Sitatunga

Sitatunga
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Bovinae
Genus:	Tragelaphus
Species:	T. spekii
Binomial name
Tragelaphus spekii (Sclater, 1863)

The sitatunga or marshbuck (Tragelaphus spekii) is a swamp-dwelling antelope found throughout Central Africa, centering on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon and parts of Southern Sudan as well as in Ghana, Botswana, Zambia, Gabon, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.

Description

Sitatunga stand about one and a half metres at the shoulder. Sitatunga have a water-proof coat which is dark brown in males and reddish brown in females. Both sexes have white stripes and spots as well as white splotches on their faces. Their hooves are long and thin to deal with the Sitatunga's swampy habitat. Males have a mane as well as horns, which are twisted and can reach almost a metre in length.

Behavior

Sitatunga live in papyrus swamps and are very good swimmers. They may take to the water to evade predators such as leopards or African wild dogs, lying submerged in pools with only their nostrils above the surface. They are crepuscular although they are also somewhat active at night and day. Sitatunga can be solitary; females tend to stick in herds while males become mostly solitary after mating.

External links

• African Wildlife Fund