African Mammals A – C African Mammals D – J

African Mammals K – O African Mammals P - Z

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Side_Stripped_Jackal

Thomson's_Gazelle

Yellow_Mongoose

Hystrix africaeaustralis

Distributions:	From South Africa to south Kenya to Gabon.
Habitat:	Everywhere it can find food and shelter, except desert areas and rain forests. It is possible to find in the mountains until 3.500 of highness.
Size:	Both Male and Female 15 to 30 Kg. Shoulder height: 25 cm. both male and female without aculeus. Aculeus length: They can reach 60 cm.
Behavior:	Nocturnal. Rarely it is possible to see it catching the sun near its burrow where normally it spends the day. Its worst enemies are: lions and leopards.
Food:	Omnivorous. It can nibble the bones of the carcasses just to balance its calcium need. Usually it eats fruits, little mammals and rodents.
Reproduction:	1 to 4 offspring after 3 months of gestation.
Longevity:	Almost 20 years.

Kobus vardonii

Distributions:	It can be hardly spotted. It lives in sub-Saharan Africa, central and southern area of the continent.
Habitat:	The puku lives near the water. Mostly in the thin forests rich in grass which surround the lakes or the big and slow rivers.
Size:	Male: From 65 to 120 kg. Female: From 50 to 70 kg. Male: Shoulder height 80 to 105 cm. Female: Shoulder height 70 to 85 cm. The horns, that are held only by the male reach from 30 to 70 cm. of lenght.
Behavior:	It lives mostly during the morning or in the evening, but sometimes it possible to see it in wide herds, which can reach more than 100 specimens, during the day. Its enemies are: lions, hyaenas, leopards and wild dogs.
Food:	Herbivorous. It feeds with leaves and grass. It must drink every day.
Reproduction:	A single offspring after about 8 months of gestation.
Longevity:	From 10 to 13 years.

Red Hartbeest

Buselaphus caama

Distributions:	It survives just in some African reserves.
Habitat:	It prefers open grassland and open savanna country; it doesn’t' like dense woodlands.
Size:	Male: mass 135 to 200 kg. Female: mass 120 to 180 kg. Shoulder height: 120 to 145 cm.
Behavior:	It occur in herds numbering from about 20 to several hundred, usually in company of zebras, ostriches and antelopes. Mostly active during the day , it prefers to graze in the early morning and at sunset. Its worst enemies are the lions, hyenas, wild dogs and rarely the leopards.
Food:	Grasses, the availability of water is not essential.
Reproduction:	Single calf is born after a gestation period of 240 days, usually in September.
Longevity:	From 15 to 20 years.

Redunca sp.

Distributions:	Reedbuck has patchy distribution from south Tanzania to South Africa.
Habitat:	It occurs in tall-grass areas and reed-beds, always associated with water.
Size:	Male: mass 60 to 95 kg. Female: mass 50 to 85 Kg. Shoulder height: Male 80 to 105 cm - Female 65 to 95 cm.
Behavior:	Both nocturnal and diurnal. During the dry season it prefers to move during the night, on the contrary during the rain it has a diurnal life. The most important thing for the Reedbuck is water In fact it never leaves it. Its enemies are lions, wild dogs, hyenas and cheetahs.
Food:	Grass, but also aquatic plants.
Reproduction:	A single calf; the gestation period is about 220 days.
Longevity:	About 10 years.

Diceros bicornis

Distributions:	The rhino is one of the poacher's favorite victims that's why it runs the risk of extinction. Rarely it is possible to see it inside the Parks.
Habitat:	Large territories from 2 hectares to 50 square km.
Size:	Total length: 300 to 375 cm. Shoulder height: 150 to 160 cm. Weight: 1.000 to 1.600 kg.
Behavior:	Usually it feeds early in the morning or late in the afternoon. During the rest of the day it is very difficult to meet it. It likes to bath in the mud.
Food:	It feeds mostly with leaves, small branches and sprouts.
Reproduction:	A single calf after 15 to 16 months of gestation.
Longevity:	Unknown

Roan Antelope

Hippotragus equinus

Distributions:	Restricted from the south Sahara to Botswana, it is considered to be rare and endangered throughout much of its range.
Habitat:	It prefers open or lightly wooden grassland with medium to tall grass and access to water.
Size:	Male: mass 260 to 300 Kg. Female: mass 225 a 275 Kg. Shoulder height: Male 150 to 160 cm. Female 140 to 150 cm.
Behavior:	Diurnal life. To feed itself it prefers to move in the morning or during the late afternoon. During the hottest hour it prefers to hide on the dense woodland. Its worst enemies are, lions, crocodiles and hyenas.
Food:	Grass and it needs to drink very often.
Reproduction:	A single calf; the gestation period is about 280 days.
Longevity:	From 15 to 19 years.

