waterbucks had been initially recognised, namely the
Common or Ringed Waterbuck group and the Defassa Waterbuck group respectively.

COMMON | WHITE RINGED WATERBUCK (Kobus ellipsiprymnus ellipsiprymnus)

 Waterbuck or Kuro have long bodies and necks and short legs, the hair is coarse, and they have a mane on
their necks.
 Body colour ranges from gray to red-brown and darkens with age, the lower part of the legs is black with
white rings above the hooves.
 The major distinctive feature of this group is the ellipse shaped white ring encircling the rump as opposed to
their sister race.
 Located in the Eastern portion of the east African rift system, its distribution slightly overlaps that of the
typical Defassa along the Rift Valley in Kenya and Tanzania (Lake Manyara National Park), and that of the
Defassa in the Rift Valley in Zambia.
 Found in the Webi Shebeli river valley in southeastern Ethiopia; the Juba and Webi Shebeli river valleys in
Somalia; essentially east of the Rift Valley in Kenya and Tanzania; east of the Rift Valley in the middle Zambezi
and Luangwa valleys in Zambia; Malawi; Mozambique; east of the Kwando River in the Caprivi Strip of
Namibia; eastern and northern Botswana; Zimbabwe; and eastern and northern Transvaal in South Africa.

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DEFASSA WATERBUCK (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa)
 The major distinctive feature of this group is the white rump patch on its butts, doesn’t display the ring, only
a clear whitish patch.
 Located in the western portion of the east African rift system, found west of the Gregory Rift, ranging from
Ethiopia west to Senegal and south to Zambia.

THE HORNS
 The long, spiral horns, present only on ♂♂, making waterbucks to be sexually dimorphic species, curve
backward, then forward, and are 55–99 cm long, length of the horns is determined by the age of the
waterbuck.
 These head ornamentations are largely employed by the bucks as a defensive weapon, safe guarding
themselves and their partners against enemies.
 A rudimentary horn in the form of a bone lump may be found on the skulls of ♀♀.

THE BODY MASS

 In this sexually dimorphic antelope, ♂♂ are taller and heavier than ♀♀, ♂♂ reach roughly 127 cm at the
shoulder, while ♀♀ reach 119 cm, the head-and-body length is typically between 177 and 235 cm and the
typical height is between 120 and 136 cm, common waterbuck stands taller than the defassa waterbuck.
 ♂♂ typically weigh 198–262 kg and ♀♀ 161–214 kg.

FEEDING BEHAVIOUR
 They eat a variety of grasses, both medium and short in length, their diet is very rich in protein, when the
amount of available grass is low, waterbuck eat other herbs to satisfy their needs.
 With grasses constituting a substantial 70 to 95 percent of the diet, the waterbuck is predominantly a grazer
frequenting grassland, Reeds and rushes like Typha and Phragmites may also be preferred.
 The choice of grasses varies with location rather than availability; for instance, in western Uganda, while
Sporobolus pyramidalis was favoured in some places, Themeda triandra was the main choice elsewhere.
 The common waterbuck and the defassa waterbuck in the same area may differ in their choices; while the
former preferred Heteropogon contortus and Cynodon dactylon, the latter showed less preference for these
grasses.
 The waterbuck exhibits great dependence on water, it cannot tolerate dehydration in hot weather, and thus
inhabits areas close to sources of water.

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SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR | ORGANISATION
 A gregarious animal, the waterbuck may form herds consisting of 6 to 30 individuals, the various groups are
the nursery herds, bachelor herds and territorial ♂♂.
 Herd size increases in summer, whereas groups fragment in the winter months, probably under the influence
of food availability.

TERRITORIAL MALES
 These are just harems, a ♀♀ groupings with a single matured ♂ who is notable as the herd’s head, and he
receives all the reproductive rights.
 The bucks are Territorials, ♂♂ start showing territorial behaviour from the age of 5 years, but are most
dominant from 6 to 9 years, and are inclined to remain settled in their territories, though over time they may
leave inferior territories for more spacious ones.
 Marking of territories includes no elaborate rituals; dung and urine are occasionally dropped, after the age
of 10 years, ♂♂ lose their territorial nature and are replaced by a younger bull, following which they recede
to a small and unprotected area.
 Territorial ♂♂ may use several kinds of display, in one type of display, the white patch on the throat and
between the eyes is clearly revealed, and other displays can demonstrate the thickness of the neck, these
activities frighten trespassers.
 Lowering of the head and the body depict submission before the territorial ♂♂, who stands erect, fights,
which may last up to 30 minutes, involve threat displays typical of bovids accompanied by snorting, fights
may even become so violent that one of the opponents meets its death due to severe abdominal or thoracic
wounds.

