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The swamp antelope
"The hooves of a sitatoenga are adapted to walking in wet areas. Each leg has two long hooves and they can expand them very wide. This makes them less likely to sink into the mud."
Food
marsh grasses and leaves
Life span
20 years
Weight
40 - 120 kg
Number of young
1 young
Gestation period
7 months
Habitat
wetlands in Central Africa
IUCN Status
Safe
EEP
Yes
About the sitatunga
The sitatunga is a swamp antelope from central Africa, recognizable by its particular adaptations to wet habitats. With their spreading hooves, they walk effortlessly through muddy swamps. They eat mostly swamp grasses and leaves, even sticking their heads underwater in the process. Males are larger, have twisted horns and dark fur, while females are smaller and brighter in color, with white stripes and dots. Sitatungas usually stay in a small area and share it peacefully with conspecifics. Their striped fur provides camouflage, but when in danger they flee into the water.
Habitat and threats
The sitatunga lives in wet swamp areas spread across 25 different countries in central Africa. In the wild, lions and African wild dogs are the sitatungas' natural enemies. But poachers also hunt this species. They often use dogs to chase the sitatungas into the water. From a boat, the animal is then easy prey for the poacher.
More information about the sitatunga
A sitatunga eats marsh grasses and leaves. They mainly eat grasses from the bottom of the marsh. When grazing, they sometimes stick their head and neck completely into the water.
The sitatunga is found in the wild in 25 different African countries. Sitatungas prefer to live in wetlands scattered throughout central Africa.
Males are larger, have twisted horns and dark fur. Females are smaller and have a brighter color with white stripes and dots.