The
springbok (
Antidorcas marsupialis) is a medium-sized
antelope found mainly in the dry areas of southern and southwestern Africa. A slender, long-legged
bovid, it reaches 71 to 86 cm (28 to 34 in) at the shoulder and weighs between 27 and 42 kg (60 and 93 lb). Both sexes have a pair of long black
horns that curve backwards, a white face, a dark stripe running from the eyes to the mouth, a light-brown
coat with a reddish-brown stripe, and a white
rump flap. Primarily
browsing at dawn and dusk, it can live without drinking water for years, subsisting on
succulent vegetation. Breeding peaks in the rainy season, when food is more abundant. A single calf is weaned at nearly six months of age and leaves its mother a few months later. Springbok herds in the
Kalahari Desert and the semi-arid
Karoo used to migrate in large numbers across the countryside. The springbok is the national animal of South Africa. This male springbok was photographed in
Etosha National Park, Namibia.
Photograph credit: Yathin S Krishnappa
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