Lesser kudu

Appearance

The lesser kudu is a spiral-horned antelope. The head-and-body length is typically between 110 and 140 cm. Males reach about 95–105 cm at the shoulder, while females reach 90–100 cm. Males typically weigh 92–108 kg and females 56–70 kg. The bushy tail is 25–40 cm long, white underneath and with a black tip at the end.

Distinct signs of sexual dimorphism are seen in the antelope. The male is considerably larger than the female. The females, as well as juveniles, have a rufous coat, whereas the males become yellowish grey or darker after the age of 2 years. The male has a prominent black crest of hair on the neck, but this feature is not well-developed in the female. One long white stripe runs along the back, with 11–14 white stripes branching towards the sides. The chest has a central black stripe, and no throat beard is present. A black stripe runs from each eye to the nose and a white one from each eye to the centre of the dark face. A chevron is present between the eyes. The area around the lips is white, the throat has white patches, and two white spots appear on each side of the lower jaw. The underparts are completely white, while the slender legs are tawny and have black and white patches. The lesser kudu is characterised by large, rounded ears. Its tracks are similar to the greater kudu's. Females have four teats. The average lifespan is 10 years in the wild, and 15 years in captivity.

Horns are present only on males. The spiral horns are 50–70 cm long, and have two to two-and-a-half twists. The base circumference is 156–171 cm. The slender horns are dark brown and tipped with white. Male young begin developing horns after 6-8 months, which reach full length after 3 years.

Distribution

The lesser kudu is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, but it is extinct in Djibouti. Largely confined to the Horn of Africa today, the species historically ranged from Awash southward through southern and eastern Ethiopia, and most parts of Somalia and Kenya. It also occurred in southeastern Sudan and northeastern and eastern parts of Uganda and Tanzania. Evidence for its existence in the Arabian peninsula includes a set of horns obtained in 1967 from an individual shot in South Yemen and another in Saudi Arabia, as well as a recent analysis of early and middle Holocene rock art sites in Jubbah and Shuwaymis, Ha'il province, Saudi Arabia.

Behavior

The lesser kudu is mainly active at night and during the dawn, and seeks shelter in dense thickets just after the sunrise. It can camouflage so well in such dense vegetation that only its ears and tail can indicate its presence. The midday is spent in rest and rumination in shaded areas. The animal spends about equal time foraging, standing and lying, and roaming. As a thin tragelaphine, the lesser kudu can move readily through dense vegetation with ease. The lesser kudu is a shy and wary animal. When alarmed, the animal stands motionless. If it senses any approaching predator, it gives out a short sharp bark, similar to the bushbuck's, then makes multiple leaps up to 2 m high with an upraised tail. If captured by the predator, the victim gives a loud bleat.

Lesser kudus are gregarious in nature, especially females. No distinct leader or any hierarchy is noted in the social structure; with no territorial behavior, fights are uncommon. While fighting, the lesser kudus interlock horns and try pushing one another. Mutual grooming is hardly observed. Unlike most tragelaphines, females can be closely associated for several years. One to three females, along with their offspring, may form a group. Juvenile males leave their mothers when aged a year and a half, and may form pairs. However, at the age of 4-5 years, males prefer a solitary lifestyle and avoid one another, though four or five bulls may share the same home range. Lesser kudu do not usually associate with other animals, except when they feed in the same area.

Reproduction

Both the males and females become sexually mature by the time they are a year and a half old. However, males actually mate after the age of four to five years. Males and females are most reproductive till the age of 14 and 14–18 years, respectively, with the maximum age of successful lactation in females being 13–14 years. With no fixed breeding season, births may occur at any time of the year. A study at Dvůr Králové Zoo showed that 55% of the births occurred between September and December. A rutting male tests the urine of any female he encounters, to which the female responds by urinating. Having located a female in estrus, the male follows her closely, trying to rub his cheek on her rump, head, neck, and chest. He performs gasping movements with his lips. Finally, the male mounts the female, resting his head and neck on her back, in a similar way as other tragelaphines.

The gestational period is 7-8 months, after which a single calf is born. A female about to give birth isolates herself from her group, and remains alone for some days afterward. The newborn calf weighs 4–7.5 kg. Around 50% of the calves die within the first six months of birth, and only 25% can survive after three years. In a study at Basle Zoo, where 43% of the offspring from captive breeding died before reaching the age of six months, the major causes of high juvenile mortality were found to be the spread of white muscle disease and deficiency of vitamin E and selenium in diets. The herd size, sex, interbreeding, and season did not play any role in juvenile mortality. The mother hides her calf while she goes out to feed, and returns mainly in the evening to suckle her young. She checks the calf's identity by sniffing its rump or neck. In the first month, suckling may occur for 8 minutes. The mother and calf communicate with low bleats. She licks her offspring, particularly in the perineal region, and may consume its excreta.

Food

A pure browser, the lesser kudu feeds on foliage from bushes and trees and herbs. It also eats flowers and fruits if available, and takes small proportions of grasses, usually in the wet season. Despite seasonal and local variations, foliage from trees and shrubs constitutes 60-80% of the diet throughout the year. Foliage from creepers and vines forms 15-25% of the diet in the wet season. Fruits are consumed mainly in the dry season. Olfactory searching, much in the same posture as grazing, is used to find fallen fruits, while small fruits are directly plucked from trees. The size and structure of its stomach also suggests its primary dependence on browse.

The lesser kudu browses primarily at dusk or dawn, or nocturnally, and is sometimes associated with gerenuk and the impala. The lesser kudu and the gerenuk might compete for evergreen species in the dry season. However, unlike the gerenuk, the lesser kudu rarely prefers "Acacia" species and does not stand on its hindlegs while feeding. The lesser kudu does not have a great requirement for water, and can browse in arid environments. It eats succulent plants, such as the wild sisal, "Sansevieria", and "Euphorbia" species in the dry season, and drinks water when sources are available.