Zur type of the water-bucks (Kobus) counts 4 types one with in each case several subtypes today, among them also this formerly another type of belonging bog-antelopes. The water-buck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) comes in west with different subtypes, central, southeast and East-Africa before. In the west and north of the spread-area, some races live, for which Defassa-Wasserbock (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa) is called. The fur of the Defassa is bay, in Angola also dun. A white mirror is below the tail-root. In the east and south, the ellipse-water-buck (Kobus e) lives. ellipsiprymnus, with dun fur and an elliptical white ring about the tail-root. In the edge-zones, inter-forms occur.
Shape The water-buck has a withers-height of approximately 130 cm with a weight by 250 kg. The fur is long and straggly, extends mane-nicely at the underside of the neck. The hair is greasy through a skin-glandular-secretion and spreads an odd smell. The bucks have bent, strongly curled horns to the back; the females are horn-free.
Habitat Water-bucks don't prefer light forests and hedges, reed-continuances, usually removed far from the water. Where this type with bog-antelopes occurs together, it looks for drier jobs as those.
Way of life Adult bucks usually live as a loner. Females and young form assorted herds, that up to 30 animals include. In the combination-time, an adult buck comes together with the herd. Rivals are pushed away and form bachelor-herds. Water-bucks are on the way with day. In hot weather, they visit the shadow or the water. With danger, they flee into the water or reed. its main-enemy is the lion. The sense of smell of the water-bucks is developed apparently low.
Reproduction Brünstige bucks fight together by seeking to push themselves away mutually with lowered heads and cruised horns. If both opponents side by side-stand parallel, hakeln it itself with its horns. After a Tragzeit of 270 days, the female places 1 or 2 kids; it possesses 4 teats.
Food Water-bucks eat grass and water-plants preferably.
Types From the actual water-buck in the appearance properly different is the Kob-Wasserbock (Kobus kob), whose splendid Gehörn S-förmig is bent. Since several national-parks are in its wide spread-area, the continuance of the type is worth at the moment as secured.
Especially strongly at water and swamp-terrains tied is the Litschi-Moorantilope (Kobus leche) from Africa's south and the white-neck-bog-antelope or Mrs. Grays Wasserbock (Kobus megaceros) from the swamps of the whiteness Nile. Earlier, the Litschi-Moorantilopen herds of thousand of animals formed. Through Bejagung and habitat-destruction, the continuances declined so far meanwhile that it comes more too such mass-accumulations nowhere. The continuances are regarded as endangered meanwhile.
The white-neck-bog-antelope is at the moment endangered apparently not yet, however it exists only in a small occurrence, that is especially susceptible to disturbances.
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