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Greater kudu - TRAGELAPHUS STREPSICEROS
Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Kudu": "Kudu" comes from the southern African Bantu word "iqudu," for the animal.
Location: Eastern and Southern Africa.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Scrub and open forest; rarely in plains.
Description: The general color is bluish-gray to grayish-brown. Its flanks have a conspicuous series of seven to ten vertical white stripes. There is a long erectile fringe of hair from the chin down the length of the neck, and another along the back as far as the tail. The long horns, found only in the male, average 50 inches long, make two or three complete twists of a spiral, and diverge slightly. These animals reach eight feet long, five feet at the shoulders, and weigh over 700 pounds, with the female somewhat smaller.
Behavior: The kudu lives in small family groups of four or five individuals, often without males. The males sometimes form their own herds, but are frequently solitary. It is largely a nocturnal animal, resting in the shade during the heat of the day. It feeds on leaves and shoots of a large variety of plants, including many usually rejected by other herbivores because of an unpleasant taste. The greater kudu runs heavily and very clumsily, but is an accomplished jumper.
Reproduction: After a seven to eight-month gestation period, a single offspring is born.
Note: Hunting of these creatures for trophies (their horns are particularly beautiful) has endangered the last surviving pockets of this species.
Go to the Artiodactyla Page to learn more about all the even-toed hoofed animals.
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