Steenbok

Scientific name: Raphicerus campestris.
Common name: Steenbok.
Afrikaans: Steenbok.
Setswana: Phudufudu.

Description

Reddish brown to rich, glossy brick red on the upperparts; white on the underparts, barely extending onto the flanks. The neck is shorter and proportionately thicker than in oribi. The ears are very large. Some animals have a black Y on the forehead and a tapering black stripe on top of the muzzle. The preorbital glands open onto black patches in front of the eyes. The tail is short and the same colour as the body on top, white underneath. Only males have horns, rising from the top of the head, nearly straight, smooth almost to the base where they are lightly ringed, sometimes with irregular changes in thickness. Females have two pairs of mammae between their hindlegs.

Habitat

Grassland with thick patches of taller grass or bushes for cover, open woodland. Penetrate into the desert along watercourses. Avoid forests, dense woodland and rocky areas. Can survive on farmland and even in peri-urban areas. Independent of water as green food is available; probably has to drink when forage is poor. Prefers an inhabitant of relatively thick scrub-bush, it is almost entirely restricted to the cape fynbos vegetation. It is found in a variety of situations, from scrub-covered sand dunes to wooded gorges on mountain slopes. In the areas where it enters the extreme southern karoo, it can be found along rivers and on scrub-covered hillsides.

Diet

Mixed feeders take grasses, browse, seedpods and fruits; dig for roots and bulbs with the front hooves, but browse is the most important food source.

Behaviour

Occur singly or in pairs. Territorial and both sexes are strongly defensive of jointly held territories. Unlike other small antelope, steenbok defecates and urinates in shallow scrapes dug by front hooves., then covered. These latrines appear to be mainly located around the perimeter of territories and serve a marking role. Steenboks have glands between the hooves, on the throat and in front of each eye; it is presumed the secretions from these glands also play a role in marking territories. Steenboks lie up in cover during the heat of the day, feeding in the early morning and late afternoon; they are also active at night, particularly in areas where they suffer disturbance.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List: Least concern. SA Red Data Book: Least concern.

References

1. Peter Apps, Mammals of Southern Africa, A Field Guide (2012) Page 222-224
2. Madelein J Grundlingh, Africa’s Mammals, Discovering 101 Species (2010) Page 146-14