bushbuck

 

small, delicate, spiral-horned antelope, Tragelaphus scriptus, of tropical Africa. Bushbucks live in pairs in thick forest, browsing on leaves and shrubs by night and resting during the day. Their chief predator is the leopard. Adult males stand less than 3 ft (90 cm) high at the shoulder and weigh about 100 lb (45 kg). The horns, borne only by the male, are about 16 in. (40 cm) long. The coat is reddish brown with scattered white markings, with males darker than females and young. Other species of the genus Tragelaphus are known as nyalas and sitatungas, although animals of this genus are sometimes referred to collectively as bushbucks. All are retiring, largely nocturnal antelopes; the female is hornless. The nyala, T. angasi, is a medium-sized antelope that inhabits the bush country and thickets of central Africa. The mountain nyala, T. buxtoni, is a very large antelope of the highlands of Ethiopia; the male may stand 4¹/₂ ft (135 cm) high. The sitatunga, or marsh buck, T. spekei, is a large antelope found in swampy forests in central Africa; it is a good swimmer, but it is awkward on land. Bushbucks are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae.

This article is about the Bushbuck antelope. For the 1991 computer game, see BushBuck Charms, Viking Ships & Dodo Eggs.

Bushbuck
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Subfamily: Bovinae Genus: Tragelaphus Species: T. scriptus
Binomial name
Tragelaphus scriptus (Pallas, 1766)

The Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) is an antelope that is found in forest and woodland throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

Bushbuck stand about 90 centimetres at the shoulder and weigh from 30 to 80 kilograms (depending on sex). Bushbuck have a light brown coat, with up to seven white stripes and white splotches on the sides. The muzzle is also white. Horns are found only on the males and they can reach over half a metre with only one twist.

Bushbuck are found in all types of bush, from open forest to dense woodland. They eat mainly grass but supplement their diet with any other plant matter they can reach. Bushbuck are active around 24 hours a day but tend to be nocturnal near human habitations. Bushbuck tend to be solitary, though some live in pairs.

All bushbucks live within a "home" area they will not normally leave this area, which is usually around 50,000 square metres on the savannah and much larger in the forest. These areas usually overlap other bushbuck home areas.

References

• Antelope Specialist Group (1996). Tragelaphus scriptus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.

External links

• Bushbuck: Wildlife summary from the African Wildlife Foundation

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