- Greater Kudu
Taxobox
name = Greater Kudu
status = LR/cd | status_system = IUCN2.3
status_ref =IUCN2006|assessors=Antelope Specialist Group|year=1996|id=22054|title=Tragelaphus strepsiceros|downloaded=11 May 2006]
trend = stable
image_width = 250px
image_caption = Greater Kudu bull
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis =Mammal ia
ordo =Artiodactyla
familia =Bovidae
subfamilia =Bovinae
genus = "Tragelaphus "
species = "T. strepsiceros"
binomial = "Tragelaphus strepsiceros"
binomial_authority = (Pallas,1766 )The Greater Kudu ("Tragelaphus strepsiceros") is a
woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southernAfrica . Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas, due to a declininghabitat ,deforestation andhunting .cite book| last = | first = | coauthors = | title = Wildlife Fact File| publisher =IMP Publishing Ltd | date =1994| pages = Group 1, Card 110| isbn = 08-50-04-0016 ]Physical characteristics
They have a narrow
body with longleg s, and their coats can range from brown/bluish-grey to reddish-brown. They possess between 4–12 vertical white stripes along theirtorso . Thehead tends to be darker in colour than the rest of the body, and exhibits a small white chevron which runs between theeyes .Male Greater Kudus tend to be much larger than the females, and vocalise much more, utilising low grunts, clucks, humming, and gasping.Fact|date=April 2007 The males also have large
mane s running along theirthroat s, and large horns with two and a half twists, which, were they to be straightened, would reach a length of 1 metre on average. However, the male horns do not begin to grow until the male is between the age of 6–12 months, twisting once at around 2 years of age, and not reaching the full two and a half twist until they are 6 years old.Males weigh 190-270 kg while females weigh 120-210 kg. Females do not have horns while the bulls have horns that average 120 cm in length with the record being 187.64 cm.
ubspecies
Formerly four subspecies have been described, but recently only one to three subspecies have been accepted based on colour, number of stripes and horn lengthLOUISE GRAU NERSTING and PETER ARCTANDER: "Phylogeography and conservation of impala and greater kudu". Molecular Ecology (2001) 10 , 711–719 [http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120714132/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 online] ] :
* "T. s. strepsiceros", southern parts of the range from southern Kenia to Namibia, Botswana and South Africa
* "T. s. chora", northeastern Africa from northern Kenia through Ethiopia to eastern SUdan, western Somalia and Eritrea
* "T. s. cottoni", Chad and western SudanThis classification was supported by the genetic difference of one specimen of northern Kenia ("T. s. chora") in comparison with several samples from the southern part of the range between Tansania and Zimbabwe ("T. s. strepsiceros"). No specimen of the northwestern population, which may represent a third subspecies ("T. s. cottoni") was tested within this studyLOUISE GRAU NERSTING and PETER ARCTANDER: "Phylogeography and conservation of impala and greater kudu". Molecular Ecology (2001) 10 , 711–719 [http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120714132/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 online] ] .Lifestyle
The range of the Greater Kudu extends from the east in
Ethiopia ,Tanzania ,Eritrea andKenya into the south where they are found inZambia ,Angola ,Namibia ,Botswana ,Zimbabwe andSouth Africa . They have also been introduced in small numbers intoNew Mexico . Their habitat includes thick bush"veld", rockyhill sides, dry riverbeds and anywhere with a constant supply ofwater .Fact|date=April 2007 They will occasionally venture onto plains only if there is a large abundance of bushes, but normally avoid such open areas to avoid becoming an easy target for their predators. Their diet consists of leaves,grass ,shoots and occasionallytuber s,root s andfruit (they are especially fond of oranges andtangerine s).During the day, Greater Kudus normally cease to be active and instead seek cover under
woodland , especially during hot days. They feed and drink in the earlymorning and lateafternoon , acquiring water fromwaterhole s or roots andbulb s which have a highwater content . Although they tend to stay in one area, the Greater Kudu may search over a large distance for water in times ofdrought , in southern Namibia where water is relatively scarce they have been known to travel extremely long distances in very short periods of time.Predators
Predators of the greater kudu generally consist of
lion s,leopard s and hunting dogs. Althoughcheetah s also prey on greater kudus, they are unable to defeat a mature male, so usually go for the more vulnerable females andoffspring . When aherd is threatened by predators, an adult (usually female) will issue a bark to alert the rest of the herd. Despite being very nimble over rocky hillsides and mountains, the greater kudu is not fast enough (and nor does it have enough stamina) to escape its main predators over open terrain, so instead relies on leapingwoodland and cover which their predators have a hard time getting round, kudus have also been known to "disappear" into cover without being noticed to avoid chase.ocial system
Female greater kudus live in small herds of six to twenty
individual s along with their calves, though males tend to be mainlysolitary , they sometimes form bachelor herds that consist of 4 to 8 young males (sometimes with an older bull as well). Rarely will a herd reach a size of forty individuals, partly because of the selective nature of their diet which would makeforaging for food difficult in large groups. A herd's area can encompass 800 to 1500acre s, and spend an average of 54% of the day foraging forfood .Fact|date=April 2007.Fully mature males will often
fight other males by interlocking their horns with the other until one of them admits defeat and gives in. In rare circumstances this can sometimes result in both males being unable to free themselves from the other's horns, usually resulting in thedeath of both animals. Females may sometimes ward off males by biting them, due to their lack of horns.Reproduction
Greater kudus reach
sexual maturity between 1–3 years of age. The mating season occurs at the end of the rainy season, which can fluctuate slightly according to theregion andclimate . Beforemating , there is acourtship ritual which consists of themale standing in front of thefemale and often engaging in a neck wrestle. The male then trails the female while issuing a low pitched call until the female allows him tocopulate with her. Gestation takes around 240 days (or eightmonth s). Calving generally starts between February and March, when thegrass tends to be at its highest.Fact|date=April 2007Offspring and maternal care
Greater kudus tend to bear one
calf , although occasionally there may be two. To begin with, the calf will wait for themother tofeed it, but later it will become more demanding in its search formilk , and after a few months even aggressive. For the first two weeks of a calf'slife they hide where predators cannot find them. For four to fiveweek s after that they roam with the herd only during day. Males will become self-sufficient at 6 months old. Females become self-sufficient at around 1 to 2 years old.Fact|date=April 2007 Greater kudus may live up to 20 years of age when kept in captivity.Human interaction
Greater kudus have both benefited and suffered from interaction with
human s; they are a target for hunters, possibly due to their habit of stopping to look behind them after bolting for cover, making them an easy target. Humans have also destroyedwoodland cover which they use for their habitat. However, wells andirrigation set up by humans has also allowed the greater kudus to occupy territory which would have been too devoid ofwater for them previously.The horns of greater kudus are commonly used to makes
Shofar s, a Jewish ritual horn blown atRosh Hashanah .ee also
*
Lesser Kudu
*Kudu dung spitting References
External links
* [http://www.nature.org/animals/mammals/animals/greaterkudu.html The Nature Conservancy's Species Profile: Greater Kudu]
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