| abstract
| - Springbok are active mainly around dawn and dusk. Bachelor males and females form separate herds. During the rut, males establish territories. Trekbokken refers to the large-scale migration of herds of springbok seen roaming the country when large numbers of springbok inhabited the Kalahari and Karoo. Springbok often go into bouts of repeated high leaps of up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) into the air in a practice known as pronking or stotting. Springbok are primarily browsers, switching to grazing seasonally. Springbok mate year-round, though it might peak in the rainy season. Gestation lasts 168 days, and results in the birth of a single calf. Springbok live for up to ten years. Springbok inhabit the dry inland areas of south and southwestern Africa. The springbok has been classified under the Least Concern category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources(IUCN). No major threats have been recognised to the long-term survival of the species. In fact, the springbok is one of the few antelope species considered to have an expanding population. Springbok are present in protected areas across their range. The springbok is a slender antelope with long legs and neck. The head-and-body length is typically between 120 and 150 cm (47 and 59 in), and horns are present in both sexes. Males are about 75 cm (30 in) tall at the shoulder, and females nearly 72 cm (28 in). Males weigh between 33 and 48 kg (73 and 106 lb) and females between 30 and 44 kg (66 and 97 lb). The tail is 14 to 28 centimetres (5.5 to 11.0 in) long. The ears are long, narrow and pointed. The length of the ears is about 15.3 to 19.5 cm (6.0 to 7.7 in) in males while in females it is 15 and 18.7 cm (5.9 and 7.4 in). There is minor sexual dimorphism, with males being only slightly larger than females and both sexes having horns. The springbok has a white head and face with dark stripes extending from a corner of the eyes to the corners of the mouth. A dark patch marks the forehead. In juveniles the stripes and the patch are light brown. There are three variations in the color of the pelage. Springbok with normally coloured pelage have a dark reddish-brown band running horizontally from the upper forelimb to the edge of the hip, separating the dark dorsal area from the contrasting white underside. The tail (except the terminal black tuft), buttocks, the inside of the legs and the rump are white. In addition to the normal-coloured springboks there are also pure black and pure white forms, selected in some South African farms. Although born with a deep black sheen, adult black springboks develop two shades of chocolate-brown and a white marking on the face as they mature. White springbok are predominantly white with a very light brown coloured side stripe. The skin along the middle of the dorsal side is folded in, and covered with 15.3 to 19.5 cm (6.0 to 7.7 in) long white hair erected by arrector pili muscles lying between hair follicles. This white hair is almost fully hidden in the brown pelage, until the fold opens up. This is a major feature distinguishing the antelope from gazelles. Springbok are distinguished from gazelles in several other ways. For instance, springbok have two premolar teeth in each side of each jaw, instead of three, and therefore a total of twenty eight teeth, rather than thirty. Other differences include a longer, broader and less flexible bridge to the nose in springbok, different structure of the horns, and more muscular cheeks. There are major differences in the size and weight of the subspecies. A study gathered average body measurements for the three subspecies. A. m. angolensis males stand up to 84.3 cm (33.2 in) while females stand up to 81.6 cm (32.1 in). The males weigh around 31 kg (68 lb) while females weigh 32 kg (71 lb), being slightly heavier. A. m. hofmeyri is the largest subspecies, with the average height for males being 85.7 cm (33.7 in) and for females 71.4 cm (28.1 in). The average mass for males is 42 kg (93 lb) and for females is 35 kg (77 lb). On the other hand, A. m. marsupialis is the smallest subspecies. Males are 74.9 cm (29.5 in) tall and females 72.4 cm (28.5 in) tall. Average mass for males is 31 kg (68 lb) while for females it is 27 kg (60 lb). Another study found a strong correlation between the availability of winter dietary protein and the body mass.
- The Springbok is an animal available on FarmVille.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)