The Klipspringer (Oreotragus Oreotragus) is one of the smaller antelope that is found in eastern and southern Africa. The Klipspringer can grow to a shoulder height of about 43 – 60 centimeters and can weigh anything from 8 – 18 kilograms. The specially adapted coat of the Klipspringer act as an efficient camouflage for its rocky habitat and they have a yellowish gray to reddish brown color coat that is hollow with brittle hair, unlike most other antelope. Only the males have horns which can measure from 7.5 – 9 centimeters long.
The habitat of the Klipspringer is characterized by rocky terrain and sparse vegetation. They usually browse on young plants, fruits and flowers. They are nocturnal animals (active at night) and will rest during the middle of the day and late at night.
The Klipspringer is monogamous and exhibit a lifelong pair bonding with the opposite sex, unlike most other antelopes. The males form territories of 7.5 – 46 hectares big and they live there with their partners and offspring and they tend to stay as close a 5 meters from each other.
The males mark their territories in two ways. They will either form large dung heaps at the borders of their territories or they will mark their territories by a secretion of a thick, black substance from their preorbital gland onto vegetation and rocks in their territories.
The Klipspringer is primarily a browser and prefers young plants, fruits and flowers. The grasses that they eat during the rain season forms a minor part of their diet and they are mainly dependent on succulent plants to meet their water requirements. By standing on their hind legs, they can reach tall branches and they can even climb a tree of up to 5.4 meters in height in order to reach the branches.
A female Klipspringer reaches sexual maturity by one year old, while a male Klipspringer takes slightly longer to mature. A single lamb is born from spring to early summer, after a gestation period of around six months. The newborn is hidden for up to three months to protect it from predators like baboon, caracal, eagles, leopards and spotted hyenas. The lambs are weaned at four to five months old and leaves their mothers when they turn one year old. The Klipspringer has a lifespan of up to 15 years.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klipspringer