Cape bushbuck, Imbabala, Cape bushbuck
The bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus ) is a common and a widespread species of antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa. Bushbuck are found in a wide range of habitats, such as rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaic, savanna, bushveld and woodland. Bushbuck stand about 90 centimetres (35 in) at the shoulder and weigh from 45 to 80 kilograms (99 to 176 lb). They are generally solitary, territorial browsers.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
A territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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SolitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe bushbuck is a widespread species of antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa. These animals have a light brown coat, with up to seven white stripes and white splotches on the sides. The white patches are usually geometrically shaped and on the most mobile parts of their body such as the ears, chin, tail, legs, and neck. The muzzle is also white and horns are found only on the males.
Bushbuck occur from the Cape in South Africa to Angola and Zambia and up the eastern part of Africa to Ethiopia and Somalia. These antelopes live in rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaics, and bush savanna forest and woodland.
Bushbuck are the only not territorial and solitary animals. The mature males usually go out of their way to stay away from each other. They live within a "home" area, which is usually around 50 000 square meters on the savannah and much larger in the forest, which they do not normally leave. These areas usually overlap other bushbuck home areas. These antelopes are usually most active during early morning and part of the night but tend to be nocturnal near human habitations. They spend their day feeding, standing and moving about. When threatened bushbuck will lie flat on the ground, or may run away producing series of hoarse barks. When feeling the danger in the open area, they may stand still or will slowly walk to the nearest cover.
Bushbuck are herbivorous (folivorous) animals. They eat different herbs and the leaves, twigs, and flowers of various plant species. On rare occasions, they will also eat fresh grass.
Little is known about the mating system in bushbuck. Breeding takes place throughout the year with the peak during the rainy season in dry regions. Females give birth to a single calf after the gestation period that lasts around 7 months. After giving birth the mother leaves her calf well hidden and visits only to nurse it. The young calf starts to come out with its mother during the day when it is about 4 months old. Females become reproductively mature at 14 months age while males reach reproductive maturity at 11 months but generally do not mate until the age of 3 years.
The main threat to bushbuck is habitat loss due to the unsustainable growth of agriculture, settlements, and roads. Hunting pressures pose another threat to these animals in parts of their range as some local tribes continue to hunt bushbuck for their skin.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of bushbuck is around 1,340,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
