Lichtenstein antelope
| Lichtenstein antelope | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lichtenstein antelope ( Alcelaphus lichtensteinii ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Alcelaphus lichtensteinii | ||||||||||||
| ( Peters , 1849) |
The Lichtenstein antelope ( Alcelaphus lichtensteinii ; sometimes in the genus Sigmoceros ) or Konzi occurs in southern East Africa. It received its name from Wilhelm Peters in honor of the zoologist Martin Hinrich Lichtenstein .
features
This antelope looks rather awkward with a shoulder height of 1.25 m and its particularly high withers, but is still quite nimble and fast. A slightly darker saddle between the shoulders and hind legs stands out from the yellow-brown coat. The underside is lighter, while the rump is adorned with an off-white spot. Long, black hair covers the tail, the base of which is colored white. Both sexes have horns that are bent twice and flattened at the end. It differs from the similar hartebeest mainly in its more contrasting coloration and the thicker, shorter horns, which appear circular when viewed from the front. The forehead is also not as elongated upwards as in the hartebeest.
distribution
The species is found in southern East Africa in the states of Zaire , Tanzania , Zambia , Angola , Malawi , Mozambique and Zimbabwe . However, it may already be extinct in Angola and Mozambique, and the population in Zimbabwe is less than 50 animals. In the mid-eighties, some specimens were introduced to South Africa in the Krugerpark from Malawi .
You can z. B. in the wildlife sanctuaries Kafue , Südluangwa , Upemba and Ruaha .
Way of life
The Lichtenstein antelope lives in open wooded areas and dry forests, mostly near swamps or alluvial areas. Like the hartebeest they preferred flamed areas.
The groups usually consist of up to 10 animals, but larger herds also form. At times they live together with wildebeest , zebras and roan antelopes . The territorial bull stays with the cows and young animals in a defined area. After the gestation period of 240 days, a single calf is born, usually between July and October. These grazers only occur in isolated groups.
literature
- Chris Stuart, Tilde Stuart: Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa. 2nd Edition. Struik, Cape Town 2000, ISBN 1-86872-534-0 .
- Jean Dorst, Pierre Dandelot: Mammals of Africa. 2nd Edition. Paul Parey Verlag, Hamburg 1970, ISBN 3-490-01018-3 .