BACHELOR HERD
 These are technically satellite ♂♂, which are mature bulls as yet without their own territories, who exploit
resources, particularly mating opportunities, even in the presence of the dominant bull.
 The territorial ♂♂ may allow a few satellite ♂♂ into his territory, and they may contribute to its defense.
However, gradually they may deprive the actual owner of his territory and seize the area for themselves.
 These groupings may also harbour these subordinate ♂♂ who are not always unsuccessful that they find
themselves unfit to herd a harem.

COMMUNICATION AND PERCEPTION

 A silent animal, the waterbuck makes use of flehmen response for visual communication and alarm snorts
for vocal communication.

BREEDING | REPRODUCTION
 Mating begins after the ♂♂ confirms that the ♀ is in estrus, which he does by sniffing her vulva and urine, a
resistive ♀ would try to bite or even fight off an advancing ♂.
 The ♂ exhibits flehmen, and often licks the neck of the ♀ and rubs his face and the base of his horns against
her back, there are several attempts at mounting before the actual copulation.
 When sexually excited, the skin of the waterbuck secretes a greasy substance with the odour of musk, giving
it the name "greasy kob", the odour of this is so unpleasant that it repels predators, this secretion also assists
in water-proofing the body when the animal dives into water.
 The ♀ shifts her tail to one side, while the ♂ clasps her sides with his forelegs and rests on her back during
copulation, which may occur as many as 10 times.
 The gestational period lasts for 7 to 8 months, followed by the birth of a single calf, twins are rare, pregnant
♀♀ isolate themselves in thickets as parturition approaches.
 Newborn calves can stand on their feet within a half-hour of birth, the mother eats the afterbirth, she
communicates with the calf by bleating or snorting.
 Calves are kept hidden from 2 to 3 weeks up to 2 months, at about 3 to 4 weeks, the calf begins following its
mother, who signals it to do so by raising her tail.
 Though bereft of horns, mothers will fiercely defend their offspring from predators, Calves are weaned at 8
months, following which time they join groups of calves of their own age (creche), young ♀♀ remain with their
mothers in nursery herds.
 Waterbucks are slower than other antelopes in terms of the rate of maturity, while ♂♂ become sexually
mature at the age of 6 years, ♀♀ reach maturity within 2 to 3 years, ♀♀ may conceive by the age of 2.5 years,
and remain reproductive for another 10 years.

LONGEVITY | LIFESPAN
 The waterbuck lives to 18 years in the wild and 30 years in captivity.

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 Redunca redunca
BOHOR REEDBUCK
TOHE

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
 The sturdily built Bovid with yellow to grayish-brown coat, generally, the bohor reedbuck is yellower than
other reedbucks.
 The large and diffuse sebaceous glands present on the coat make the coat greasy and give it a strong odour,
Juveniles are darker than the adults as well as long-haired.
 The undersides are white in colour, a few distinct markings can be observed such as a dark stripe on the
front of each foreleg, white markings under the tail, and a pale ring of hair around the eyes and along the lips,
lower jaw, and upper throat.
 The ♂♂ have thicker necks, its large, oval-shaped ears distinguish it from other antelopes, there is a round
bare spot below each ear.

THE HORNS
 As a prominent sign of sexual dimorphism, only ♂♂ possess a pair of short, stout horns, that extend
backward from the forehead and hook slightly forward hence the name “redunca”, from Greek “reduncus”
translates into “curve back” or “hook back”.
 The horns measure about 25–35 cm, however, some Senegalese individuals have longer and wide-spreading
horns.
 In comparison to the other reedbucks, the bohor reedbuck has the shortest and most hooked horns, the only
bovid with slightly forward pointing horns.

