The Classification of Kudu
Kingdom ~ Animalia
Phylum ~ Chordata
Class ~ Mammalia
Order ~ Artiodactyla
Family ~ Bovidae
Subfamily ~ Bovinae
Tribe ~ Tragelaphini strepsiceros
The Body Weight of the Males is 495-695lb ~(225-315kg)
And the females have 395-475lb (180-215kg)
The Height is 3ft 11in-41t 11in (1.2 1.5m)
The Length:m is 6ft 5in-7tt 10in (1.95-2.4m)
plus the tail 1t 4in-1ft 8in (40-50cm)
The Gestation Period is 7 months
It produce 1 young
The Lifespan of kudu is 8-12 years
The second tallest antelope after the eland, with a distinct hump at the shoulder, and a coat marked with up to ten narrow white body stripes.
Males have a long neck mane and beautiful spirally twisted horns measuring approximately 3ft 9in-4ft 2in (1.15-1.3m). Old males have two and a half to three spiral turns to their horns, which are a prized hunting
trophy
Voice Males have a gruff bark, which is similar to but louder than that of a bushbuck.
Habitat
Kudu are still a common species in the wildlife areas of southern Africa, but due to loss of suitable habitat they are uncommon in East Africa. They prefer mixed scrub woodland and acacia bush country in lowland areas, and rocky wooded terrain in hill country
Habits
Nocturnal and diurnal, hiding during the day when persecuted. Kudu are gregarious, and are most commonly seen in small groups of four to six cows and calves, and separate bachelor herds of three to five males. Females stay in their natal herd at maturity, while males leave at two years old. They are mature by the time they are five and their horns are fully developed when they are six years old. Older bulls are often solitary and defend a territory during the breeding Season which may overlap the home ranges of two or three cow herds.
Sometimes a number of female families join together to form a single herd of up to 20-30 individuals durings he rainy season, but these are only temporary associations. When undisturbed kudu feed at night and in the early morning and evening, resting p in cover during the hotter hours of the day, They have excellent hearin8 and can be very secretive. When alarmed they make off with their tail Curled up over their back to reveal the white underside, providing a visual alarm signal for other herd members follow. Males run with their horns laid back to avoid snagging them on Overhanging branches. They are very agile and can leap an 8ft (2.4m) fence blocking their path.
Reproduction
There is a peak in births during the any season, and females seek cover when giving birth Calves remain hidden for the first two weeks, then join the herd during the daytime. They continue to lie out at night for another two weeks and suckle for up to six months.
The Diet of the Kudu
Kudu are browsers, eating the leaves, shoots and flowers of a wide variety of plants. They also feed on fruit, vines, seedpods and small amounts of grass. They drink where water is readily available but can subsist in waterless regions by feeding on succulents. They can be destructive to cultivation and vegetables.
Predation
The Lions,
The Cheetah,
The spotted hyaenas,
Hunting dogs kill adults and young, and
Leopards take yearlings and calves.
The smaller cats, eagles and pythons prey on young calves.
Kudu, along with eland, are considered to be the
best jumpers of local species (adults supposedly
able to clear 3 m-high obstacles from standing).
In fact, the faster they are moving when jumping,
the lower they go, but the further they reach. This
is used when trying to evade predators and is one
of their best defence mechanisms along with their
disruptive stripe colouration.
Greater kudus have a lifespan of 7 to 8 years in the wild, and up to 23 years in captivity. They may be active throughout the 24-hour day. Herds disperse during the rainy season when food is plentiful. During the dry season, there are only a few concentrated areas of food so the herds will congregate. Greater kudu are not territorial; they have home areas instead. Maternal herds have home ranges of approximately 4 square kilometers and these home ranges can overlap with other maternal herds. Home ranges of adult males are about 11 square kilometers and generally encompass the ranges of two or three female groups. Females usually form small groups of 6–10 with their offspring, but sometimes they can form a herd up to 20 individuals. Male kudus may form small bachelor groups, but they are more commonly found as solitary and widely dispersed individuals. Solitary males will join the group of females and calves (usually 6–10 individuals per group) only during the mating season (April–May in South Africa).
The male kudus are not always physically aggressive with each other, but sparring can sometimes occur between males, especially when both are of similar size and stature. The male kudus exhibit this sparring behavior by interlocking horns and shoving one another. Dominance is established until one male exhibits the lateral display. In rare circumstances, sparring can result in both males being unable to free themselves from the other's horns, which can then result in the death of both animals.
Rarely will a herd reach a size of forty individuals, partly because of the selective nature of their diet which would make foraging for food difficult in large groups. A herd's area can encompass 800 to 1,500 acres (3.2 to 6.1 km2), and spend an average of 54% of the day foraging for food
Greater kudus have both benefited and suffered from interaction with humans. Humans are turning much of the kudu's natural habitat into farmland, restricting their home ranges. Humans have also destroyed woodland cover, which they use for their habitat. However, wells and irrigation set up by humans has also allowed the greater kudu to occupy territory that would have been too devoid of water for them previously. The greater kudu are also a target for poachers for meat and horns. The horns of greater kudus are commonly used to make Shofars, a Jewish ritual horn blown at Rosh Hashanah.
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