Oreotragus oreotragus
French : Oréotrague
A klipspringer’s short coat is thick, dense and hard, with a grizzled 'salt and pepper' pattern of an almost olive shade. The coat harmonizes with the background of rocks. Its eyes are large and widely spaced, and its nose is short and wedge-shaped. The belly and insides of the ears are white. The ears have a conspicuous black border. The nose is black, as are the patches just in front of the eyes which mark the openings of the pre-orbital glands.. The body is sturdy and the hindquarters are overdeveloped. Their remarkable agility among the steep rocks of native kopjes can be attributed to unique feet. The klipspringer stands on the very tips of its almost circular hooves, which have rubbery centres and hard rims to provide grip on rocks. The strong back legs can project the klipspringer up a smooth wall, and they can jump onto a projection the size of a silver dollar with all four feet.
The klipspringer is mainly active during the early morning and late afternoon, resting during the hottest part of the day among rocks or beneath overhangs.
A mated pair will form a very strong bond and will stay in one territory for their lives along with their young. They will mark out the territory by using middens as well as secretions from pre-orbital glands. A sentinel, or watcher, is posted at all times within the group, and this animal is responsible for the safety of the group. When alarmed, the sentinel emits a shrill whistle to alert the other animals, at which they head for cover.
Gender differences:
In southern Africa only males have horns, which are wide set, upstanding spikes, (4 in /10 cm) and with a slight forward curve, ridged on the bottom third, smooth towards the tips.
Total length : males 82-92 cm, females 88-100 cm
Weight : males 9-12 Kg, females 10-15 Kg
Habitat:
Steep rocky terrain, especially on quiet kopjes (rocky outcrops) in savannas in eastern and southern Africa.
Diet:
They eat young shoots, flowers and some fruits The klipspringer eats rock plants, especially succulents. A strict browser, klipspringer take leaves, shoots, fruit and flowers of a wide range of trees, bushes and succulents, according to availability. They chew bones and eat soil to obtain minerals.
They never drinks water, but absorb what liquid is necessary by eating succulent leaves or by licking up the dew in the early morning.
Reproduction:
After a gestation period of 7 months, a single young is born. After birth, the young remain concealed in crevices for 2-3 months. It is weaned at 4-5 months and reaches sexual maturity at about 1 year. The previous year's calves leave the area once the new season's young arrive.
Klipspringer live up to 15 years.
Other:
While most hoofed animals are 'tiptoers', the klipspringer are the only group to take this to the extreme, standing on the very tips of their hooves. The smaller the surface area of the hoof, the greater the chance of finding a foothold When a klipspringer is standing still, it brings its front and hind legs together in one spot, which is rather unique in horned ungulates. Also, the klipspringer is the only horned ungulate, when lying down, that can stretch both front legs forward and parallel to each other. This occurs only in goats which are not closely related to it.
“Klip” is Afrikaans for rock: hence klipspringer means 'a rock-jumper '.
They are preyed upon by leopard, caracal, serval, hyena, jackal, large snakes, Chacma baboons and by some species of eagle.
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