Cape Goshawk
| Cape Goshawk | ||||||||||||
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Cape Goshawk ( Raphicerus melanotis ) |
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| Raphicerus melanotis | ||||||||||||
| ( Thunberg , 1811) |
The Cape Goshawk ( Raphicerus melanotis ) is a small stocky antelope that occurs in the fynbos of the coastal region of South Africa from the Cedar Mountains across the Cape Peninsula to a little east of East London .
features
With a body weight of 10 kilograms and a shoulder height of 54 centimeters, she is taller than her cousin, the Sharpe old buck . The red-brown coat is grayish and speckled white on top, lighter on the belly and not speckled. The large ears are brown-gray on the outside and white on the inside. The fur is dark between the ears. The males have short (6 to 8 centimeters) smooth horns that protrude vertically from the head. The facial fur is red-brown, the underside of the face red-yellow. The very short tail can hardly be seen.
Way of life
The Cape ibex is mainly nocturnal. It lives solitary in the dense scrub and forest and goes foraging for food, if suitable cover is available, also in orchards and vineyards. It feeds mainly on leaves and also eats lush grass and fruits. Drinking water is not required.
Cape rascals live individually, the males have territories that they defend against other males with their horns. The area is marked with the scent glands in front of the eyes. They urinate on their stool and then give up their stool, which is then sometimes covered with earth.
Cape ibexes breed all year round, but the main mating season is autumn. The fawns are born after a gestation period of seven months, usually in spring. Their fur is darker than that of the adult animals. They become sexually mature after 18 to 24 months. Under favorable conditions, the females have two young animals a year.
Danger
According to reports from the 19th century, the animals were extremely common on the Cape Peninsula and around Port Elizabeth and were seen by the dozen in forest clearings and firebreaks, especially early in the morning and at sunset. It is uncertain whether they were ever at home in the Drakensberg .
The habitat of the Cape ibex is declining due to the transformation of the natural habitat into wood plantations (pine forests). They are also considered pests in the vineyards. The species is rare today, but is not considered endangered by the IUCN ( least concern ). Cape old ibex can also survive in small forests surrounded by agricultural land. Populations on farmland are subject to strong fluctuations, which may be related to population fluctuations of the caracal . In the Addo Elephant National Park the animals were reintroduced after their extinction.
literature
- Gus Mills, Lex Hes: Mammals of Southern Africa. An illustrated encyclopedia. Könnemann, Cologne 1999, ISBN 3-8290-3610-8 .
- Jonathan Kingdon: African Mammals. A&C Black Publishers Ltd. 2004, ISBN 978-0-7136-6981-7
Web links
- Raphicerus melanotis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2012. Posted by: Antelope Specialist Group, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2013.