-
Common name:
SITATUNGAScientific name:
Tragelaphus spekii gratusClass:
MammalsOrder:
ArtiodattiliFamily:
BovidaeProvenance:
Central AfricaDiet:
herbs – fodderHabitat:
WetlandsReproduction:
6 month, 1 puppy for childbirth -
The Sitatunga Antelope is common from Senegal to Kenya, from Namibia to Botswana. It has a strong tie with water and lives in swampy forests, along rivers and on islands in lakes.
It has an arched back and long legs. The body is covered by thick, water repellent hair with typical spots and stripes. The main hooves are more then 10cm long and partially united by a membrane that allows the animal to walk in mud and in acquatic vegetation without sinking. Its horns are wrapped in spirals.
Males are solitary and defend their territories in which a few females live. There is no distinctive reproductive season. At the end of gestation, that lasts 7-8 months, one young is born, more rarely two. They are nocturnal animals. When they feel in danger, they hide in the water among the vegetation.