THE BODY MASS

 The bohor reedbuck is a medium-sized antelope, the head-and-body length is typically between 100–135 cm,
♂♂ reach approximately 75–89 cm at the shoulder, while ♀♀ reach 69–76 cm.
 ♂♂ typically weigh 43–65 kg and ♀♀ 35–45 kg, with ♂♂ 10% to 20% larger than ♀♀ and showing more
prominent markings.
 The bushy tail is 18–20 cm long.

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HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION
 The bohor reedbuck inhabits moist grasslands and swamplands as well as woodlands, often found on
grasslands susceptible to floods and droughts, the bohor reedbuck can adapt remarkably well to radical
seasonal changes and calamities.
 In some margins of its range, the bohor reedbuck shares its habitat with the mountain reedbuck, the ranges
of the bohor reedbuck and southern reedbuck extensively overlap in Tanzania, among the 3 reedbuck
species, bohor reedbuck is the most widespread in Tanzania.
 Endemic to Africa, the bohor reedbuck is native to Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African
Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,
Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania and Togo.
 The animal is possibly extinct in Ivory Coast and Uganda.

FEEDING BEHAVIOUR
 A herbivore and primarily a nocturnal grazer, the bohor reedbuck may also feed at daytime, in the dry season,
they rest less in the day because they have to spend more time grazing, the bohor reedbuck prefers grasses
and tender reed shoots with high protein and low fiber content, this reedbuck is dependent on water, though
green pastures can fulfill its water requirement.
 Grasses the animals feed on included Hyparrhenia filipendula, Heteropogon contortus and Themeda
triandra, all of which are species commonly found in heavily grazed grasslands, Bohor reedbuck preferred
Cynodon dactylon and Cenchrus ciliaris in the wet season, and switched to Sporobolus pyramidalis and
Panicum repens in the dry season.
 Though they rarely feed on dicots, these can include Capparis and Sida species, on regularly burnt pastures,
the bohor reedbuck feeds on Imperata species, while in places close by water sources, it eats Leersia and
newly sprouted Vossia species.
 In farming communities, bohor reedbucks have been spotted grazing on wheat, cereals and other grains,
though water dependents but may not need water if they are in green pastures.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR | ORGANISATION

 Bohor reedbucks are capable of living individually, id est, solitarily, in small harems, and in a large herd, and
prove to be territorials, however they do not scent mark their territories, and ♀♀’s is smaller than that of the
♂♂’s, they tend to overlap one another.
 R. redunca or rather Tohe employs whistling to both let the boundaries of their territory be known and to
sound an alarm in case of the approaching danger.

HAREM | BREEDING HERD

 As many as 1 to 5 ♀♀ may be found in a ♂♂'s home range and infact his respective territory, ♂♂ become
defensive not when their physical territory is being threatened but when the ♀♀ living on it are threatened.
 The traditional territorial and family organization falls apart when the Tohe form huge groups, this usually
occurs during the dry season, when hundreds of Tohe are forced to converge around a river.

BREEDING HERD
 The ♀♀, along with their offspring, form groups of 10 with other ♀♀, young ♂♂ set out on their own after their
horns begin to appear, which is around a half a year.
 ♀♀ offspring gradually grow apart from their mother's home range and the territories at large, whilst young
♂♂ will form groups of 2 or 3 until they reach maturity, thereafter they disperse.

COMMUNICATION AND PERCEPTION

 These Bovids employ both tactile as well as chemical modes of communications.

BREEDING | REPRODUCTION
 As for mating behaviour, ♀♀ are approached by the ♂♂, who perform urine testing technically flehmen to see
if a prospective ♀♀ is ready, if the ♀♀ runs off, she will not be pursued.
 After a ♀♀ has been chosen, the 2 Bohors perform what is known as the mating march, in which the ♂♂
makes attempts to mount the ♀♀, eventually the ♂♂ does a forearm lift and holds the ♀♀ in position.
 If the ♀♀ stands firm, it is a signal that she is ready for copulation, copulation occurs very quickly marked by
a single ejaculation and after dismounting, the 2 bohors remain stationary for a while and then proceed to
graze.
 The gestation period is 7 and a half months long, after which a single calf is born, the mothers keep their
offspring concealed for as long as 8 weeks, the mother keeps within a distance of 20-30 m of its calf, nursing,
usually 2 to 4 minutes long, involves licking the whole body of the calf and suckling.

