Lechwe: Information from Answers.com

Lechwe

Red Lechwe
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Genus:	Kobus
Species:	K. leche
Binomial name
*Kobus leche* Gray, 1850
Subspecies
Kobus leche leche Kobus leche kafuensis Kobus leche robertsi Kobus leche smithemani

A female Lechwe "flying" over a patch of clear water early in the morning in the Okavango Delta

The Lechwe, or Southern Lechwe, (Kobus leche) is an antelope found in Botswana, Zambia, south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, north-eastern Namibia, and eastern Angola, especially in the Okavango Delta, Kafue Flats and Bangweulu Swamps.

Lechwe stand 90 to 100 centimetres at the shoulder and weigh from 70 to 120 kilograms. They are golden brown with a white belly. Males are darker in colour, but general hue varies depending on subspecies. The long spiral structured horns are vaguely lyre-shaped, they are found only in males. The hind legs are somewhat longer in proportion than in other antelopes, to ease long-distance running in marshy soil.

Lechwe are found in marshy areas where they eat aquatic plants. They use the knee-deep water as protection from predators. Their legs are covered in a water repelling substance allowing them to run quite fast in knee-deep water.

Lechwe are diurnal. They gather in herds which can include many thousands of individuals. Herds are usually all of one sex but during mating season they mix.

Subspecies

There are four subspecies of the Lechwe:^[2]^[3]

Red Lechwe or Zambesi Lechwe (Kobus l. leche) - most of range. Overall tawny-fawn with black to front of front legs.
Kafue Lechwe or Brown Lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis) - Kafue Flats. As previous, but front legs almost entirely black. Vulnerable.^[4]
Roberts' Lechwe or Kawambwa Lechwe (Kobus leche robertsi) - formerly near Kawambwa. Extinct.^[5]
Black Lechwe or Bangweulu Lechwe (Kobus leche smithemani) - Bangweulu Swamps. Adult male blackish. Vulnerable.^[6]

References

^ IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2008). Kobus leche. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 10 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern.
^ Groves, C. (2005). Wilson, D. E., & Reeder, D. M.. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3.
^ Haltenorth, T. & H. Diller. 1980. Mammals of Africa including Madagascar. Harpercollins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-219778-2
^ IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2008). Kobus leche ssp. kafuensis. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 23 July 2008.
^ IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2008). Kobus leche ssp. robertsi. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 23 July 2008.
^ IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2008). Kobus leche ssp. smithemani. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 23 July 2008.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kobus leche

ARKive - images and movies of the black lechwe (Kobus leche smithemani)

Extant Artiodactyla species

Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Mammalia · Infraclass: Eutheria · Superorder: Laurasiatheria

Suborder Ruminantia

Family Cervidae

Muntiacinae

Muntiacus	Indian Muntjac (M. muntjak) · Reeves's Muntjac (M. reevesi) · Hairy-fronted Muntjac (M. crinifrons) · Fea's Muntjac (M. feae) · Bornean Yellow Muntjac (M. atherodes) · Roosevelt's muntjac (M. rooseveltorum) · Gongshan muntjac (M. gongshanensis) · Giant Muntjac (M. vuquangensis) · Truong Son Muntjac (M. truongsonensis) · Leaf muntjac (M. putaoensis)

Elaphodus	Tufted deer (E. cephalophus)

Cervinae

Hydropotinae

Hydropotes

Water deer (H. inermis)

Capreolinae

Family Bovidae

Cephalophinae

Hippotraginae

Hippotragus	Roan Antelope (H. equinus) · Sable Antelope (H. niger)

Oryx	East African Oryx (O. beisa) · Scimitar Oryx (O. dammah) · Gemsbok (O. gazella) · Arabian Oryx (O. leucoryx)

Addax	Addax (A. nasomaculatus)

Reduncinae

Kobus	Upemba Lechwe (K. anselli) · Waterbuck (K. ellipsiprymnus) · Kob (K. kob) · *Lechwe (K. leche)* · Nile Lechwe (K. megaceros) · Puku (K. vardonii)

Redunca	Southern Reedbuck (R. arundinum) · Mountain Reedbuck (R. fulvorufula) · Bohor Reedbuck (R. redunca)

Aepycerotinae

Aepyceros

Impala (A. melampus)

Peleinae

Pelea

Grey Rhebok (P. capreolus)

Alcelaphinae

Beatragus	Hirola (B. hunteri)

