About Redunca redunca (Pallas, 1767)
The bohor reedbuck, with the scientific name Redunca redunca (Pallas, 1767), is a medium-sized antelope. Its typical head-and-body length ranges from 100–135 cm (39–53 in). Males stand approximately 75–89 cm (30–35 in) tall at the shoulder, while females reach 69–76 cm (27–30 in) at the shoulder. Males typically weigh 43–65 kg (95–143 lb), and females weigh 35–45 kg (77–99 lb). Its bushy tail measures 18–20 cm (7.1–7.9 in) long. This species is sexually dimorphic: males are 10% to 20% larger than females and have more prominent markings. Among its recognized subspecies, R. r. cottoni is the largest, and R. r. redunca is the smallest. This sturdily built antelope has a yellow to grayish-brown coat, and is generally yellower than other reedbuck species. Large, diffuse sebaceous glands in the coat make the fur greasy and give the animal a strong odor. Juveniles are darker and have longer hair than adults. Subspecies vary in coat color: R. r. bohor is yellowish gray, while R. r. wardi has a richer tint. The bohor reedbuck's undersides are white. It has several distinct markings: a dark stripe on the front of each foreleg, white markings under the tail, and a pale ring of hair around the eyes that extends along the lips, lower jaw, and upper throat. The subspecies R. r. redunca lacks the dark foreleg stripes. Males have thicker necks. The species can be distinguished from other antelopes by its large, oval-shaped ears, and there is a round bare spot below each ear. In addition to sebaceous glands, bohor reedbuck have a pair of inguinal glands, vestigial foot glands, and four nipples. A bohor reedbuck can live for at least ten years. Its tracks are slightly smaller than those of the southern reedbuck. As a key part of its sexual dimorphism, only males have a pair of short, stout horns that extend backward from the forehead and hook slightly forward. Horns typically measure 25–35 cm (9.8–13.8 in), though some individuals from Senegal have longer, wide-spreading horns. Compared to other reedbucks, the bohor reedbuck has the shortest and most hooked horns. R. r. cottoni has the longest horns, which are less hooked than typical and may curve inwards. In contrast to R. r. cottoni, R. r. bohor has short, stout horns with hooks that point forward. Horn length in a given region is somewhat related to population density in that area: bohor reedbuck in eastern Africa, where populations are dispersed, have short horns, while those in the Nile valley, where populations are concentrated, have longer, wide-spreading horns. The bohor reedbuck inhabits moist grasslands, swamplands, and woodlands. In northern Cameroon, it occupies two main habitat types: seasonally flooded grasslands with abundant grasses such as Vetiveria nigritana and Echinochloa pyramidalis in the Sahelo-Sudan region, and Isoberlina woodlands in the Sudano-Guinean region. It is often found on grasslands prone to both floods and droughts, and adapts well to extreme seasonal changes and calamities. Due to its specific habitat requirements, it is not as widespread as the bushbuck. In some edge areas of its range, it shares habitat with the mountain reedbuck. The ranges of the bohor reedbuck and southern reedbuck overlap extensively in Tanzania. Endemic to Africa, the bohor reedbuck is native to Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania and Togo. It is possibly extinct in Ivory Coast and Uganda. Formerly widespread across western, central, and eastern Africa, its current range extends from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east. Among the three reedbuck species, the bohor reedbuck is the most widespread in Tanzania. Its conservation status is uncertain in Burundi, Eritrea, Ghana and Togo, and it is rare in Niger and Nigeria. Bohor reedbuck are active throughout the day, seeking cover during daytime and grazing at night. A large portion of each day is spent feeding and staying vigilant. They can easily camouflage in grasses and reeds, and typically hide instead of running when they sense danger. When threatened, they usually stay motionless or retreat slowly into cover for defense, but will flee and whistle shrilly to alert others if the threat is close. They hide from predators rather than forming herds for defense. Many predators, including lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, wild dogs, and crocodiles, prey on the bohor reedbuck. When shade is available, females stay solitary; if no shade is available, females and their offspring gather into herds of up to ten individuals. Female home ranges cover 15–40 hectares, while the larger territories of males cover 25–60 hectares. These home ranges often overlap. As female offspring mature, they move away from their mothers' home ranges. Territorial males are very tolerant, and may even associate with up to 19 bachelor males when no females are present. Up to five females may be found in a single male's territory. Territorial males drive out their sons once the young males start growing horns, which happens when they are about a year and a half old. These young males form small groups of two to three on the borders of territories, until they mature around their fourth year. Large aggregations of hundreds of bohor reedbuck gather near rivers during the dry season. Two common displays in this species are whistling and bounding. Instead of scent-marking territory, the bohor reedbuck produces a shrill whistle to mark its territory boundaries. When whistling, it expels air through its nose with enough force that its entire body vibrates. These whistles, usually one to three in number, are followed by a few stotting bounds. This behavior is also used to raise alarm in herds. During this display, the reedbuck raises its neck to expose the white patch on its throat, keeps its tail down, and leaps similarly to an impala, landing on its forelegs. The display is also accompanied by popping of the inguinal glands in the legs. Fights between males begin with both opponents holding their horns low in a combat stance, followed by locking of horns and pushing. These fights can even result in death. For reproduction, males become sexually mature at three to four years old, while females can conceive as early as one year old and reproduce every nine to fourteen months. There is no fixed breeding season, but mating peaks in the rainy season. Dominance fights take place in specific "assembly fields", where up to 40 males may gather in an area of 1 hectare. Some parts of these grounds are marked with dung and urine and are particularly attractive to males, because of the oestrogen present in females' urine. Courtship starts when the dominant male approaches the female, who then assumes a low-head posture and urinates. Unresponsive females will run away when pursued by a male. A male that is interested in the female will repeatedly sniff her vulva and flick his tongue. As the pair continues their "mating march", the male licks the female's rump and persistently attempts to mount her. When mounting, the male tries to clasp her flanks tightly. If the female stands firmly, she is signaling that she is ready to mate. Copulation involves a single ejaculation, after which both animals stand motionless for a time before returning to grazing. The gestation period is seven and a half months long, after which a single calf is born. Mothers keep their calves concealed for up to eight weeks. The mother stays within 20–30 m of her calf. Nursing, which usually lasts two to four minutes, includes licking the calf's entire body and suckling. The infant is typically suckled once during the day and one to two times at night. A female's previous calf usually resists separation from her. By two months old, the calf starts grazing alongside its mother, and will seek protection from her if threatened. After four months, the mother no longer licks the calf, though she may still groom it. Calves are weaned at eight to nine months old.
