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Uganda Kob

Scientific Classification

Common Name
Uganda kob
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Artiodactyla
Family
Bovidae
Genus Species
Kobus (native African name) kob thomasi (scientific explorer);thomasi represents sub-species

Fast Facts

Description
The Uganda kob is a medium-sized antelope with a medium brown coat, medium length horns and large ears.
Size
Male: 90 to 100 cm (37 to 40 in.)
Female: 82 to 92 cm (32 to 36 in.)
Weight
Male: About 94 kg (207 lbs.)
Female: About 63 kg (139 lbs.)
Diet
Mostly feeds on tender green grasses
Gestation
Gestation lasts approximately 7.5 to 9 months; Typically a single offspring at a time. After birth, the young lie concealed for about 6 weeks, after which they follow their mothers.
Sexual Maturity
Male: At around 18 months
Female: At about 13 months
Life Span
Up to 17 years
Range
Senegal, West Africa to Kenya, East Africa
Habitat
Inhabits moist savannas, flood plains, and margins of adjacent woodlands
Population
Global: Unknown
Status 
IUCN: Lower Risk/Conservation Dependent
CITES: Not listed
USFWS: Not listed

Fun Facts

  1. Males mark territory boundaries by whistling.
  2. Kob breed year-round in East Africa with an 8 month gestation and generally one offspring.
  3. In order to evade a predator, kobs will leap into the air or seek refuge in water or reed beds.

Ecology and Conservation

The Uganda kob is not protected and is abundant throughout its range. However, the range of the kob is shrinking.

By eating grasses, kobs help keep the plains in a state of re-growth, allowing new grasses to grow.

Kobs are an important food source for many larger predators, especially cheetahs, lions, hyenas, African wild dogs, and sometimes larger snakes.


Bibliography

Estes, R.D. The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals. Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Co., 1993.

Gotch, A.F. Mammals-Their Latin Names Explained. Poole, U.K.: Blandford Press Btd., 1979.

Nowak, R. (ed.). Walkers Mammals of the World. Vol. II, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991.

Parker, S.P. (ed.). Grizmek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. Vol 5. New York: McGraw Hill Pub. Co., 1990.