15/10/2023
FACTS ABOUT WATERBUCK
》The waterbuck is a large, robust animal; males are generally about 25 percent larger than the females.
》 Waterbucks have large, rounded ears and white patches.
》Predators: Hyenas, lions, leopards, hunting dogs, cheetahs, crocodiles
》Diet: Grazers
》Lifespan: Up to 18 years in captivity
》Waterbuck are never far from permanent water sources.
》Waterbuck is large antelopes which drink water daily and also prefer the quality grass that grows along river edges and on floodplains.
》The Waterbuck also prefer the stony slopes of mountain terrain.
》They are stockily built, with short legs.
》 The Color of a waterbuck is greyish brown, with a distinctive collar on the throat.
》Male -1,3_Shoulder height
》Females-1,1_Shoulder height
》Weight _male -270 kgs
》Weight _ famile 189 kgs.
》The waterbuck coat is rough and shaggy in appearance and there is a ruff on the underside of the neck.
》Only the males waterbuck have horns.
》Mature bulls of waterbuck have a strong odor.
》The waterbuck are mainly grazers with a preference for long grass and they browse occasionally on plants, shrubs or trees.
》The waterbuck usually drink water several times a day.
》Females and non-breeding males live in herds of 6 to 12.
》The breeding males of a waterbuck is establish territories in areas where there are a rich food supply.
》The bachelor waterbuck are kept away from the best feeding areas by the territorial bulls.
》A territorial bull waterbuck will tolerate the presence of a younger male who helps with territorial defense.
》A territorial bull waterbuck regularly tests the reproductive condition of females by sniffing of their urine and ge****ls.
》If a female waterbuck is on heat, the bull courts her by rubbing his face and the base of his horns on her back.
》 The male waterbuck will also taps her between her hind legs with a foreleg.
》If she is receptive the female stands with her tail to one side. There will be up to 10 copulations.
》A female waterbuck leaves her herd to give birth and the calf lies hidden in thick cover for about a month.
》The (mother) famile waterbuck visits the calf a few times a day for suckling.
》The young calf finds itself a new place to hide after each visit.
》Calves are weaned at six to eight months.
》A territorial male waterbuck advertises his status by standing proud with his head high and showing the white band on his throat and face.
》 waterbuck will stand broadside he shows off his size and the thickness of his neck.
》Lowering the horns and shaking his head is signs of a stronger threat by the predators.
》A territorial bull of the waterbuck also displays his status by horning grass and bushes.
Serious fighting is fierce and deaths from horn wounds are commonly fatal among the waterbucks.
》The waterbuck Combat involves pushing with locked horns and attempts to gore the opponent in the flank.
》A bachelor male of a waterbuck, may be tolerated as he moves through a territory if he behaves submissively by holding his head low.
》Within the bachelor groups of the waterbuck, there are dominance hierarchies that are established by pushing contests.
》The Older, larger animals in the waterbuck tend to be higher in rank.
》The waterbuck lack both speed and endurance so they depend a lot on cover as a refuge from predators.
》The waterbuck readily take to water to avoid predators.
》There is a belief that the meat of older waterbuck takes on an unpleasant odor from the secretions of its sweat glands.
》This leads to the belief that predators tend to avoid them as prey, however this can not be supported by accurate data.
》What they do with their tails are a good indicator of what mood they are in.
》Their behinds also help members of their group to follow each other and stay together.
》The white target ring on the waterbuck rump help the herd keep together when it flees predators through dense bush.
-Uganda
Uganda
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