Pelea capreolus (Foster, 1790)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6512484 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6581654 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F50713-9908-FFB3-03D5-F84BF585F2FE |
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Conny |
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scientific name |
Pelea capreolus |
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Rhebok
French: Péléa / German: Rehantilope / Spanish: Pelea
Other common names: Gray Ribbok, Vaal Rhebuck
Taxonomy. Antilope capreolus Forster, 1790 ,
Cape Colony.
The Rhebok is a distinctive antelope that has sometimes been separated into its own tribe, the Peleini. Monotypic.
Distribution. South Africa, Swaziland, and Lesotho. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head—body 105-125 cm, tail 10-20 cm, shoulder height 70-80 cm; weight 18-30 kg, average 22 kg (males) and 20 kg (females). Males are generally 10% larger than females. Both sexes have soft, woolly coats of pale gray fur. The legs, neck, and head generally have a fulvous or fawn tinge, and the fronts of the legs tend to be somewhat darker. The underparts are marginally paler than the dorsal pelage except for the inguinal region and inner thighs, which are white. The underside of the bushytail is white, and the dorsal surface is gray except for the white tip. The most notable feature of the face is the bulbous black rhinarium; this bare nasal skin extends back a considerable distance from the nostrils. The rhinarium accentuates the white markings on the front of the muzzle and lips. An indistinct pale ring is present around each eye, and the skin of the upper and lowerlidsis strikingly black. The exceptionally long, narrow, erect ears are also distinctive; their insides are black with tracts of white hair. Only males have horns. They are straight and slender, rising nearly vertically from the forehead with a very slight forward curve. The horns are generally parallel, with a tip-to-tip distance of 5-17 cm; typical length is 20-29 cm. Dental formula is I 0/3, C0/1,P3/3,M 3/3 (x2) = 32.
Habitat. Montane grasslands interspersed with rocky areas, usually at elevations of 1400-3300 m. In the Drakensberg mountain range, South Africa, Rheboks are most common in the subalpine zone between 1800 m and 2300 m. They are generally confined to open habitats such as Themeda—Festuca grassland, open woodland, and Erica— Helichrysum heath; areas with dense cover or tall grass are avoided. Steep slopes are used as refugia from predators, and an abundance of steep terrain is correlated with smaller home ranges. Winter temperatures may drop below freezing, and the woolly coat may provide some protection from such temperatures. However,juveniles are particularly susceptible to hypothermia, especially during wet weather or snow. Population densities are generally 0-5—1-7 ind/km?, although local densities of approximately 6-5 ind/km? have been recorded in several South African locales.
Food and Feeding. Many older reports suggest that the Rhebok is a grazer, but numerous recent studies involving feeding habits, rumen content analysis, and fecal analysis have shown that this species is almost exclusively a browser. Leaves from dicotyledonous shrubs and forbs comprise, on average, 96-9% of rumen contents sampled. Disparago spp. and Metalasia spp. are preferentially consumed in Bontebok National Park, South Africa, especially in October—April. Other important plant genera in the diet include Aspalathus, Hermannia, and Helichrysum. Flowers of the shrubs Leucosidea sericea, Cliffortia nitidula, and Euryops sp. are consumed in Orange Free State, South Africa; in south-western South Africa, blossoms, roots, and seeds are eaten in greater amounts during the dry winter (June through October). Grass is fed upon commonly but in low quantities throughout the year (only 2:7% of rumen contents, but present in 19 of 26 samples); Themeda triandra appears to be the grass most frequently consumed. Grasses are more heavily used during the winter in Bontebok National Park, but in Orange Free State their use peaked is in summer and autumn. The Rhebok generally does not require drinking water, although it has been observed drinking regularly in winter.
