Sharpe's grysbok

Sharpe's grysbok
Male and female in the Kruger National Park
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Antilopinae
Genus:	Raphicerus
Species:	R. sharpei
Binomial name
Raphicerus sharpei Thomas, 1897
range

Sharpe's or northern grysbok (Raphicerus sharpei) is a small, shy, solitary antelope that is found from tropical to south-eastern Africa.

Range

They are found in the Transvaal (South Africa), the Caprivi Strip (Namibia), Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania to Lake Victoria.

Description

It is similar in size to the gray duiker, but has a stockier body and shaggy fur over the hindquarters. It stands about 20" (45–60 cm) at the shoulders and weighs only 7–11.5 kg. Its coat is reddish-brown streaked with white; eye-rings, muzzle, throat and underside are off-white. The males have stubby horns, which are widely spaced. Sharpe's grysbok has a short, deep muzzle with large mouth and heavy molars for grinding. The short neck and head on a long-legged body result in a high-rumped posture when browsing.

Habits

Although widespread, Sharpe's grysbok is infrequently seen. Males and females seem to form brief associations, but the species is usually encountered singly. Territory is marked with dung middens. Their habitat is rocky hill country, but preferring fertile zones on the lower slopes. They are nocturnal browsers and spend the day in the protective cover of tall grass or shrubs. They are extremely timid and will run away at the first sign of anything unusual, although this flight is accompanied "short stamping hops";^[2] they move well away from where the disturbance occurred before stopping (unlike steenbok, which stop and look back).^[3] Sharpe's Grysbok are reported to take refuge in aardvark burrows, like steenbok.

Sharpe's grysbok browse on leaves, buds, herb and fruits—in the dry season, their food is typically tough (for which their teeth and jaws are adapted). Grazed grass makes up about 30% of their diet.^[2] Like the Cape grysbok they use a communal latrine and mark sticks in its vicinity with pre-orbital gland secretions.^[4]

Taxonomy

The closely related Cape (or southern) grysbok (R. melanotis) occurs in the western Cape region. Haltenorth and Diller^[5] consider R. sharpei as a subspecies of R. melanotis.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Raphicerus sharpei.

1. ^ IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2016). "Raphicerus sharpei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T19307A50193414. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T19307A50193414.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. ^ ^{a b} Kingdon, Jonathan. 1997. The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals. Academic Press, San Diego & London. Pp. 386-387. (ISBN 0-12-408355-2)
3. ^ Smithers, Reay H.N. 1971. The Mammals of Botswana. Museum Memoir No. 4. The Trustees of the National Museum of Rhodesia, Salisbury [Harare], Rhodesia [Zimbabwe]. Pp. 221–222.
4. ^ Chris; Stuart, Tilde (2000). A field guide to the tracks and signs of Southern and East African wildlife (3rd ed.). Cape Town: Struik. p. 142. ISBN 1868725588. Retrieved 30 July 2015.^{[permanent dead link]}
5. ^ Haltenorth, Theodor and Helmut Diller. 1980. A Field Guide to the Mammals of Africa including Madagascar. Collins, London. Pp. 53–54. (ISBN 0-00-219778-2)