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Eastern Bongo
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Tragelaphus euryceros
CLASS: Mammalia
ORDER: Artiocactyla
FAMILY: Bovidae
GENUS: Tragelaphus
SPECIES: Eurycerus
LIFESPAN: 18-20 years
COLOR/PATTERN: Bright chestnut red, much darker in adult males; dark muzzle, white chevron between eyes, about 2 white cheek spots, lower neck and underside darker, whitish crescent collar at base of neck, black and white spinal crest and many narrow but clear white vertical stripes on the body; contrasting black and white markings on the legs.
HORNS: 30-39 inches; males have massive horns, females have thinner, parallel horns; one turn.
HABITAT: Lowland and mountain forests
RANGE: East, Central, and Western Africa
HEIGHT: 44-54 inches, males usually larger than females
WEIGHT: females (462-557 pounds) males (528-891 pounds)
REPRODUCTION: seasonally with usually one calf born
GESTATION: about 285 days (9.5 months)
DIET: (browsers) eats leaves, bushes, herbs, bamboo, fruit, and bark
ACTIVE: both diurnal and nocturnal
STATUS: Currently not endangered overall, only in some areas due to deforestation/loss of habitat and bushmeat hunting.
NOTES:
- Bongos are the only forest antelope to form herds.
- They are the largest of the forest antelope.
- They are in a group of spiral horned antelope. Both males and females have horns.
- Are very secretive animals, much of what is known about them comes from studies from captive animals.
- They have been known to eat burned wood after lightning storms. This behavior is believed to be a means of getting salts and minerals.
- Bongos are great high jumpers, but prefer to go under or around obstacles.
- Bongos use their prehensile tongue to grasp the vegetation they feed on.
- Are prey for leopards and hyenas.
- Habitat destruction is their greatest threat.
- Bongos rely heavily on their sense of hearing, rather than sight or smell. They have large ears which allow them to hear approaching predators.
- Pigmentation rubs off easily. Rain running off a bongo has been noticed to run red with pigmentation.
Last Update:Wednesday, May 11, 2005 at 08:37:00
