Oreotragus oreotragus (Zimmermann, 1783)

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 : 735

269.

Cape Klipspringer

Oreotragus oreotragus

French: Oréotrague du Cap / German: Kap-Klippspringer / Spanish: Saltarrocas de El Cabo

Taxonomy. Antilope oreotragus Zimmermann, 1783 ,

Cape of Good Hope.

Previously all klipspringers were considered to belong to this species. Monotypic.

Distribution. S of Northern, Western, and Eastern Cape provinces, South Africa.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 83 cm, shoulder height 41-9 cm, ear 2-7 cm. Skull length is 13.8-15. 1 cm, horn length is 7:5.9-1 cm. The Cape Klipspringer is the largest of the Kklipspringer species.

Thereislittle sexual dimorphism, the females being much the same size as the males. It has particularly short horns. It has very large, slit-like preorbital glands, especially in males, with bare black skin surrounding them; there are no hoof glands; the male has a preputial gland. The hairs are white, with dark brown bands near the end, and the tips are yellow, so that the overall color is speckled. The midline of the underside is pale, and the chin and throat are pale yellowish. There is a large dark brown patch above each hoof. The ears are relatively short; they are whitish, with a thick black line along the rim. The forehead and occiput are reddish-brown.

Habitat. Rocky areas: mountainous regions, rocky hills, kopjes, gorges. The Cape Klipspringer moves between quite widely spaced rocky areas.

Food and Feeding. More time is spent feeding during the dry season than in the wet. Cape Klipspringers are overwhelmingly browsers, and are concentrate selectors, but with a very wide dietary range. In a study in the Western Cape, 41 species of shrubs and herbs were identified in the diet, and as many as 62 species in the Northern Cape. They eat flowers, fruits, young shoots, and leaves. They stand on their hindlegs to reach higher. They also eat bones and the soil from termite mounds.

Breeding. The degree of breeding seasonality of the Cape Klipspringer varies according to local conditions. Gestation (perhaps this species, but itis unclear) is traditionally given as 210-225 days, but as little as 150 days has recently been considered to be more probable. Young are kept hidden for the first 2-3 months; weaning is at 4-5 months.

Activity patterns. All klipspringers run with ajerky, bounding gait, and jump from rock to rock. They stand motionless for long periods of time on top of rocks, scanning the surroundings, their four feet together. They frequently leave the rocks to feed on the surrounding lowlands. They are active in the early morning and more especially in the late afternoon.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Klipspringers are territorial; the territories are occupied by a male and a female (and their young), but it is the male who chases off trespassers. Territories are marked by dung piles, especially around the borders, and both sexes mark with preorbital glands. The female marks first, pushing the end of a twig into her gland, followed by the male, who overmarks the twig. Preorbital marks last for about seven days, and this is the average length of time between their visits to scent-mark locations. A population in the Karoo had territories averaging 15 ha, and one in the North West Cape averaged 49 ha. Territories appear to be occupied permanently, but the owners do wander outside the boundaries to specific feeding sites, including salt licks. The fact that females initiate most scent marking, even outside the mating season, and the males overmark them, suggests that females are defending territories, whereas males are defending their mates.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (under O. oreotragus ). Oreotragus taxa, except the Nigerian Klipspringer (O. o. porteousi), are not considered separately by IUCN.

Bibliography. Estes (1991), Groves & Grubb (2011), Roberts (1996), Skinner & Chimimba (2005).

Figures

269. Cape Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), 270. Transvaal Klipspringer (Oreotragus transvaalensis), 271. Stevenson’s Klipspringer (Oreotragus stevensoni), 272. Angolan Klipspringer (Oreotragus tyler), 273. Zambian Klipspringer (Oreotragus centralis), 274. Noack’s Klipspringer (Oreotragus aceratos), 275. Masai Klipspringer (Oreotragus schillingsi), 276. Golden Klipspringer (Oreotragus aureus), 277. Ethiopian Klipspringer (Oreotragus saltatrixoides), 278. Somali Klipspringer (Oreotragus somalicus), 279. Nigerian Klipspringer (Oreotragus porteousi)

Distribution. S of Northern, Western, and Eastern Cape provinces, South Africa .