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The Common Reedbuck, Rietbok or Common Reedbuck(Redunca Arundinum) is a diurnal antelope typically found in common Africa. It gets its name from two Latin words: Reduncas (meaning bent backwards and curved, while the horns are bent forwards) and Arundo (Harundo) (meaning a reed; hence Arundinum, pertaining to reeds). The Mountain Reedbuck (Redunca Fulvorufula) is an antelope found in Mountainous areas of much of sub-Saharan Africa. The Mountain Reedbuck is subject to some pressure from hunting and human encroachment on its habitat, and current populations appear to be declining. This species is classified as Endangered by the IUCN.
The Common Reedbuck is larger than the other species in Redunca, namely R. Redunca (Bohor Reedbuck) and R. Fulvorufula (Mountain Reedbuck). It stands 80–90 cm (31–35 in) at the shoulder. Females weigh 48 kg (106 lb), while the males weigh 68 kg (150 lb). It has distinctive dark lines running down the front of each of its forelegs and lower hindlegs and whitish rings around the eyes. It has a lifespan of 10 years.
The coat is silky and almost woolly. The colour of its coat ranges between light- and greyish-brown, and may be lighter on the neck and chest. A small, black, bare glandular patch can be noticed at the base of each ear. White fur covers the underparts and the areas near the lips and chin. The tail is white underside, and appears short and bushy. Common Reedbuck measure an average of 85 cm (33 in) at the shoulder. Females lack horns. Males bear forward-curving horns, about 35–45 cm (14–18 in) long, with the base having a distinct band of pale, rubbery tissue.
Common Reedbuck live in pairs or alone. Sometimes, they form herds consisting of about 20 members. They prefer to lie in grass or reed beds in the heat of the day and feed during sunrise and sunset, or sometimes even at night. Old Reedbuck are permanently territorial, with territories around 35-60 hectares, and generally live with a single female, preventing contact with rival males. Females and young males perform an ‘appeasement dance’ for older males. During the dance, the bucks run around speedily and take considerably long jumps, with the tail curled up and scented air being released from a pocket in the groin at every bounce, making a popping sound. Within this territory, it is active all the time in summer, but it is nocturnal in the wet season. It regularly uses paths to reach good sites to rest, graze, and drink water. Average lifetime home ranges have been estimated as 123 ha for females and 74 ha for males.
Their main predators include Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Spotted Hyena, Cape Hunting Dog, African Rock Python and Nile Crocodile. They can camouflage themselves in the grasslands due to their coats, which are almost the same colour. If startled or attacked, they stand still, then either hide or flee with an odd rocking-horse movement, and cautiously look back to ensure the danger is gone, generally. They use vocalizations like a shrill whistle through their nostrils and a clicking noise to alert others about danger.
As a herbivore, the Reedbuck mainly feeds on grasses. It also eats herbs and reeds. It never enters into water, though it inhabits places with water sources. It needs to drink water every few days to several times a day during the dry season.
The Common Reedbuck breeds almost all the time of the year, although most mating occurs during the hot and wet season. Females reach sexual maturity when they are two years old, when they leave their parent’s territory. Males, which reach maturity at a slightly older age, may remain with the family group until their third year. A single young is born per birth after a gestation period of seven to eight months, and remains amongst the dense and tall grass cover in which it was born for the next two months. The female does not stay with her young, but instead visits it for just 10 to 30 minutes each day to nurse it.
The Mountain Reedbuck averages 75 cm (30 in) at the shoulder, and weighs around 30 kg (66 lb). It has a grey coat with a white underbelly and reddish-brown head and shoulders. The male has ridged horns of around 15.2 cm (6.0 in), which curve forwards. Both sexes have a dark scent patch beneath the ears.
The Mountain Reedbuck occurs in three separate geographic areas, each containing a separate subspecies. The Common Mountain Reedbuck inhabits an area from the eastern Cape Province (South Africa) to southeastern Botswana. The species occupies ridges and hillsides in rocky country and high-elevation grasslands (often with some tree or bush cover), at elevations of 1,500-5,000 m.
