Greater KuduBy: Logan Hayes

Classification Kingdom – Animalia

Phylum - Chordata

Class – Mammalia

Order - Artiodactyla

Family - Chordata

Genus - Tragelaphus

Species - Tragelaphus Strepsiceros

Physical Characteristics Height : About 3.2-5.2 feet tall Length : 73.82 inches long Weight: 565 lbs. Brown hair with 6-12 thin white stripes

along its back Crest of hair along its spine & under its

chin

Males are much larger in size.

Males have long, spiraling horns reaching 72 inches

in length.

Males stand more vertical than females.

Distribution The Greater Kudu spread themselves from Chad to the Red Sea, South to the Eastern Cape, West to Namibia, and North to mid-Angola.

Habitat The Greater Kudu’s habitat consists

mostly of Eastern and Southern Africa where there is very fertile land. The area that they live is woodland areas and more open country.

Conservation Status The total population of the Greater Kudu is at 482,000.

About 15% of them are in protected areas and 67% are on private land. The population is usually increasing in protected areas and on private land and decreasing other places by about 24%. This does not currently meet the standard for threatened or near threatened status. The IUCN Red List conservation status categorizes the Greater Kudu as “Least Concern”.

Reproductive Characteristics • Only give birth to 1 calf every season• Greater Kudu has gestation period from 6-7 months• Attract mates by fighting with horns

Parental Care Newborn Stays alone with mother

away from herd for 3-4 monthsSix month old Continues to stay

close to mother but has joined the herdTen month old Independence

Longevity & Mortality Live about 25 years in captivity Live about 7-8 years in the wild Male or female no difference in

longevity

LIFE SPAN…

Seasonal Patterns There are very little seasonal patterns that the greater kudu undergo. They may travel slightly to different areas to find more vegetation depending on the season. They are seasonal breeders between February and June shortly after the rainy season.

DIET The Greater Kudu eats different types of fruits like oranges & tangerines but also leaves, vines, flowers, and bitter herbs. They eat mostly wild watermelons in the dry season.

Predator Relationships Often hunted by:

Lions Eagles Cheetahs Humans Leopards Pythons Spotted Hyenas

Human Relationships Zoo’s Captivity Hunting

Fun Facts

Is active for about 24 hours of the day They can run 35 mph…females can run miles w/o stopping Are capable of jumping 7 ft. in the air Have a strong enough kick to break a wild dog’s neck

Works Cited Works Cited The Animal Files. Liza Carruthers, Nov. 2006. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.

<http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/hoofed_mammals/kudu_greater.html>.

Cook, Fred, Dr, et al., comps. THE ENCYLCOPEDIA OF ANIMALS. Sydney, Australia: Sheena Coupe, 2004. Print.

Coppard, Kip. Africa's Animal Kingdom. London: PRC Publishing, 2001. Print.

Greater Kudu. Brent Huffman, 22 Mar. 2004. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/Tragelaphus_strepsiceros.html>.

InterestingFunFacts.com. nainaparashar, 2012. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. <http://www.interestingfunfacts.com/fun-facts-about-kudu.html>.

Stuart, Chris, and Tilde Stuart. Africa's Vanishing Wildlife. South Africa: Southern Book Publishers Ltd, 1996. Print.