Damaliscus	Korrigum (D. korrigum) · Common Tsessebe (D. lunatus) · Bontebok (D. pygargus) · Bangweulu Tsessebe (D. superstes)

Alcelaphus	Hartebeest (A. buselaphus) · Red Hartebeest (A. caama) · Lichtenstein's Hartebeest (A. lichtensteinii)

Connochaetes	Black Wildebeest (C. gnou) · Blue Wildebeest (C. taurinus)

Pantholopinae

Pantholops

Tibetan antelope (P. hodgsonii)

Caprinae

Large subfamily listed below

Bovinae

Large subfamily listed below

Antilopinae

Large subfamily listed below

Family Bovidae (subfamily Caprinae)

Ammotragus	Barbary Sheep (A. lervia)

Budorcas	Takin (B. taxicolor)

Capra	Wild goat (C. aegagrus) · West Caucasian Tur (C. caucasia) · East Caucasian Tur (C. cylindricornis) · Markhor (C. falconeri) · Alpine Ibex (C. ibex) · Nubian Ibex (C. nubiana) · Spanish Ibex (C. pyrenaica) · Siberian Ibex (C. sibirica) · Walia Ibex (C. walie)

Hemitragus	Nilgiri Tahr (H. hylocrius) · Arabian Tahr (H. jayakari) · Himalayan Tahr (H. jemlahicus)

Naemorhedus	Red Goral (N. baileyi) · Japanese Serow (N. crispus) · Long-tailed Goral (N. caudatus) · Gray Goral (N. goral) · Mainland Serow (N. sumatraensis) · Taiwan Serow (N. swinhoei)

Oreamnos	Mountain goat (O. americanus)

Ovibos	Muskox (O. moschatus)

Ovis	Argali (O. ammon) · Domestic sheep (O. aries) · Bighorn Sheep (O. canadensis) · Dall Sheep (O. dalli) · Mouflon (O. musimon) · Snow sheep (O. nivicola) · Urial (O. orientalis)

Pseudois	Bharal (P. nayaur) · Dwarf Blue Sheep (P. schaeferi)

Rupicapra	Pyrenean Chamois (R. pyrenaica) · Chamois (R. rupicapra)

Family Bovidae (subfamily Bovinae)

Boselaphini

Tetracerus	Four-horned Antelope (T. quadricornis)

Boselaphus	Nilgai (B. tragocamelus)

Bovini

Strepsicerotini

Tragelaphus	Sitatunga (T. spekeii) · Nyala (T. angasii) · Bushbuck (T. scriptus) · Mountain Nyala (T. buxtoni) · Lesser Kudu (T. imberbis) · Greater Kudu (T. strepsiceros) · Bongo (T. eurycerus)

Taurotragus	Common Eland (T. oryx) · Giant Eland (T. derbianus)

Family Bovidae (subfamily Antilopinae)

Antilopini

Saigini

Pantholops	Tibetan antelope (P. hodgsonii)

Saiga	Saiga Antelope (S. tatarica)

Neotragini

Dorcatragus	Beira (D. megalotis)

Madoqua	Günther's Dik-dik (M. guentheri) · Kirk's Dik-dik (M. kirkii) · Silver Dik-dik (M. piacentinii) · Salt's Dik-dik (M. saltiana)

Neotragus	Bates's Pygmy Antelope (N. batesi) · Suni (N. moschatus) · Royal Antelope (N. pygmaeus)

Oreotragus	Klipspringer (O. oreotragus)

Ourebia	Oribi (O. ourebi)

Raphicerus	Steenbok (R. campestris) · Cape Grysbok (R. melanotis) · Sharpe's Grysbok (R. sharpei)

Suborder Suina

Suidae

Tayassuidae

Tayassu	White-lipped Peccary (T. pecari)

Catagonus	Chacoan Peccary (C. wagneri)

Pecari	Collared Peccary (P. tajacu) · Giant Peccary (P. maximus)

Suborder Tylopoda

Camelidae

Lama	Llama (L. glama) · Guanaco (L. guanicoe)

Vicugna	Vicuña (V. vicugna) · Alpaca (V. pacos)

Camelus	Dromedary (C. dromedarius) · Bactrian Camel (C. bactrianus)

Cetartiodactyla (unranked clade, higher than Artiodactyla)

Hippopotamidae

Hippopotamus	Hippopotamus (H. amphibius)

Choeropsis	Pygmy Hippopotamus (C. liberiensis)

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