greater kudu
DESCRIPTION
Greater Kudu. By: Logan Hayes. Classification. 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. Distribution . - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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.