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  The infant is suckled usually once in the day and 1 to 2 times at night, the ♀♀'s previous calf usually resists
separation.
 At the age of 2 months, the calf begins grazing alongside its mother, and seeks protection from her if alarmed,
though after 4 months the calf is no more licked, it may still be groomed by its mother, Bohor reproduces
every 9 to 14 months.
 The calves are weaned at 8 to 9 months of age.
 Adolescence: ♂♂ become sexually mature at the age of 3 to 4 years, while ♀♀ can conceive at just 1 year of
age.

LONGEVITY | LIFESPAN
 Bohor life expectancy reaches as far as 10 years in the wild, animals in captivity may go as far as 18 years.

Redunca arundinum
SOUTHERN | COMMON REEDBUCK | RIETBOK
TOHE

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ETYMOLOGY (The science or study involving names inrespect to their origin and their meanings)
 The bovid or rather antelope, was first described by Pieter Boddaert, a Dutch physician and naturalist, in
1785.
 In etymological practice, Southern Reedbuck get its specific name from two Latin words, from the word
“reduncas” meaning bent backwards and curved and “arundo” (harundo) meaning a “reed” hence
arundinum, pertaining to reeds.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
 Redunca arundinum is the largest of the 3 reedbuck species, having restricted in the southern portion of
Alkebulan hence the name “Southern” it has extremely variable colouration, they can have a light yellowish
brown to a gray brown coat.
 They have a white underside and chin with light tan streaks on the sides of the head and white rings around
the eyes, there are white and black markings on the forelegs, the tail is bushy with a fluffy, white underside.
 A small, black, bare glandular patch can be noticed at the base of each ear.

THE HORNS
 Southern reedbuck, exhibit sexual dimorphism, only ♂♂ have horns, which emerge around the 6 months of
life, the horns are strongly ridged, growing to be 35 to 45 cm in length, and form a "V".
 They just from the head first pointing backwards gently, then curve upward and extend out at the tip, with
the base having a distinct band of pale, rubbery tissue.

THE BODY MASS

 The southern reedbuck is larger than the other species in Genus Redunca, namely R. redunca (Bohor
reedbuck) and R. fulvorufula (mountain reedbuck), it stands 80–90 cm at the shoulder.
 ♀♀ weigh 48 kg, while the ♂♂ weigh 68 kg.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION

 The habitat of R. arundinum consists of marshy areas that have an abundance of water and tall grasses, they
inhabit moist grasslands with tall grass, reeds, sufficient cover, and water nearby, such as floodplains,
pastures, woodlands, and valleys.
 They are common in seasonally flooded valleys near the Malagarasi River, they also occur in the southern
savannas of Tchibanga and Ndende in drc.
 Southern reedbucks have a wide distribution, stretching from Gabon and Tanzania to South Africa, the
antelope is native to Angola, Botswana, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Gabon, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
 It also occurs in protected areas and areas with low to moderate levels of settlement, including significant
populations on private land in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Namibia.
 In the Republic of Congo, it formerly occurred locally in the savannahs of southern Congo, but it is probably
extinct there by now.
 Its presence is doubted in Lesotho, major populations occur in areas such as Selous Game reserve and
Nyerere National Park (Tanzania), Kafue National Park (Zambia), Nyika National Park (Malawi), Gorongosa
National Park (Mozambique), Okavango National Park (Botswana) and Kruger National Park and Eastern
Shores (South Africa).

FEEDING BEHAVIOUR
 As a herbivore, the reedbuck mainly feeds on grasses, it also eats herbs and reeds, it never enters into water,
though it inhabits places with water sources and it needs to drink water every few days to several times a
day during the dry season.
 They hold a special ecological niche by consuming grasses that are no shorter than they are, this lessens
competition greatly, they seem to prefer young grasses and tender shoots of reeds, but do not limit
themselves.
 They only consume leaves during the winter months when the nutritional value of grasses is greatly reduced,
being foregut fermenters, grazing is followed by ruminating for a few minutes to an hour, they are mainly
nocturnal except during the dry season when they may also be seen grazing during the midday.
 The common reedbuck is very dependent on water during the dry season drink at least once a day and do
not venture farther than 1 and a half to 2 km away from the water holes.

