Lowland nyala
The nyala (Tragelaphus angasii) is a spiral-horned antelope native to southern Africa. It was first described in 1849 by George French Angas. They are very shy cautious creatures. They inhabit thickets within dense and dry savanna woodlands and forage during the daylight hours. The main predators of the nyala are lion, leopard, and Cape hunting dog, while baboons and raptorial birds prey on juveniles.
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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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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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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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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HerdingA herd is a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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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 coat of the nyala is rusty or rufous brown in females and juveniles. It grows a dark brown or slate grey in adult males, often with a bluish tinge. Females and young males have ten or more white vertical stripes on their sides. Other markings are visible on the face, throat, flanks, and thighs. Stripes are very reduced or absent in older males. Both males and females have a white chevron between their eyes and a bushy tail white underside. Both sexes have a dorsal crest of hair running right from the back of the head to the end of the tail. Males have another line of hair along the midline of their chest and belly. Only the males have horns. Horns are 60-83 cm (24-33 in) long and yellow-tipped. There are one or two twists. The spoor is similar to that of the bushbuck, but larger. It is 5-6 cm (2-2.4 in) long. The nyala has hairy glands on its feet, which leave their scent wherever it walks.
Nyala are found across southeast Africa from the Lower Shire Valley in Malawi through Mozambique and Zimbabwe to eastern South Africa and Swaziland. They inhabit dense lowland woodlands, thickets, and lush green river country. They choose places with good quality grasslands as well as the provision of fresh water.
Nyala live in groups of up to 10 individuals that may be mixed or may contain only females or only males. Old males usually live alone. Females often remain near their mothers when they have their offspring, so the relationships in female herds may be considered relatively closer than that of males. Herds usually feed and drink water together. Nyala are not territorial animals and the home ranges of males are approximately equal to that of females and overlap extensively. Nyala are active mainly in the early morning and late afternoon. They browse during the day if temperatures are 20-30 °C (68-86 °F) and during the night in the rainy season. During the hot hours of the day, these antelopes usually rest in thick bushes. They are very shy in nature, and like remaining hidden rather than coming out in the open. Most sightings of nyala in the wild are at water holes. But nowadays they are becoming less shy and often come out in the sight of tourists. Alert and wary in nature, nyala uses a sharp, high, dog-like bark to warn others in a group about the danger. This feature is mainly used by females. They also react to the alarm calls of impala, baboon, and kudu.
Nyala are herbivores. Their diet consists of foliage, fruits, flowers, and twigs. During the rainy season, they feed upon the fresh grass.
Nyala are polygynous meaning that one male mates with more than one female. They breed throughout the year with the peak in spring and autumn. The males fight over dominance during the mating season and when the male enters a female's herd, he makes a display by raising his white dorsal crest, lowering his horns, and moving stiffly. The female gives birth to a single calf after the gestation period of 7 months. Birth takes place generally away from the sight of predators, in places such as a thicket. The calf remains hidden for up to 18 days, and the mother nurses it at regular intervals. The young usually remains with its mother until the birth of the next calf, during which males in rut drive it away from the mother. Females reach reproductive maturity at 11 to 12 months of age and males start to breed when they are 18 months old.
The major threats to the population of the nyala include habitat loss, agriculture, and cattle grazing. Poaching is another serious threat to these beautiful antelopes and the males are highly prized as game animals in Africa.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total nyala population size is 36,500 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...