GREATER KUDU, Tragelaphus strepsiceros

WHAT IT IS

The second tallest antelope, with the most spectacular horns. Narrow bodied, long legged. ~ wt 418-693 lb (190 315 kg), ht 48-60 in (122 150 cm); ~ wt 264 473 lb (120 215 kg), ht 40 56 in (100 140 cm). Head proportionally small with huge, cupped ears. Horns 2.5 turns (rarely, 3); average 48 in, record 72 (180 cm). Coat smooth except spinal crest in both sexes and beard in male only. Color red brown to blue gray; males turn darker with age; 6 to 10 torso stripes; prominent white nose chevron and small cheek spots; dark garters on upper legs; black tipped tail with white underside.

WHERE IT LIVES

Over much of eastern and southern Africa, from Chad nearly to the Red Sea, south to Cape Province, west to Namibia and north to mid Angola. Adept at concealment and catholic in diet (including garden produce), it is one of the few large mammals that thrives in settled areas (in the scrub woodland and bush that reclaims abandoned fields and degraded pastures). Still common in southern Africa but in East Africa its lowland habitat has been mostly expropriated, leaving only isolated populations on some mountains.

GOOD PLACES TO SEE IT

Selous and Ugalla GR, Ruaha NP, Tanzania; Luambe and Luanwga NP, Zambia; Hwange NP and most other Zimbabwe parks; Kruger NP and Natal reserves, South Africa; Etosha NP, Namibia.

ECOLOGY

Need for concealment limits habitat choices, partially offset by ability to live in waterless areas. Preferred habitat includes mixed scrub woodland, acacia, and mopane bush on lowlands, hills, and mountains. A gourmet browser, it eats many kinds of leaves, herbs, fallen fruits, vines, tubers, succulents, and flowers, sometimes varied with a little new grass. Kudus studied in Kruger NP made extensive seasonal movements, dispersing in deciduous woodland in the rains and in the dry season clustering along rivers and the bases of hills where the most nutritious, evergreen growth is found.

ACTIVITY

Night and day. Adult females studied in Kruger NP spent 50 to 58% of a 24 hour day foraging, 45% at night. Finding these animals more active in daytime suggests the usual habit of hiding by day and coming out at night is imposed by human predation.

SOCIAL/MATING SYSTEM

Herds typically include 1 to 3 females and their offspring, but averages may vary seasonally, being smaller early and late in the dry season and larger in the rains. Kruger NP herds average 5 to 6 (up to 15), and are based on continuing associations of the same cows. Temporary mergers of cow herds are also common, forming groups up to 20 to 30 kudus. Two radio tracked herds had home ranges of 889 acres (360 ha) and 1284 acres (520 ha).
Bachelor herds of 2 to 10 males are transient and may include mature bulls after the annual mating peak. Whether an established rank hierarchy exists among local bulls is unclear, although individuals with overlapping home ranges have enough contact to know who's the boss. In Kruger NP, many bulls disperse singly during the rains but at least some return consistently to the same core areas after absences of 4 to 5 months. The home ranges of 2 radio collared bulls were 2717 acres (1100 ha) and included the ranges of 2 to 3 cow herds, with which males associated only during the breeding season.

REPRODUCTION

Annual in southern Africa, calving February and March when grass is high. Near equator, mating peaks as rains end and calving peaks during rainy season. Gestation 9 months; females may conceive at 2, a year before maturing. Males mature at 5 and keep growing.

OFFSPRING AND MATERNAL CARE

After hiding 2 weeks calves join maternal herd but continue to lie out, at least at night, 4 to 5 weeks. Mothers suckle c. 7 minutes at a time until the calf is nearly 3 weeks old. Juveniles nutritionally self sufficient at 6 months but stay in the maternal herd, females indefinitely; males disperse in second or third year.

PREDATORS

Lions and spotted hyenas kill adults, the other large carnivores prey on yearlings and calves; newborns also vulnerable to smaller carnivores.

DIFFERENCES IN GREATER KUDU BEHAVIOR

Advertising Dominance

Barking. male greater kudu's gruff bark is one of loudest sounds antelopes make.

Aggressive Displays

Broadside display, with head up, low or turned away, back humped, dorsal crest and tail bristling.

Locking horns during combat. Extremely rare, yet dead kudus with locked horns are occasionally found.

Submission/Surrender

Evasion: sidestepping, lodging behind obstacles. Response of subadultmales to displaying superior.

Courtship

Driving female and drawing alongside.

Neck pressing.

VOCAL ACCOMPANIMENT

Males whine, gasp, cluck, grunt, hum.

Mother and Offspring

Retrieving calf, mother gives "smacking" call or signals visually by lowering and raising neck several times.

Other calls: female hums, changing to a moo when mouth opened; calves give u-u-u distress call.

Social licking between mother and calf; other females also social lick calves.

Response to Predators

Sneaking. Kudu that sees an enemy without itself being seen often sneaks away.

High jumping flight with white tail displayed. obstacles over 8 ft (2.5 m) high easily cleared. Males raise chin high so that horns lie at shoulder level.
Reprinted from "The Safari Companion" by Richard Estes
nature@nature-wildlife.com