Damaliscus ugandae (Blaine, 1914)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2011, Bovidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 444-779 : 659

158.

Uganda Top 1

Damaliscus ugandae

French: Topi d’Ankole / German: Uganda-Topi / Spanish: Topi de Uganda

Taxonomy. Damaliscus korrigum ugandae Blaine, 1914 ,

Southwestern Ankole, Uganda.

Formerly in the synonymy of D. jimela . Monotypic.

Distribution. Ankole region of SW Uganda, extending to Rutshuru Plains in DR Congo and to the Akagera National Park, Rwanda.

Descriptive notes. Few measurements available. Total length 240-268 cm (males) and 230-249 cm (females); weight 136-168 kg (males) and 120-139 kg (females). Relatively smaller than the Korrigum ( D. korrigum ) and the Tiang (D. tiang) and, like them, comparatively broad-skulled and with relatively long spreading horns, but the horns are considerably less robust. Sexual dimorphism is relatively great, second only to the now extinct Uasin Gishu (D. seloust). The pelage color of the Uganda Topi is much darker than in Korrigum and Tiang, maroon suffused with an ashy sheen. The legs are deeper cinnamon below the knees and hocks; their upper halves are blue-black. The shoulder and haunch patches are larger and are steel-gray. The facial blaze is blue-black. There is a big difference in horn length between the northern and southern species in the East African species group. The more southerly species from East Africa are well distinguished from one another and from the northern species. The Uganda Topi is wider across the zygomatic arches, and has longer, more spreading horns than the Serengeti Topi (D. jimela).

Habitat. Like other large species of Damaliscus , this species lives in edaphic grasslands, but this and the extinct Uasin Gishu Topi are the only topi to live in rolling uplands.

Food and Feeding. The Uganda Topi eats almost entirely grass, avoiding very short grass, and eating very few forbs.

Breeding. There are apparently two calving peaks in the year, unlike other species of the genus, but mating takes place sporadically throughout the year as female groups happen to move through high-density territory areas.

Activity patterns. Females move across the landscape in high concentrations, whereas males are clustered into territorial grounds known as leks.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Ishasha population of Uganda Topi, in the Queen Elizabeth National Park,lives at high density (up to 47 ind/ km?), and moves across the plains in concentrations of up to 2000 individuals, the males establishing territories whenever they settle down for a few hours or days. Territorial males are as close as 50 m apart. In Akagera National Park, the territorial grounds (leks) are not so haphazard, but are seasonal, in large open plains; 100 males can be spaced from as much as 250 m apart on the periphery to 25 m apart near the center. Some individual males reclaim the same territory each year for two to three years in a row. Central territories get so overused that their occupants have to leave them to graze, which they do very hurriedly before returning. Females and young live in herds of 200-300, even up to 1000, moving around the lek accompanied by hundreds of bachelor males; most females enter the lek individually or in small groups when in estrus, and they compete with each other fiercely for the attention of the highest quality males. Late in the rains, after the breeding season, all members of the local population migrate together to a dry season range. In Akagera National Park, Rwanda, during the 1970s, males in the south defended large resource-based territories, whereas those in the north defended tiny resource-poor mating territories on leks. By the late 1980s the pattern in the north had changed, and had also become that of resource-defense territories. The males that had earlier held territories in the lek were heavier than the resource-defenders (average weight 159-3 kg vs. 145-5 kg), presumably related to the decreased intensity of competition that they were now experiencing.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (under D. korrigumjimela). In the late 1970s there were nearly 5000 Uganda Topi in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and although subsequently depleted by poaching, the population has recovered. The population in Akagera National Park, Rwanda, has also recovered from poaching during the civil war in the 1990s. The status in the DR Congo is unknown.

Bibliography. Baimford & Blakeman (1991), Estes (1991a, 1991b), Kingdon (1982).

Figures

152. Bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus), 153. Blesbok (Damaliscus phillipsi), 154. Western Tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus), 155. Bangweulu Tsessebe (Damaliscus superstes), 156. Korrigum (Damaliscus korrigum), 157. Tiang (Damaliscus tiang), 158. Uganda Top 1 (Damaliscus ugandae), 159. Ruaha Topt (Damaliscus eurus), 160. Serengeti Topi (Damaliscus jimela), 161. Coastal Topt (Damaliscus topr)

Distribution. Ankole region of SW Uganda , extending to Rutshuru Plains in DR Congo and to the Akagera National Park, Rwanda .