Dave Taylor's African Safari: Trophic Level II - The Herbivores - Bohor’s Reedbuck

Dave Taylor's African Safari: Trophic Level II - The Herbivores - Bohor’s Reedbuck - Page 33

Trophic Level II - The Herbivores
Bohor’s Reedbuck
Page 33

Redunca redunca

Length: 100-135 cm (39-53")

Height: 65-89 cm (26-35")

Tail: 18-20 cm (7-8")

Weight: 35-45 kg (77-99 lb.)

Status: Common

Habitat: Bohor’s reedbuck likes large areas of swampy grasslands where there are annual extremes of drought, flooding and fire. They are seldom found more than 25 kilometers (15 miles) from water even during the worst droughts. Bohor’s reedbuck needs cover to hide.

Food: Bohor’s reedbuck is exclusively a grazer. It feeds on the dominant grasses in its habitat. Most feeding is at night. They might move as far as 8 kilometers (5 miles) from their range in order to feed on some choice grasses. During the dry season, they will feed during the daytime. They must drink at least every two days.

Social System: Bohor’s reedbuck (males) have territories between 25 and 65 hectares (62-160 acres). This range will overlap the territories or ranges of from one to five females with which the male will mate. Except for breeding periods, the animals remain solitary as long as there is enough cover for them to hide. Should fire deprive them of cover, the animals will band together in a small herd.

Male offspring are expelled when they are six months old. This happens as soon as their horns appear. The evicted males will band together in small bachelor herds of two or three until they mature.

For the sake of comparison, the closely related common reedbuck has a different social system. It lives in monogamous pairs in territories that range from 35 to 60 hectares (86-148 acres). The pair do not scent mark their territory and do little to defend it, other than alarm whistling together. Male offspring are allowed to stay in the territory until they are three years old, by which time they are nearly adult. Females mature a year earlier and leave the group at that time.

Behavior: There is no particular season for reedbuck to give birth. Single young are born after a gestation period of 7.5 months. Females conceive for the first time when they are two years old. Males breed when they are 4 years old. Only males have horns.

Predators: Cheetah, lion, leopard are this species’ main enemies.

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