Sharpe’s Grysbok
( northern grysbok )
- Raphicerus sharpei
- IUCN Status: Least Concern
- Trend: decreasing
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Artiodactyla
- Family: Bovidae
- Subfamily: Antilopinae
- Genus: Raphicerus
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General Information
A tiny and shy solitary antelope similar in size to the gray duiker.
Description
It is a tiny antelope. Its coat is reddish-brown streaked with white. Males have short pointy horns which are widely spaced only 3-5cm long. The eye-rings, muzzle, throat and underside are off-white. It has a short neck and long-legged body.- Shoulder height: 45–60 cm
- Weight: 7–11.5 kg
Ecology & Behaviour
The Sharpe’s grysbok is not often seen due to its shy and nocturnal habits. Distinguished from the duiker of the same size in that it runs smoothly not in zig zag, with it’s body and head held low. It favours thickets and feeds on the leaves of low growing shrubs. They browse on leaves, buds, herb and fruits. Like the Cape grysbok, they use a communal latrine and mark sticks in its vicinity with pre-orbital gland secretions.
Conservation
It is listed as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red list.
Distribution & Habitat
In Zambia they are more common in the Kafue national park than any of the other parks. They can also be found in the Transvaal (South Africa), the Caprivi Strip (Namibia), Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Tanzania to Lake Victoria.
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