Scientific Name:

Tragelaphus Scriptus

Description:

Only males have horns, which usually spiral once and are fairly straight, parallel to one another, and up to a half meter long. Females are usually a lighter brown than males. Both sexes have white spots and stripes, the patterns of which vary geographically.

Habitat:

Bushbucks can be found throughout their broad distribution wherever there is adequate cover for concealment, nearly irrespective of altitude or aridity. They live in forest edges or brushy cover associated with rivers and streams. During the night they move out of their home thicket to somewhat more open areas to feed. Bushbuck’s preferred habitat is dense bush at the base of mountains or along river courses. This antelope is always found close to permanent water courses.

Distribution:

The bushbuck is a rather large antelope which relies on vegetation for cover. Bushbuck can be found in most of sub-Saharan Africa, especially in areas where it can easily be concealed.

Size:

Shoulder heights from 70 to 100 cm.

Weight:

Male bushbucks are bigger than females, with weights ranging from 40 to 80 kg.

Lifespan:

12 years or more.

Scientific Name:

Connochaetes Taurinus

Description:

Blue wildebeest are large African bovids with robust muzzles and cow-like horns. The horns are long without ridges and the males' horns are thicker with the appearance of a boss. Wildebeests have short hair covering their bodies, and their color ranges from slate gray to dark brown, with males darker than females. There are black vertical stripes of longer hair on their backs. Wildebeests also have black faces, manes, and tails. The different subspecies of wildebeest vary in color. Connochaetes t. johnstoni is the largest subspecies and the western white-bearded wildebeest (C.t. mearnsi) is the smallest. Connochaetes t. mearnsi is the darkest group of wildbeest and C.t. albojubatus is the palest. Connochaetes t. taurinus individuals are slate gray in color, the origin of the common name "blue" wildebeest.

Habitat:

Wildebeests thrive in areas that are neither too wet nor too dry. They can be found in places that vary from overgrazed areas with dense bush to open woodland floodplains. Wildebeests prefer the bushlands and grasslands of the southern savanna. Large herds numbering into the thousands may be observed on the Tanzania Serengeti equatorial plain, and in Zambia in Liuwa Plain National Park, in their annual migration. Smaller herds of about thirty are found in northern Botswana, Zimbabwe and the South African locations of Waterberg, Kruger National Park and Mala Mala. Some herds can be found almost to the southern tip of South Africa.

Distribution:

The range of the wildebeest includes the plains and acacia savannas of eastern Africa. This range extends from the equator to the tip of South Africa.

Size:

It grows to 1.4 meters shoulder height.

Weight:

Attains a body mass of up to 270 kilograms.

Lifespan:

Life span in excess of twenty years.

Scientific Name:

Damaliscus Dorcas Phillipsi

Description:

Bontesbuck and blesbuck share an adult color pattern where the relatively dark dorsal pelage contrasts sharply with high, white stockings and buttocks. Bontebuck have a dark and glossy, purplish-brown dorsal pelage, while blesbuck dorsal pelage is a dull, reddish-brown. Blesbuck also have dark fur on their rumps, while bontebuck have a white patch surrounding the tail. Calves are born with lighter brown pelage and dark faces and are identical to the young of topi (Damaliscus lunatus). Both sexes of both subspecies develop large and curving, gazelle-like horns Their short tail is tufted with black fur. A characteristic of the Blesbuck is the prominent white blaze on the face and a horizontal brown strip which divides this blaze above the eyes. Body colour is brown with a lighter coloured saddle on the back, and the rump an even lighter shade. The legs are brown with a white patch behind the top part of the front legs. Lower legs whitish. Both sexes carry horns, ringed almost to the tip. Female horns are slightly more slender.

Habitat:

Bontebok and blesbok are found in South African grasslands. When first encountered by Europeans at the end of the 17th century all reports indicated that they were restricted to grasslands and were not seen until the karroid areas of the central parts of the Cape Province had been traversed. Their former distribution indicates that they were confined to the Highveld plateau grasslands where water was available.

Distribution:

Damaliscus pygargus occurs in southern Africa. There are two physically distinct and well-recognized subspecies: bontebok (D. p. pygargus) are found in the highveld and coastal plains of South Africa, blesbok (D. p. phillipsi) are found in eastern and central Free State

Size:

Head and body length ranges from 140 to 160 cm, tail length from 30 to 45 cm.

Weight:

Males are typically larger than females, with female body mass ranging from 55 to 70 kg, and male body mass ranging from 65 to 80 kg. Bontebok average 8kg lighter than blesbok, which helps to distinguish the two.

Lifespan:

10-13 Years.