Lesser Kudu

From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids

Lesser Kudu

Diorama from the Natural History Museum, Bern

Conservation dependent (LR/cd)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Bovinae
Genus:	Tragelaphus
Species:	T. imberbis

Binomial name

Tragelaphus imberbis
(Blyth, 1869)

The Lesser Kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis) are forest antelope found in East Africa and (possibly) the southern Arabian Peninsula.

Lesser Kudu stand about a metre at the shoulder and weigh 50 to 100 kilograms, males are larger than females. Lesser Kudu males are grey-brown while females are chestnut the coat is lighter on their underside. Both have about ten white stripes on their backs and two white tufts on the underside of their necks. Males have a small mane and horns of about 70 centimetres with one twist.

Lesser Kudu live in dry thorn bush and forest and eat mainly leaves. Lesser Kudu are nocturnal and matinine crepuscular. They live in groups of two to five ranging up to twenty-four on rare occasions these have about equal numbers of males and females.

[edit] See also

Greater Kudu
Kudu dung spitting

[edit] References

Antelope Specialist Group (1996). Tragelaphus imberbis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.

[edit] External link

ARKive - images and movies of the lesser kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis)