 Bushbuck (Tragelaphus
scriptus)
Description. Bushbuck are antelope
that have a light-to-dark brown coat with white markings. Females are
usually a lighter brown than males.Only males have horns, which usually
spiral once and are fairly straight, parallel to one another. Both
sexes have white spots and stripes, the patterns of which vary
geographically. The muzzle is white.
Size. Male bushbucks are bigger than
females, with weights ranging from 40 to 80 kg and shoulder heights
from 70 to 100 cm. Females weigh about 25 to 60 kg and are 65 to 85 cm
tall.
Habitat. Bushbuck live in forest
edges or brushy cover associated with rivers and streams. Though they
may be seen during the day, at night they move out of their home
thicket to somewhat more open areas to feed.
Behavior. Bushbuck are the least
social of the African antelopes. They are often seen singly, although
sometimes small groups of females and their respective young are found.
Bushbuck are seldom territorial, and except for disputes over females
in estrus they are not aggressive toward one another, so in areas with
good quality habitat there may be several animals in close proximity.
These antelope are mainly nocturnal, although they may also be active
at dusk and/or dawn. The daytime is spent concealed from predators in
dense, bushy cover of the type that is usually found near rivers. They
come out at night to feed in more open areas, but never venture far
from some type of cover.
Diet. Bushbucks are herbivores. They
eat herbs and the leaves, twigs, and flowers of a large number of plant
species. They will also occasionally eat fresh grass.
Predators. Virtually all carnivores
their size or larger.
Reproduction. Young can be
born at any time of year. Gestation requires only 180 days, allowing a
female to produce more than one calf per year. A single calf weighing
about 4 kg is born. The calf does not follow its mother out into the
open to forage until it is four months old. It remains hidden in the
dense underbrush in the mean time, and its mother returns periodically
to let it nurse. Sexual maturity is reached at one year, but males'
horns do not reach full size until three years of age.
On Wildcliff. On
fields and meadows. The beautiful one shown in the photo was seen
browsing in the Oak Meadow.
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