Antidorcas marsupialis
One Minute Wildlife with Robert Wedderburn
- This slender species of antelope is found in the western half of Southern Africa.
- The Springbok is a browsing species that feeds almost exclusively on small succulents and the leaves from scrubs, but will also feed on grasses.
- They are able to receive all of the water that their body requires from the plants that they feed on, allowing them to go months and even years without water if it is unavailable.
- Springbok used to be a migratory species but are now largely sedentary due to the limitations of their range
- Both males and females have black horns that point inwards, although the males do have thicker horns than the females.
- They are mainly active at dawn and dusk.
- A group of Springboks is called a herd.
- This antelope is South Africa’s national animal and is also the name of South Africa’s national rugby team.
- The Springbok is classified as a species of least concern on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species.