Breeding. Seasonal. Courtship and breeding usually occur in summer or autumn, depending on the region. An estrous female remains still when approached by the harem male, often lifting her tail and urinating when the male is close by. The male stays near the receptive female, licking at her vulva and shoulder region periodically, until she is ready to mate. Copulation follows after a distinctive “mating march,” in which a female slowly walks forward, closely followed by the male, who taps the female’s underside with a front leg at nearly every step. Gestation lasts for approximately seven months. Births in eastern South Africa are concentrated around January (91% occur between November and February). In the Western Cape Province, most births occur in August. These differences are largely attributed to different rainfall patterns and thus availability of fresh vegetation around parturition. A single offspring is typical, although twins are reported rarely. A pre-parturient female will separate from conspecifics 2-3 days priorto giving birth to seek an area of dense cover. Neonates are hidden in long grass for at least three weeks, during which time the mother typically remains at least 50 m, but not more than 500 m, away. The mother will visit sporadically (usually early and late in the day) to nurse the infant. At 3-5 weeks of age, the infant begins to follow its mother, butstill seeks refuge in cover for extended periods; by six weeks it has joined the herd and is fully mobile, closely following the mother. Weaning occurs at 6-8 months. Females may conceive by 16 months of age, and they are generally pregnant by two years of age. Males begin to develop horns at three months; the tolerance of adult males for juvenile males gradually decreases until they reach 9-11 months old. At this time, harem males begin to aggressively chase young males, forcing them to disperse from their natal territory before the next year’s offspring are born. Males are thought to reach sexual maturity at 1-5-2 years. Life span may exceed twelve years in captivity.
Activity patterns. The Rhebok does not show any distinct activity patterns, and it tends to be active both day and night. Intervals of moving and feeding, typically 1-2 hours long, are alternated with similarly timed bouts of resting. Resting occurs at the highest frequency during the middle of the day, but this pattern is not as distinct as in other members of the Reduncini. Rheboks usually rest in open, exposed areas rather than in cover. The predominant peak in feeding activity occurs in the late afternoon. Overall, 56-60% of the Rhebok’s daytime activity budget is spent “active”; a similar level of activity (57%) has been recorded at night. Females typically spend more time feeding than males, and both sexes forage for longer periods during the winter, when food is scarce.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Rheboks display a very fixed social system of harem groups and solitary males. Groups are no larger than 12-15 individuals, composed of a single adult male, 1-6 adult females, and their recent offspring. These harem herds are extremely stable, without immigration and with only sporadic emigration of the younger age classes. When on the move, the herd is led by a female; the harem male brings up the rear. Young males,after being forced to disperse, remain solitary until they can obtain a territory and attract young females that disperse from neighboring areas. Herds occupy distinct home ranges with little overlap (less than 10%) among neighboring groups. Annual home range size averages 0-62 km® (range 0-29-1-03 km?); the entire area is used during the winter, but summer home ranges may be one-half that size, because the animals do not wander as widely. Males are territorial and defend the herd’s home range against other males. Territorial boundaries are delineated with small amounts of feces deposited at visual landmarks such as termite mounds, tufts oftall grass, and vertical posts; secretions from preputial glands also make the urine more conspicuous. These “signposts” are thought to be olfactory in nature, because males make little attempt to make them visually noticeable. Territorial marking increases in frequency during early summer (October-December) in eastern South Africa, the time when young males are chased away from natal herds.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Populations of Rheboks are widely fragmented, but their preference for marginal habitats make them less susceptible to ongoing habitat loss than many other African ungulates. Poaching by humans and hunting by feral dogs may occur outside of protected areas. The total population is thought to be 10,000 -18,000 individuals and appears to be relatively stable. The Rhebok is the most common bovid in Lesotho. The Drakensberg mountain range in Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, are the stronghold for this species. The Rhebok has been extirpated from south-eastern Botswana.
Bibliography. Beukes (1988), East (1999), Estes (1991a, 1991b), Ferreira & Bigalke (1987), IUCN/SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2008aq), Kingdon (1997), Kopij (2006), Lydekker (1914), Rowe-Rowe (1983), Taylor & Skinner (2006), Taylor, Skinner & Krecek (2006, 2007), Taylor, Skinner, Williams & Krecek (2006), Weigl (2005).
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