The Topi of the Savanna woodland

 What is a topi?

They are medium­-sized antelopes with a striking reddish-brown to purplish-red coat. Distinct black patches appear on their face, their upper forelegs, and on their hips and thighs. To complete their singular appearance, the topi's yellowish-tan legs look like they are encased in stockings.

Although not quite as large as their relative the hartebeest (kongoni), topis have a similar body shape. However, it does not have such a long, narrow head, nor are they as high at the shoulder. Female topis are usually lighter in color than the males. Both sexes have thick, heavily ringed, lyre-shaped horns that are about  30 to 40 centimeters long (11 to 16 inches). Topis have good sight and hearing and can run quite fast with a bounding gait.

Kingdom ~ Animalia

Phylum ~ Chordata

Class ~ Mammalia

Order ~ Artiodactyla

Family ~ Bovidae

Subfamily ~ Alcelaphinae

Genus ~ Damaliscus

Species ~ D. lunatus

Subspecies ~ D. l. jimela

Synonyms

Damaliscus korrigum jimela 

Damaliscus korrigum selousi 

Damaliscus corrigum jimela 

Damaliscus phalius Cabrera

Damaliscus korrigum eurus Blain

Damaliscus korrigum ugandae 

Damaliscus jimela

Damaliscus selousi

Damaliscus eurus

Damaliscus ugandae.

The word tope or topi is Swahili, and was first recorded in the 1880s by the German explorer Gustav Fischer to refer to the local topi population in the Lamu island region of Kenya; this population is now designated as Damaliscus lunatus topi. Contemporaneously, in English, sportsmen referred to the animal as a Senegal hartebeest, as it was considered the same species as what is now recognised as D. lunatus korrigum.

The hair colour of the pelage may vary across the different geographic subpopulations, being darker or lighter

This subspecies has horns with a shape that gives the effect of the space between them having a lyrate profile when seen from a certain angle, as opposed to lunate, which is seen in the sassaby subspecies found to the south: D. lunatus lunatus and D. lunatus superstes. It is in principal indistinguishable from D. lunatus topi, the topi population found to the east along the coasts.A hartebeest also has lyrate horns, but these are sharper angled.

Gestation Period: 7.5-8 months.

Young per Birth: 1

~Weaning

 After 4 months.

Sexual Maturity: Females at 1.5-2 years, males at 3-4 years.

~The Life span

 12-15 years, and will end with the animals teeth falling out if they are not depredated before this stage.

Births occur during well-defined periods of time, which varies among populations but are generally between July and December.  Topi have evolved so as to be able to stall the labour process in the event of a threat.  Young topi lay hidden for a few days before following their mothers, but will rest more frequently than adults.  Often, similarly aged calves will form a kindergarten, which may be guarded by a single female while the other mothers spread out to graze.

~Ecology and Behavior

Topi are most famous for their sentry position, in which a single animal will stand on a termite mound for hours surveying the surrounding territory.  Termite mounds are also a favourite resting area, and topi may even doze off while lying on these raised platforms.  Adult males hold territories which vary dramatically in size from 1-3 hectares in southern Africa to a recorded 400 hectares in Kruger National Park.  Generally, smaller territories are only held briefly during the breeding season.  A male will mark his personal range with urine, dung piles, digging up the soil with his horns, and by smearing secretions from his preorbital glands on vegetation.  Competition betwen rival males consists primarily of posturing and ritualistic sparring with the horns, which involves crashing their horns together as both lunge forward to their knees.

  During the breeding season, a territorial bull is readily recognized by his erect posture, with his head held high above his body.  If alarmed suddenly, topi may actually jump over one another in their haste to flee the area.  While they generally run at a jog, if pressed they may reach speeds in excess of 70 kmph / 44 mph.  While on the move, topi have the odd habit of bobbing their heads, which has been suggested to be a "let's go!" motion derived from a threat gesture.

The Herd

Mature males solitary, or loosely associated with a group of 8-20 females and their young.  Bachelor males between 1 and 4 years of age form small bachelor herds.  Large migratory herds of several thousand animals also form among certain populations.

~Diet Of Topi

Grasses, very rarely leaves.  Topi drink daily if possible, but can go for long periods without water.

Main Predators: Lion, leopard, cheetah, Cape hunting dog.

Distribution

Savannas, floodplains, and semideserts throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

The Topi habitat is primarily savannas and grasslands and pastures excess of grass into the dry season. The body color of Topi is usually reddish-brown. Their populations move in a herd containing a dominating male, a group of females, and their offspring. There are five subspecies of these. The males have more distinctive features than females. They are taller, darker than the females. Also, the males have curve-shaped horns. The other subspecies of Damaliscus lunatus are Serengeti topi, Ruaha topi, and Uganda topi

Females can delay giving birth if there is imminent danger.

Calving normally occurs once a year and is timed for periods when grass supplies are plentiful. Nonetheless, topis are almost as flexible in their reproduction as they are in social organizations. If food supplies are particularly good, then they will conceive at different times of the year, with shorter intervals between calves. Females have also developed the ability to stall the labor process if they sense immediate danger.

The topi give birth to a plain savanna with small  woodland 

Behaviors

They are extroverted and even mingle outside of their species.

Topis are exceptionally gregarious and live in herds of 15 to 20. In some places, it is possible to see herds of hundreds. They have a flexible social structure. Sedentary populations display the usual residence pattern — small herds led by a dominant male. During migratory periods, large numbers of animals congregate together indiscriminately. When the group stops, even if for just a few hours, males establish small, temporary territories in which they shepherd the females.

They also spend much of their time with other antelopes, such as wildebeest, and also with zebras and ostriches

Habitats

Where do topis live?

Their favorite habitats are floodplains, but they are sometimes found in dry areas of open savanna and park woodland, taking to the shade during the heat of the day. The largest number of topis are found in Southern Sudan and Tanzania's Serengeti National Park.