Procavia capensis

Distributions:	It lives in southern Africa and in the south-west of the continent.
Habitat:	It prefers rocky areas.
Size:	Body length from 40 to 50 cm. Weight: 3 to 4 kg.
Behavior:	Diurnal. It lives in big colonies.
Food:	Mostly herbivorous. It prefers to feed with bushes and little plants.
Reproduction:	About 250 days for 2 or 3 offspring.
Longevity:	7 years.

Sable Antelope

Hippotragus niger

Distributions:	Its distribution is patchy and not continuous, but, by now, it does not run the risk of extinction. It is possibly to find him in the southern Savanna. From the equator to the Capricorn's tropic.
Habitat:	Water is essential for its life and it prefers open woodlands with medium to tall grass.
Size:	Male: mass average 230 kg. Female: mass average 215 Kg. Shoulder height: Male 115 to 140 cm - Female 100 to 125 cm. Average horn length both male and female 102 cm.
Behavior:	A diurnal animal which lives in herds usually numbering from 10 to 30 individuals, but occasionally larger groups come together. Its worst enemy is the lion.
Food:	Grasses, and it needs drinking very often.
Reproduction:	A single calf; the gestation period is about 270 days.
Longevity:	From 15 to 20 years.

Side Stripped Jackal

Canis adustus

Distributions:	Whole sub Saharan Africa. Rain forest of middle Africa excluded.
Habitat:	Savannas. All the areas more or less dry with bushes or small trees on which to shelter. Mountains till 2.000 m.
Size:	Weight: Both Male and Female 6,5 to 14 kg. Shoulder height: Both Male and female 40 to 50 cm.
Behavior:	Nocturnal. During the day it rests among the rocks or hidden in the bushes. It lives in couple lifelong. Its enemies are: leopards and hyenas.
Food:	Carnivorous. It feeds with birds and mammals rabbit sized. It also likes fruits, berries and carrions.
Reproduction:	3 to 8 offspring after 2 months of gestation.
Longevity:	From 10 to 12 years.

Tragelaphus spekei

Distributions:	Zambia, Botswana and Angola.
Habitat:	Marshes, water -meadows, rain forests and the humid areas of the savanna.
Size:	Male. 70 to 120 kg. Female: 40 to 100 kg. Shoulder Height: Both Male and Female 40 to 105 kg. The Male's horns can reach 90 cm. Only Male owns horns.
Behavior:	During the day it hides itself in deep vegetation. Early in the morning or in the evening it leaves its shelter to feed. It lives lonesome inside its territory. Its particularly developed hoofs allows it to run over the muddy ground or to swim easily. Its enemies are: pythons, crocodiles, leopards. During the dry season, when the water of the water -meadows withdraw itself, even the lion became one of its worst enemies.
Food:	Herbivorous. It feeds with water plants, grass and leaves.
Reproduction:	A single offspring after 7,5 of gestation.

Small Spotted

Genetta genetta

Distributions:	Whole Africa. Sahara desert excluded.
Habitat:	It loves the wide spaces and the mountains till 2.500 m high. It's important the presence of places like holes in the plants or in the ground or stony ravine on which it can hide.
Size:	15 to 20 cm. both male and female. 2 to 3 Kg. both male and female.
Behavior:	Nocturnal. It sleeps during the day between rocks or the vegetation. It runs a lonesome life. Its worst enemies are the cheetah and the big owls.
Food:	Carnivore. It prefers spiders, big insects, little mammals and birds.
Reproduction:	2 to 4 kittens after a period of gestation of 3.5 months.
Longevity:	From 10 to 15 years.

Spotted Hyena

Crocuta crocuta

Distributions:	The whole sub-Saharan Africa, rain forests excluded.
Habitat:	From the semi desert areas to the humid. It's possible to find in the mountains till 4.500 m. of highness.
Size:	Male and female. 50 to 70 Kg. Shoulder height: 70 to 90 both male and female.
Behavior:	Nocturnal. It usually sleeps during the day, but sometimes it's possible to see it hunting . It lives in familiar groups or couples. It worst enemy is the lion.
Food:	Carnivore. Normally it feeds with carrions left by the lions, but it is a good hunter. It don't leave nothing of its prey, in fact it eats the bones, the skin and the airs.
Reproduction:	1 to 3 offspring after a gestation period of 3,5 months.
Longevity:	Over 35 years.

Antidorcas marsupialis

Distributions:	South Africa, Botswana, Angola and Namibia.
Habitat:	Arid plans, desert's borders and stony hills.
Size:	Male: mass 25 to 45 kg. Female: mass 20 to 30 Kg. Shoulder height: Male 70 to 90 cm - Female 65 to 80 cm.
Behavior:	Mostly diurnal. It prefers the cool