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SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR | ORGANISATION
 Reedbucks are semi-gregarious, during the wet season, when food and water are abundant, these bovids
can be found in pairs, in small family groups (♂♂, ♀♀, and youngs), or singly (solitary).

BREEDING HERD | HAREM

 ♂♂ tend to establish territories and in pairings, ♀♀ initiate movements around territories, though they are
more social and may form temporary aggregations during the dry season, during the wet season territories
are likely to be formed and defended.
 Territories are not well defined and may overlap, marking occurs by using inguinal glands to scent a
landmark, auditory and visual markings include pronking, whistling, and displaying a proud posture, the last
marking is called horning, this includes rubbing horns and head across vegetation, soil, and shrubs in the
vicinity.

BACHELOR | SOLITARY
 In wet seasons, solitary nature is highly observed, during the winter months, when food and water become
scarce, it is extremely rare to find a solitary reedbuck.
 When a solitary ♂♂ approaches ♀♀ in another ♂♂' territory, an upright posture is presented, also a slow and
deliberate approach leads to either immediate surrender or attack.
 If the other ♂♂ does not back off, these physical confrontations can lead to head butting and a display of
pushing and shoving with the horns, eventually one of the ♂♂ will jump away and the other will strut and
display an upright posture, signifying its dominance.

COMMUNICATION AND PERCEPTION

 A loud whistle is sounded in cases of surprise, fear, and greeting, the whistle is made by expelling air out of
the nostrils, during friendly whistling, the reedbucks head is erect, ears point forward, and the tail hangs
freely.
 During a call of surprise or fear, the reedbuck either stands very still with ears and head erect, or pronks
violently hoping to scare off the intruder which it normally cannot see, while jumping or pronking there is
often a popping noise that is heard that seems to come from the inguinal region which releases and scent
marker.

BREEDING | REPRODUCTION
 In R. arundinum breeding occurs throughout the year with a peak observed between December and May,
during mating, ♀♀ perform a dance, which involves long, lingering jumps (called pronking) with the tail
curved upward, during every jump, scented air is released from inguinal pockets, producing a popping noise.
 During courtship, a ♂♂ investigates the ♀♀'s genitals, and after sampling her urine with his nose, copulation
occurs, ♂♂ will defend ♀♀ from other ♂♂.
 Generally, one young is born after a 7 or 8 month gestation period, a few weeks before parturition, the ♀♀
leaves the ♂♂ and drives off young from previous years, at birth the lamb weighs only 4.5 kg.
 It stays hidden for about 2 months in vegetation, during this time the lamb presents itself once a day for
nursing and cleaning, this takes between 10 and 30 minutes, after the 2 months of concealment, the lamb
joins its mother, but the two stay away from the ♂♂ for another 2 months, after this, the family reunites.
 ♀♀ are usually sent away during their second year whereas ♂♂ can stay with the family until adulthood, this
is when the ♂♂ begin searching for their own territory.
 Adolescence: ♀♀, when well nourished, reach sexual maturity at about 2 and ♂♂ become mature about a
year later, in 3 years of age.

LONGEVITY | LIFESPAN
 The average lifespan of common reedbucks is between 10 and 12 years, there have not been many studies
on longevity in reedbucks.

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 Redunca fulvorufula
MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK
TOHE

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
 The mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula) is an antelope found in mountainous areas of much of sub-
Saharan part of the Alkebulan, geographically termed as Ethiopian, hence the english name.
 R. fulvorufula both sexes have grayish brown hair on the body, rufous necks, white undersides, and a bushy
tail with a white underside, both ♂♂ and ♀♀ also display a dark scent patch underneath the ears.

THE HORNS
 The ♂♂ carry ridged horns of around 15.2 cm, which curve forwards, these head ornaments make these
mountain reedbuck sexually dimorphic Species.

