SPRINGBUCK

Facts

The Springbuck is a slender antelope with long legs and neck. Both sexes reach 71–86 cm (28–34 in) at the shoulder with a head-and-body length typically between 120 and 150 cm (47 and 59 in).The weights for both sexes range between 27 and 42 kg (60 and 93 lb). The tail, 14 to 28 cm (5.5 to 11.0 in) long, ends in a short, black tuft. Dark stripes extend across the white face, from the corner of the eyes to the mouth. A dark patch marks the forehead. In juveniles, the stripes and the patch are light brown. The ears, narrow and pointed, measure 15–19 cm (5.9–7.5 in). Typically light brown, the Springbuck has a dark reddish-brown band running horizontally from the upper foreleg to the edge of the buttocks, separating the dark back from the white underbelly. The tail (except the terminal black tuft), buttocks, the insides of the legs and the rump are all white. Two other varieties – pure black and pure white forms – are artificially selected in some South African ranches. Though born with a deep black sheen, adult black Springbuck are two shades of chocolate-brown and develop a white marking on the face as they mature. White Springbuck, as the name suggests, are predominantly white with a light tan stripe on the flanks. The skin along the middle of the dorsal side is folded in, and covered with 15 to 20 cm (5.9 to 7.9 in) white hair erected by arrector pili muscles (located between hair follicles). This white hair is almost fully concealed by the surrounding brown hairs until the fold opens up, and this is a major feature distinguishing this antelope from gazelles. Springbuck differ from Gazelle in several other ways; for instance, Springbuck have two premolars on both sides of either jaw, rather than the three observed in Gazelle. This gives a total of 28 teeth in the Springbuck, rather than 32 of Gazelle. Other points of difference include a longer, broader, and rigid bridge to the nose and more muscular cheeks in Springbuck, and differences in the structure of the horns.

Both sexes have black horns, about 35–50 cm (14–20 in) long, that are straight at the base and then curve backward. Horns have a girth of 71–83 mm (2.8–3.3 in) at the base; this thins to 56–65 mm (2.2–2.6 in) towards the tip. The spoor, narrow and sharp, is 5.5 cm (2.2 in) long.

Springbuck are mainly active around dawn and dusk. Activity is influenced by weather; Springbuck can feed at night in hot weather, and at midday in colder months. They rest in the shade of trees or bushes, and often bed down in the open when weather is cooler.

The social structure of the Springbuck is similar to that of Thomson’s Gazelle. Mixed-sex herds or harems have a roughly 3:1 sex ratio; bachelor individuals are also observed. In the mating season, males generally form herds and wander in search of mates. Females live with their offspring in herds, that very rarely include dominant males. Territorial males round up female herds that enter their territories and keep out the bachelors; mothers and juveniles may gather in nursery herds separate from harem and bachelor herds. After weaning, female juveniles stay with their mothers until the birth of their next calves, while males join bachelor groups.

A study of vigilance behaviour of herds revealed that individuals on the borders of herds tend to be more cautious, and vigilance decreases with group size. Group size and distance from roads and bushes were found to have major influence on vigilance, more among the grazing Springbuck than among their browsing counterparts. Adults were found to be more vigilant than juveniles, and males more vigilant than females. Springbuck passing through bushes tend to be more vulnerable to predator attacks as they cannot be easily alerted, and predators usually conceal themselves in bushes. Another study calculated that the time spent in vigilance by Springbuck on the edges of herds is roughly double that spent by those in the centre and the open. Springbuck were found to be more cautious in the late morning than at dawn or in the afternoon, and more at night than in the daytime.

During the rut, males establish territories, ranging from 10 to 70 hectares (25 t0 173 acres), which they mark by urinating and depositing large piles of dung. Males in neighbouring territories frequently fight for access to females, which they do by twisting and levering at each other with their horns, interspersed with stabbing attacks. Females roam the territories of different males. Outside of the rut, mixed-sex herds can range from as few as three to as many as 180 individuals, while all-male bachelor herds are of typically no more than 50 individuals. Harem and nursery herds are much smaller, typically including no more than 10 individuals.

Springbuck often go into bouts of repeated high leaps of up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) into the air – a practice known as pronking (derived from the Afrikaans pronk, “to show off”) or stotting. In pronking, the Springbuck performs multiple leaps into the air in a stiff-legged posture, with the back bowed and the white flap lifted. When the male shows off his strength to attract a mate, or to ward off predators, he starts off in a stiff-legged trot, leaping into the air with an arched back every few paces and lifting the flap along his back. Lifting the flap causes the long white hairs under the tail to stand up in a conspicuous fan shape, which in turn emits a strong scent of sweat. Although the exact cause of this behaviour is unknown, Springbuck exhibit this activity when they are nervous or otherwise excited. The most accepted theory for pronking is that it is a method to raise alarm against a potential predator or confuse it, or to get a better view of a concealed predator; it may also be used for display.

Springbuck are very fast antelope, clocked at 88 km/h (55 mph). They generally tend to be ignored by carnivores unless they are breeding Cheetah, Lion, Leopard, Spotted Hyena, Wild Dog, Caracal, Crocodile and Python are major predators of the Springbuck. Southern African Wild Cat, Black-Backed Jackal, Verreaux Eagle, Martial Eagle and Tawny Eagle target juveniles. Springbuck are generally quiet animals, though they may make occasional low-pitched bellows as a greeting and high-pitched snorts when alarmed.

Springbuck are primarily browsers and may switch to grazing occasionally; they feed on shrubs and young succulents (such as Lampranthus species) before they lignify. They prefer grasses such as Themeda Triandra. Springbuck can meet their water needs from the food they eat, and are able to survive without drinking water through dry season. In extreme cases, they do not drink any water over the course of their lives. Springbuck may accomplish this by selecting flowers, seeds, and leaves of shrubs before dawn, when the food items are most succulent. In places such as Etosha National Park, Springbuck seek out water bodies where they are available. Springbuck gather in the wet season and disperse during the dry season, unlike other African mammals.

Springbuck mate year-round, though females are more likely to enter oestrus during the rainy season, when food is more plentiful. Females are able to conceive at as early as six to seven months, whereas males do not attain sexual maturity until two years; rut lasts 5 to 21 days. When a female approaches a rutting male, the male holds his head and tail at level with the ground, lowers his horns, and makes a loud grunting noise to attract her. Copulation consists of a single pelvic thrust.

Gestation lasts five to six months, after which a single calf (or rarely twins) is born. Most births take place in the Spring (October to November), prior to the onset of the rainy season. The infant weighs 3.8 to 5 kg (8.4 to 11.0 lb). The female keeps her calf hidden in cover while she is away. Mother and calf rejoin the herd about three to four weeks after parturition; the young are weaned at five or six months. When the mother gives birth again, the previous offspring, now 6 to 12 months old, deserts her to join herds of adult Springbuck. Thus, a female can calve twice a year, and even thrice if one calf dies. Springbuck live for up to 10 years in the wild.