Greater Kudu Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum Common Name: Greater Kudu Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Genus: Tragelaphus Species: strepsiceros Museum Location: African Savannah Diorama Description: The greater kudu's coat is short with a blue-gray to reddish-brown color and has six to ten vertical white body stripes. The mane runs along the back. The male weighs between 400 and 700 pounds and grows horns from 3-6 feet, while the female weighs between 270 and 470 pounds and has no horns. The maximum length of the greater kudu is nine feet. Habitat and Range: The greater kudu is a member of the spiral-horned antelopes which inhabit hilly woodland areas located in eastern, central and southern Africa. They can be found in habitats that provide bush and thicket cover. In the rains, greater kudu remain in the deciduous woodlands. During the dry season they can be found in along the banks of rivers where there is rich vegetation. Diet: The greater kudu is an opportunistic feeder, which means that it eats whatever is available. Behavior: Female groups are usually accompanied by one or more males. Female calves stay with their mothers longer than males do. Males usually split off from their original group before they are sexually mature. Older males are more solitary than young ones. Communication: The greater kudu can create a variety of sounds from barks and grunts to bleats and whimpers. Reproduction: Females reach sexual maturity at about 18 months to 3 years. Males breed successfully from one to three years after females. Females usually bear one calf per year. Species Status: They were once thought to be endangered but are now fairly secure in their southern habitat range. Interesting Facts: Greater kudus are vulnerable to heavy tick infestations and to resulting tick-born diseases; therefore, they may act as reservoirs of sleeping sickness in tsetse-fly infested areas. By Manal Elshafei & MH