BODY MASS
 Adult ♀♀ mountain reedbucks are smaller than ♂♂, an adult ♂♂ mountain reedbuck is about 70 cm tall at the
shoulders and weighs 30 kg.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION

 Mountain reedbucks are normally found in hilly, broken terrain with grasses dominating the ground cover,
they inhabit areas with scattered trees with water sources nearby, water is an important habitat requirement.
 They will use flat terrain adjacent to hilly and broken terrain, occurs between 15 00 and 5 000 masl.
 These Tohe species occur in 3 separate geographic areas, each containing a separate subspecies, as
described below:

 CHANLER'S MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK (Redunca fulvorufula chanleri)

Named after Willium A. Chanler, Chanler's mountain reedbuck occurs in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan,
and Ethiopia.

 ADAMAWA MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK (Redunca fulvorufula adamauae)

The Adamawa Mountain reedbuck is only been found at the Nigeria-Cameroon border.

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  SOUTHERN MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK (Redunca fulvorufula fulvorufula)
The southern mountain reedbuck inhabits an area from the eastern Cape Province (South Africa) to
southeastern Botswana.
The nominated Species or the mother race, meaning it had been named after the whole Species.

 The mountain reedbuck is subject to some pressure from hunting and human encroachment on its habitat,
and current populations appear to be declining, this species is classified as Endangered.

FEEDING BEHAVIOUR
 Mountain reedbucks have been recognized as roughage grazers that primarily feed on grasses, in one study
monocots constituted 99.5% of the material found in the rumen.
 Mountain reedbucks possess the ability to selectively graze to obtain the highest nutrition from a low-quality
diet.
 They tend to feed in the early evening, twilight hours, and morning hours, normally in small groups of 6 or
fewer animals, and sometimes through the night.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR | ORGANISATION

BREEDING HERD | HAREM
 A typical group is made up of one adult ♂♂ who is in charge of the Territory technically alpha and several
adults ♀♀ and their juveniles, Mountain reedbucks are normally found in small groups of 6 or less animals.
 The dominant ♂♂ will mark their territory using visual displays, olfactory, and auditory signals, once these
territories have been marked, they will normally remain there for the whole year.
 The dominant ♂♂ will tolerate younger ♂♂, but normally the younger ♂♂ will form bachelor groups and live
on the outside of the herd.

BACHELOR HERD
 The ♂♂ that live outside the breeding herds, encompassing the adolescents, subordinates or rather
unsuccessful just waiting for an opportunity to herd the territory of their own.
 The herd hangs to the side of the breeding herds, sometimes a lone ♂♂ is likely.

COMMUNICATION AND PERCEPTATION

 Mountain reedbucks will use a shrill whistle to indicate danger nearby, they will also use a whistle to warn
other animals of its territory along with scent and visual displays.

BREEDING | REPRODUCTION
 Redunca fulvorufula is polygynous, reproduction throughout the year can be observed in mountain
reedbucks but the peak of the breeding activity is in summer and autumn with the peak of the lambing season
during the summer rain periods, targeting the available resources.
 ♀♀ mountain reedbucks can experience first estrus at 9 to 12 months, but most do not experience it until 12
to 24 months, ♂♂ produce viable sperm at 1 year.
 Lambing intervals run from 9 to 14 months with the gestation period normally 8 months, a single lamb is
typically born at a time and proves to be precocious.
 The ♀♀ provides her young with milk until weaning, because the interbirth interval is about 1 year, it is safe
to assume that offspring is weaned before it is a year old.
 Adolescence: ♀♀ matures at 9-12 months of age, whilst ♂♂ matures at the age of 1 year.

LONGEVITY | LIFESPAN
 Mountain reedbuck life expectancy reaches as far as 10 years in the wild, animals in captivity may go as far
as 18 years.

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 The
DWARF ANTELOPES
Neotragini | Neotraginae

Kirk’s Dik dik (Madoqua kirkii) Steenbok (Raphicerus campestris)

Guenther’s Dik dik (Madoqua guentheri) Cape grysbok (Raphicerus melanotis)
Piacentin’s Dik dik (Madoqua piacentinii) Sharpe's grysbok (Raphicerus sharpei)
Salt’s Dik dik (Madoqua saltiana)

Suni (Neotragus moschatus) Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus)

Royal Antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus)

Oribi (Ourebia ourebi) Beira Antelope (Dorcatragus megalotis)

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