This elegant antelope is fairly solitary; females are usually found in groups of two or three, or with calves, and males are often found alone. Young males will stay with their mothers for up to two years, but will not acquire enough social status to mate until four to five years old. When large enough, males fight by locking horns and pushing each other backwards. Males and females will also fight each other for superiority, by standing up on hind legs to try to knock each other down, but the larger males normally win. Females are pregnant for seven to eight months, and will separate from their small group to give birth to a single calf (2). The calf has just a one in four chance of surviving to three years old due to disease and predation by leopards, hunting dogs and spotted hyenas (2) (4). The lesser kudu is mainly nocturnal and camouflages well when hiding in dense thickets after sunrise. It feeds at dusk and dawn, eating leaves, shoots, twigs, fruits, grasses and herbs (2). When startled, the lesser kudu will bark and runs in bounding leaps (2), holding the tail upright to reveal the white underside (4).

Often thought of as the most beautiful antelope, the lesser kudu has a single white stripe running down the back and white stripes running off this central stripe down the sides. These stripes contrast with a red-brown background in females and a grey background in males. Young are even redder than females, but males will turn grey between 1.5 to 2 years. The face is distinctive with a black stripe from each eye to the nose, and a white stripe from each eye to the centre. The legs are fawn, with white patches above the hooves. White patches are also seen on the throat and chest, together with a central black stripe. The belly is pure white, the ears are large and the horns are long and spiralled (2).

The Lesser Kudu occupies semi-arid areas of north-eastern Africa, commonly known as the Somali-Masai Arid Zone of Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. Its range extends from ca. 12° N in the Awash area of Ethiopia southward through southern Ethiopia, much of Somalia except the north and northeast (i.e. east of 46° E and north of 08°N), most of Kenya except the southwest, extreme southeast Sudan, extreme northeast Uganda to northeast and central Tanzania (Leuthold in press). It is extinct in Djibouti (East 1999).

The purported former occurrence of this species in Saudi Arabia (Harrison and Bates 1991) is based on two sets of horns said to have originated from Arabia and one from southern Yemen. No live animals have ever been reported from the area, and the true origin of those specimens remains in doubt.

The range of Tragelaphus imberbis, the Lesser Kudu, is restricted to northeast Africa. It was once believed to inhabit Saudi Arabia, however, only two sets of horns have been found that substantiate this claim. BR

(Harrison and Bates 1991; Nowak 1999; Roosevelt and Heller 1914; Walther 1990)

Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )

The lesser kudu is restricted to parts of eastern and north-eastern Africa (2). Two specimens from the Arabian Peninsula are believed to have been introduced or released from a collection (3).

The Lesser Kudu is the largest bovid in Arabia, with the exception of the Oryx (Harrison and Bates 1991). It is 1.10-1.75 meters from the tip of the snout to the base of the tail and stands at a height of 0.90-1.05 meters. The tail ranges from 0.26 to 0.30 meters with up to 0.90 meters of additional hair length. Males have horns that range from 0.48 to 0.91 meters, have two longitudinal keels, twist 2.5 times, and a basal circumference of 156-171 mm. At the base, they span 6-12 mm; at their ends, they span 0.25-0.35 meters. Males have various shades of grey fur, and females are distinctly more reddish brown. One long white stripe runs the length of the back with 11-14 stripes branching downward off of it. The face has a black stripe from each eye to the nose and a white stripe from each eye to the center of the face. The lip area is white and four white spots are found on the lower jaw (two per side). The legs are fawn colored with a white patch above the hoof. The tail is brown above and white underneath, and a black tip. There are white patches on the throat and chest with a black stripe that spans the chest area. The abdomen is pure white. Young Kudus are similar in color to females but redder, and males become more grey by the age of two years.

The lesser kudu is hard to observe in dry bush due to its camouflage, and because its large ears aid in a well developed sense of hearing that warns it of potential predators.

The skull of the Lesser Kudu is long with a short cranium. The nasal bones are long and narrowed in the center. They form a 'V' shaped suture where they meet the frontals. The supraorbital foramina are located within indentations and are elongated horizontally. The paraoccipital proccess are flat and wide, and the teeth are hypsodont.

