Mountain Reedbuck

Fascinating facts about the Mountain Reedbuck

• A mountain reedbuck stands about as tall as a kitchen counter, averaging 75 cm (30 in) at the shoulder and tipping the scales at roughly 30 kg (66 lb). The male's forward-curving, ridged horns measure just over 15 cm (6 in), giving the animal a subtle but unmistakable silhouette against the rocky grasslands. Its grey coat with a white belly and reddish-brown head blends into the high-altitude terrain while grazing on steep slopes.
• Three isolated mountain ranges each host a distinct subspecies of reedbuck, from the southern Cape-Botswana ridge to the East African highlands and a tiny strip on the Nigeria-Cameroon border. They cling to ridges and grasslands between 1,500 m and 5,000 m elevation, an estimated 36,000 individuals across all subspecies.
• Reedbucks are most active at dawn and dusk, feeding in groups of six or fewer that usually consist of one dominant male, several females and their young. The male patrols a home range of 15,000 to 48,000 m² (about 15-48 ha), marking it with scent, visual displays and a sharp whistle that warns intruders. Younger males are pushed out to form bachelor bands.
• Mountain reedbucks practice a polygynous mating system, with females reaching first estrus between 9 and 24 months and males becoming fertile at about one year. After a gestation of roughly eight months, a single lamb is born, and the interval between births ranges from nine to fourteen months. This near-annual reproductive cycle means each female can raise about one offspring per year.
• Human hunting and expanding settlements pressure reedbuck herds, and recent surveys show their numbers are slipping, prompting the IUCN to list the species as Endangered. While hunting alone hasn't been proven to drive declines, habitat loss and fragmentation reduce safe grazing and water sources. Their role as grazers links plant growth to the larger savanna food web, so protecting them also supports the predators that rely on them.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia
• Animal Diversity Web

At a glance

About the Mountain Reedbuck

In the rugged, high-altitude grasslands, the Mountain Reedbuck roams with an air of quiet resilience, its large, dark eyes ever-vigilant for the lurking presence of predators. With a swift, effortless bound, it navigates the rocky outcrops and steep slopes, its slender legs and sharp hooves surefooted on the treacherous terrain, as if drawn by an ancient, instinctual knowledge of this harsh yet beautiful landscape. As it moves, the warm sunlight catches the rich, reddish-brown hue of its coat, illuminating a creature of striking elegance, its very existence a testament to the enduring power of life in these unforgiving yet breathtakingly beautiful mountains.

More mammals to discover

Browse Feravox