Lesser kudu

Lesser kudu
Adult male
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Bovinae
Genus:	Tragelaphus
Species:	T. imberbis
Binomial name
Tragelaphus imberbis (Blyth, 1869)
Range map
Synonyms[2][3]
Ammelaphus strepsiceros (Heller, 1912) Ammelaphus australis (Heller, 1913)

The lesser kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis) is a medium-sized bushland antelope found in East Africa. The species is a part of the ungulate genus Tragelaphus (family Bovidae), along with several other related species of striped, spiral-horned African bovids, including the related greater kudu, the bongo, bushbuck, common and giant elands, nyala and sitatunga. It was first scientifically described by English zoologist Edward Blyth (1869).

The lesser kudu’s nose-to-tail length is typically 110–140 cm (43–55 in). Males reach about 95–105 cm (37–41 in) at the shoulder, while females reach 90–100 cm (35–39 in). Males typically weigh 92–108 kg (203–238 lb) and females 56–70 kg (123–154 lb). Horns are present only on males. The spiral horns are 50–70 cm (20–28 in) long, and have 2-2.5 complete twists. The lesser kudus have very distinctive physical markings; females and juveniles have a golden-brown coat, with white vertical stripes on their sides, while the males develop into a dark grey colour—after about two years—and grow a pronounced “streak” of shaggy hair down the centre of their backs. Males retain the golden-brown color only on the shins, with the top of each thigh having a darker black band separating it from the grey body. The inner thighs are white. Males also have distinct black “masks” on their faces, with a black underside going up to the sternum. Males and females both display a series of unique white markings and patches, including white lips, two small spots on both cheeks, a spot at the base of each ear, two spots between the eyes, white eyelids, a white throat patch, and a patch of white atop the chest. These markings may aid in camouflaging and hiding amidst shrubbery, as well as helping to cool specific areas of the body by being white.

A pure browser, the lesser kudu subsists off of foliage from tall bushes, trees (fresh branch shoots, twigs) and herbaceous perennial plants. Despite seasonal and local fluctuations, foliage from trees and shrubs constitutes 60–80% of their diet throughout the year. The lesser kudu is mainly crepuscular, preferring to be active after dusk until the dawn hours, seeking shelter in dense thickets just after the sunrise. The lesser kudu exhibits no territorial behaviour, and fights are rare. While females are gregarious, adult males prefer being solitary. No fixed breeding season is seen; births may occur at any time of the year. The lesser kudu inhabits dry bushland regions, bordering on arid grasslands, as well as scrubland and light open forest habitat.

The lesser kudu is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, but it is possibly extirpated from Djibouti. It may have been present in Saudi Arabia and Yemen as recently as 1967, though its presence in the Arabian Peninsula is still controversial.^[4] The total population of the lesser kudu has been estimated to be nearly 118,000, with a decreasing trend in populations. One-third of the populations survive in protected areas. Presently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature rates the lesser kudu as "near threatened".