(Harrison and Bates 1991; Nowak 1999; Roosevelt and Heller 1914; Walther 1990)

Range mass: 60 to 105 kg.

Type for Tragelaphus imberbis
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Mammals
Sex/Stage: Female;
Preparation: Skin; Skull
Collector(s): M. Johnston
Year Collected: 1911
Locality: Longaya Water, Marsabit District, Eastern Province, Kenya, Africa

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

The Lesser Kudu inhabits dry, flat, and densely thicketed areas, as well as woodlands and hilly land. It is rarely observed in open or cleared areas.

(Nowak 1999; Roosevelt and Heller 1914; Walther 1990)

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; scrub forest

A shy species, the lesser kudu lives in dry, flat and densely thicketed areas of subtropical and tropical dry shrubland (1) (2).

The Lesser Kudu feeds primarily at dusk or at dawn (Roosevelt and Heller 1914) and eats a diverse variety of bush and tree leaves, shoots and twigs, as well as, grasses, herbs, and fruits. It has been reported to be fairly independent of water sources and browses in relatively arid environments.
(Nowak 1999; Roosevelt and Heller 1914; Walther 1990)

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 10.0 years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 15.0 years.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 15.0 years.

Maximum longevity: 19.8 years (captivity) Observations: One captive specimen lived 19.8 years (Richard Weigl 2005). There are anecdotal reports of animals living over 20 years.

The Lesser Kudu is a fairly solitary species. Young males stay with their mother for only 1.5-2.0 years, before they leave and travel alone or in small sporadic male groups (Nowak 1999). Young females form small groups with their mother or siblings. The Lesser Kudu becomes sexually mature at 1.25-1.50 years, however, males do not gain social status to reproduce until they reach the age of 4-5 years (Walther 1990). BR>Males perform a shoving match, where they press their heads and horns together and attempt to force their horns down onto the nape of their opponent. Males and females also perform a superiority contest, where the male and female stand fully erect on their hind legs and attempt to push each other over. The larger male usually wins. The males show restraint and are never aggressive towards females, though females have been observed to butt their heads against the males. When the males mount, they lay their neck and head down and onto the females back(Walther 1990). <BR>Each female has its own, independent estrus cycle and is anestrus for only a couple of weeks (Nowak 1999). Gestation ranges from 7.5 to 8.0 months, then the female separates from the group in order to give birth. Only one offspring is produced, weighing 4.0-7.5 kg. 50% of the calves die within the first six months, from disease and predation, and only 25% survive to reach 3 years of age. Males begin horn growth after the first 6-9 months and reach full length after 3 years. The life span of the Lesser Kudu reportedly can reach up to 15 years. <BR

(Harrison and Bates 1991; Nowak 1999; Roosevelt and Heller 1914; Walther 1990)

Range number of offspring: 1 (low) .

Average number of offspring: 1.

Range gestation period: 7.4 to 8.5 months.

Average birth mass: 6000 g.

Average number of offspring: 1.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)

Sex: male: 504 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 504 days.

Parental Investment: altricial ; post-independence association with parents

The Lesser Kudu is listed in IUCN as conservation dependent (Nowak 1999). Populations have continued to decline due to hunting or habitat loss caused by human activities or in the case of Tsavo National Park, elephant populations that alter the vegetative landscape.

(Nowak 1999; Walther 1990)

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: near threatened

The lesser kudu is classified as Lower Risk (LR) on the IUCN Red List 2004 (1).

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

The lesser kudu is hunted for meat and its horns (2), which are hollowed out and used as wind instruments, honey containers and in spiritual rituals as they are thought to house powerful spirits as well as being a symbol of male virility (4). Lesser kudu are also vulnerable to the rinderpest virus which periodically breaks out and reduces populations (5).

Conservation Actions

The lesser kudu occurs in several National Parks and is part of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's studbook program which ensures the most possible genetic diversity within the captive breeding population of lesser kudus (6).

N/A

The Lesser Kudu is a hunted game animal, that is used for sport, food, and as a source of money.

Positive Impacts: food ; body parts are source of valuable material