The animals of the Kalahari: the gazelles

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The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park presents a wide variety of animals on this page are some species of gazelles living in the park.

SPRINGBOK (Antidorcas marsupialis)

The springbok is a small gazelle of brown and white spread in southern and south-western Africa (especially in Namibia, South Africa, Botswana and Angola).

The common name of Springbok (literally “jump antelope”) derives from the Afrikaans words spring = jump; bok = antelope, goat.

The animal, living in arid savannah in southern Africa, measuring about 75 cm high, males reach a weight of 50 kg while the females arrive at 37 kilograms. They can reproduce all year and usually give the light one little after about five and a half months of gestation, the duration of their lives is about 10 years.

Their diet consists primarily of grass, leaves, bulbs and tubers, they can not drink water for many days, why can pull from the plants they eat. They live generally in large groups, and during the summer months large herds of animals are concentrated around the puddles of water from the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

The Springbok are excellent runners, can reach a speed of 80 km per hour, and also excellent jumper, manage to make leaps of 10 meters. Its natural enemies are the lions, cheetahs, hyenas and African Wild Dog. The Springbok is a national symbol of South Africa.

STEENBOK (Raphicerus campestris)

The steenbok is a small antelope widespread in East Africa (southern Kenya, Tanzania) and Southern Africa (Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland), its habitats are arid and rocky terrain with semidertiche and some bush.

The name Steenbok  derives from the Afrikaans language (literally “ibex”). The animal is small indeed reaches the half meter in height to shoulder, and weighs from 10 to 16 kg.; Males have horns straight and long from 7 to 20 cm., Females are lacking. The Steenbok leads a solitary life for most of the year, only during the season of love you can see it in pairs, may reproduce all year, but has a peak of births during the austral spring (November-December ), And usually give birth to a little only after about five and a half months of gestation, the duration of their lives varies between 6 and 15 years.

Their diet consists primarily of leaves of bushes and grass, sometimes dig to feed on roots and tubers, have no need to drink every day, why can pull from the plants they eat. Many are its natural enemies, large raptors, all carnivores including monitor lizards and baboons. In case of danger, crouch in the grass: But if the predator is approaching too, suddenly jump out from their hiding places and begin to run a zig-zag to disorient the aggressor, sometimes, seek refuge in tane of Orycteropus.

The animals of the Kalahari: suricate and mongooses.

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