Antelope Of South Africa

The antelope is a mammal found in Africa. There are many species of antelope, from small to large.  Antelope have permanent horns which they use to defend themselves and their herd, or to fight for territorial dominance. 

Antelope ​have a difference in the size and appearance of each species, they have a light build, thin limbs, tiny cloven hooves, and a short tail.​ Some antelope have straight​ horns, ​some curved, or twisted, ​these are a defining characteristic. ​I​n some species only the male antelope have horns

  • Waterbuck are large antelope and only the males have horns. They are distinctive by the white “toilet seat cover” marking on their hindquarters. They have a shaggy brown­-gray coat that emits a smelly, oily secretion thought to be for waterproofing.
  • Kudu males have these beautiful, enormous twisted horns which have been known to reach a length of 1.8m. Kudu are the high jump masters of the animal world and are capable of clearing a 2.5m fence from a standstill. Kudu Females do not have horns.
  • Impala are a beautiful reddish brown coloured buck easily recognised by the Macdonald’s M on the rump.​ Impala are the most commonly sighted buck in the Kruger National Park often seen in large herds. The female does not have horns.
  • Sable Antelope the male is pitch black with white markings on the​ face and belly. They have a slight mane and long ​ridged horns that strongly curve backwards.​ The female also has horns but not as heavily ridged as the male.
  • Eland is the world’s largest antelope.​ Adult males also have a mat of hair on the forehead that grows longer and denser as the animal ages.​ Both male and female Eland have twisted horns, the female tends to have longer horns.
  • Klipspringer is a small, sturdy antelope that reaches 43–60 centimetres at the shoulder and weighs from 8 to 18 kilograms. The coat of the klipspringer, yellowish gray to reddish brown, acts as an efficient camouflage in its rocky habitat.​ Both male and female have small spiky horns.
  • Nyala have a slate-brown shaggy coat ​that is marked with white vertical stripes and spots on the flanks. ​T​he male appear​s more charcoal-grey in colour. The ​m​ale ha​s long inward curved horns and a white chevroned face.​ They have a ridge of long hairs along the underparts, from behind the chin to between the hind legs, they also have a mane of thick, black hair from the head along the spine to the rump.​ The female does not have horns.
  • Bushbuck are shy and elusive ​they are a close relative of the Kudu and the Nyala. The ​m​ales are very elegant in appearance, sporting dark greyish-brown fur, with white spots on the flanks and prominent white socks​. It is very rare for females to have horns.
  • Grysbok are small, shy antelope with a thick-set body and a coarse coat of hair. A mingling of white and reddish hair on the back and sides gives this species a ​d​appled, reddish appearance.​ The male has upright straight horns however the female does not have horns.
  • Steenbok are a small antelope standing at only 520mm at the shoulders and weighing up to 11 Kg. This fleet footed antelope is exclusively a browser, and is generally highly selective for green material such as young leaves, flowers, fruits and shoot tips of various plants.​ The female does not have horns.
  • Tsessebe are ​large antelope measuring 1.2m at the shoulder, they are grazers which ​s​elect a wide range of grass species. They ​p​refer the leaf over the stems. ​Both male and female Tsessebe​ have horns but the male has heavier horns.
  • Bontebok a​re a medium-sized​ plains antelope, preferring short-grass plains within the vegetation typical of the fynbos plant kingdom.​ Both ​​male and female have horns, although the horns of ​t​he male are heavier and longer.
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