Current total population of all subspecies has been estimated at some 36,000 individuals.
Mountain Reedbuck are predominantly grazers, and water is an important habitat requirement. They tend to feed in the early evening and morning hours, normally in small groups of six or fewer animals. A typical group is made up of one adult male and several adult females and juveniles. Adolescent males are forced out of their herds and form small bachelor herds. Lifespan in the wild is unknown, but specimens of related species in captivity have been recorded to live up to 18 years.
Common Reedbuck have a wide distribution, stretching from Gabon and Tanzania to South Africa. It is native to Angola, Botswana, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The Mountain Reedbuck occupies grasslands at elevations up to 5,000 metres (16,000 feet) in widely separated Mountains of eastern Africa, from Ethiopia south to Tanzania, with relict populations in Cameroon and Nigeria.
Reedbuck taxidermy is the art of preserving the Reedbuck skin and other body parts to produce lifelike sculptures for display, either at home as a hunting trophy or in museums for educational purposes. Skin is preserved and mounted on an artificial armature to display the specimen.
The contemporary English word “taxidermy” is derived from the Greek terms taxis, meaning “movement,” and derma, meaning “skin,” thereby combining these two meanings. This is why, in a broad sense, taxidermy is synonymous with “the motion of skin.”
For expert taxidermists, skills in sculpture, painting, and sketching are just as important as those in carpentry, woodworking, tanning, moulding, and casting.
The remaining parts of the body are synthetic replacements for real organs and tissues. Polyurethane foam is used for the manikin or form, which includes the anatomy of every muscle and vein; glass is used for the eyes; clay is used for the eyelids; for the nose and mouth the foam of the mannequin is sculptured.
Works of taxidermy can be found in a wide range of environments, including museums, classrooms, galleries, stores, restaurants, and private households, due to the complexity and delicate craftsmanship involved in the taxidermy process.
Thorough preparation is the key factor to ensuring a high-quality final product. All hides are tanned and oiled using the world’s very best available chemicals and processes to ensure permanence and longevity. Forms are selected to ensure the best fit and posture will be altered to suit you, the client’s preference without additional cost. Natural habitat bases are custom-made for full mount trophies without additional cost. Only the finest materials and 40 years of professional experience are used in defining your trophies in a whole new way. The final trophies are almost Life-Formed. When the restoration is required, every effort is made to repair cuts and abrasions, and to minimise bullet damage. Natural scarring is kept unless otherwise requested.
When making an Reedbuck mount, careful planning is key to getting a high-quality result. When tanning and oiling the skins, only the best chemicals and methods are used. This ensures that the skins will last for many years.
Your preferred form for the Reedbuck will be chosen after taking your measurements into account, and the posture of your form will be changed at no extra cost. Full-mount Reedbuck trophies come with bases made to look like the animal’s natural habitat and made just for the Reedbuck mount.
The taxidermy process at Life-Form takes your prized Reedbuck trophy and gives it a whole new meaning by using only the best materials and drawing on more than 40 years of experience in the field.
When repair is needed, every effort is made to fix cuts and scrapes and lessen bullet damage. Existing scars are left alone unless the client asks for them to be taken away.
The pricing of any trophy is subject to the costing stipulated per taxidermy order, quantity of trophies and preferred mounting options, along with additional requirements.
Should you wish to receive a quotation prior to the hunt, the taxidermist can generate such for you. Please contact [email protected]
Taxidermy is an art form that involves a complicated step-by-step process to make sure that each trophy looks just right and is of a high enough quality that it will last your whole life.
The time it takes a taxidermist to mount an animal might range from days to weeks, and possibly several months, depending on the quantity of trophies per taxidermy order, the display preferences, and volumes of client trophies to be produced, simultaneously, per production schedule.
This depends largely on the “what, how, when” factors. A taxidermy order also only becomes available for production scheduling upon receipt of the required deposit and trophy mounting instructions.
