the withers-height of the springbok amounts by 80 cm with a weight until 45 kg. The physique resembles that of the gazelles. The fur-color is oberseits shining tawny; the underside is white. A dun flank-roving separates waiter and underside. From the back-middle to the tail-root, a mutual skin fold (Latin) proceeds. "masupium": therefore the scientific name, that can be apart-turned. When opening the skin fold, a wide, white back-strip becomes visible. The face-drawing is gazelle-good. Both sexes carry horns. The more powerful head-arms of the bucks are curled and form a lyre-form.
Habitat Springböcke live in dry, short-grass-y landscapes in the level and in South Africa's hill-country. its habitat shows only a sparse stock of shrubs and hedge-islands.
Way of life Springböcke form assorted herds, bachelor-troops and harem-associations from an adult buck and up to 30 females. In the rain-time, big-herds with thousand of animals meet. they mingle also under herds of other antelopes as well as among zebras and bouquet. In the 19. Century pulled approximately every 10 years millions of Springböcken, probably from food-lack, as far as at the coast. There they drank the saltwater and perished in so large number that its corpses covered a 50 km long coast-hem in a case.
Springböcke are active with exception of the noon as well as on the day as also at night. The Springböcke carry its name because of its particular movement-manner. At the escape or also from "devilment", they jump up into the air. They let head and legs hang down on that occasion, the back is high-curved, and the back-pleat is opened so wide that the white inside lights up. The jumps are imitated by other herd-members and are repeated several times. This showy appearance becomes as Prunken, Prellsprünge or in the English as "stotting" marks. The voice of the springbok is a wheezy or snorting snort.
Enemies of the Springböcke are cheetahs and other cats, hyena-dogs, hyenas and honey-badgers.
Reproduction During the combination-time, a buck holds together a harem of 10-30 females. it expels rivals from the Brunftterritorium. The precinct-possessing buck processes shrubs and grass-tuft with the horns, puts down excrement and urine at certain places and places itself at well visible points to the show. After 167-171 days of Tragzeit, the female places 1 or more rarely 2 kids. The young can follow the mother already few hours after the birth.
Food Grass, herbs and foliage of the different acacia-bushes are grazed by Springböcken. To the achievement of the higher branches, these antelopes arise, like like giraffe-gazelles, on the hind legs. With food and water-lack, they scratch onions and tubers from the ground for itself. they drink daily, can manage several days long if necessary without water, however.
Nature conservation The million-herds of the Springböcke belong to the past. However this coat of arms-animal South Africa is tended in protectorates and on numerous farms in magnificent number so that the continuance is regarded as secured at the moment.
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