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Description

Species Name: Nyala

Species Latin Name: Tragelaphus angasii

Also Known As: Lowland Nyala

Native To: Southern Africa

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Photo Taken At: Werribee Zoo

Size (length): 135 – 195cm (53.2 – 76.8 inches)

Size (Height): 90 – 110cm (35.4 – 43.3 inches)

Weight: 55 – 140 kg (121.3 – 308.7 pounds)

Lifespan: 16 – 19 years

Population Size: 36,500

Population Trend: Stable

Diet: Herbivore

Lifestyle: Terrestrial, cursorial, browsing, viviparous

Female Name: Doe

Male Name: Buck

Baby Name: Calf

Mating Behaviour: Polygyny

Reproductive Season: Year round, peak during Spring and Autumn

Pregnancy Duration: 7 months

Births per pregnancy: 1 calf

Independent Age: 7 months

Female Age of Sexual Maturity: 11 – 12 months

Male Age of Sexual Maturity: 18 months

Description:

Nyala's are medium sized antelopes that are considered the most sexually dimorphic species of antelope. The females and juveniles fur will be coloured a maroon or rufous brown colour, males on the other hand will have more of a dark brown or slate grey colour to their fur which is often tinged with a hint of blue. Both genders will have ten or more white stripes on their sides. Only the males will grow the distinctive spiral that can grow up to 80cm (31.5 inches) long, these horns spiral upwards curving out at the first turn. Both the males and females will have long hair that runs along the back of their heads down to the base of their tails, males will also have an additional fringe of long hair along the mid line of their chest and belly. These animals can also have white spots scattered across their bodies, the patterns of their stripes and spots can vary between each individual.

Diet:

This species of Nyala are known to feed from a variety of foliage, fruits, flower and twigs. During the rainy season they will mainly feed on fresh grass that has recently sprouted. They are known to generally feed in the early mornings as well as the late afternoons, although they will feed at night during the rainy season. Their diet will vary depending on the season, their diet will consist richer in fiber and proteins outside of the rainy seasons. Studies have shown that the sex of the animal will also determine their feeding habits, females will generally spend equal times in all of their ranges of habitats where as males seem to prefer feeding in areas like the sand forest more. Other differences between the sexes were noted with the males seeming to eat more woody species of plant that grew at a higher level than the females generally eat from. It was concluded that these differences are likely due to the different dietary needs to maintain their bodies which differ greatly due to the sexual dimorphism, furthermore it is also quite likely that the difference in diet is to assist with their respective reproductive roles. Nyala are also known to follow baboons as they take advantage of fruit and leaves dropped by baboons in trees.

Behaviour:

Nyala are noted as being very shy and cautious creatures, they spend a lot of their time concealed in various bushes either to escape from the heat of the sun or to hide from predators. If they feel threatened by a predator the females in the group will let out an alarm call that consists of a deep barking sound, this call will result in the other Nyala within hearing range fleeing from the area. These animals are also able to react to the alarm call of several other species such as Impala (Aepyceros melampus), Baboons (Papio), and Kudu (Tragelaphus). These animals are also capable of sensing danger through their keen sense of smell and sight.

These antelope are social animals and will generally be seen in groups of 2 to 30 individuals, these groups can either be mixed in terms of gender or contain only females or only males. Groups that only have males tend to be transitory in nature as the males will split apart one by one in order to find another group with females to be in. These herds will spend their time eating and drinking together, as they are rather shy animals they prefer to remain close to water holes rather than open spaces. These animals do not display signs of being territorial and multiple herds are noted to gather in the same area where there is a concentration of food or water.

Males will fight one another when a female is in their estrus/mating cycle. The males will display to another male by raising the crest of white hair on their chest whilst holding their heads and tails up high. If further aggression is shown it can get rather violent between the two battling males, it has been noted that fatal injuries can result from these battles usually from the horns piercing the body of an opposing male. Generally the larger of the two males will be victorious during these battles, the victor will then proceed with the female that they were fighting over.

Nyala are polygynous which means that one male will generally mate with more than one female. Mating can occur all year round but there is peak mating activity during spring and autumn. After mating a female will be pregnant for about 7 months before giving birth to a single calf. Birth will generally occur in a place that is out of sight of potential predators in places like a thicket of vegetation. The calf will remain hidden for up to 18 days as the mother will continue to nurse the calf at regular intervals. The young will generally stay close to their mother until the birth of the next calf, at this time the males in the group will drive away the older calves away from mother. Females will reach sexual maturity at around 11 – 12 months where as the males will start to seek out females to mate with after they are 18 months of age.

Threats:

Currently the Nyala is listed as a species of least concern and their numbers are stable for the time being. These animals do have a few potential threats however, issues such as poaching, habitat loss due to agriculture and other human developments as well as competition with cattle for food and water could pose a threat to these animals. A viral infection known as Rinderpest (also known as Cattle Plague or Steppe Murrain) have at times contributed to population loss for these animals. The most notable form of population loss would be from poaching as the males of these species are highly prized as game animals in Africa.

The main predators of these animals include Lions (Panthera leo), Leopards (Panthera pardus), and Cape Hunting Dogs (Lycaon pictus temminck). Baboons and raptorial birds of prey are also known to prey on juvenile Nyala. Despite these animals preying on the Nyala it appears that these predatory animals do not contribute in any meaningful way to any drop in population for the Nyala. It is uncertain whether or not the numbers will drop, rise, or remain stable for this beautiful animal in the future. That said over 80% of the total population of this species is protected, a good number of these animals are protected in various national parks, sanctuaries, reserves, and even on private land.

Further Reading (general information):

Wikipedia: Nyala - Wikipedia

Animal Diversity: ADW: Tragelaphus angasii: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)

Kidadl: Did You Know? Incredible Nyala Facts (kidadl.com)

Animalia: Nyala - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio

Africa Freak: 16 Incredible Facts About Nyala, The Legendary African Antelope (africafreak.com)

Description

Species Name: Nyala

Species Latin Name: Tragelaphus angasii

Also Known As: Lowland Nyala

Native To: Southern Africa

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Photo Taken At: Werribee Zoo

Size (length): 135 – 195cm (53.2 – 76.8 inches)

Size (Height): 90 – 110cm (35.4 – 43.3 inches)

Weight: 55 – 140 kg (121.3 – 308.7 pounds)

Lifespan: 16 – 19 years

Population Size: 36,500

Population Trend: Stable

Diet: Herbivore

Lifestyle: Terrestrial, cursorial, browsing, viviparous

Female Name: Doe

Male Name: Buck

Baby Name: Calf

Mating Behaviour: Polygyny

Reproductive Season: Year round, peak during Spring and Autumn

Pregnancy Duration: 7 months

Births per pregnancy: 1 calf

Independent Age: 7 months

Female Age of Sexual Maturity: 11 – 12 months

Male Age of Sexual Maturity: 18 months

Description:

Nyala's are medium sized antelopes that are considered the most sexually dimorphic species of antelope. The females and juveniles fur will be coloured a maroon or rufous brown colour, males on the other hand will have more of a dark brown or slate grey colour to their fur which is often tinged with a hint of blue. Both genders will have ten or more white stripes on their sides. Only the males will grow the distinctive spiral that can grow up to 80cm (31.5 inches) long, these horns spiral upwards curving out at the first turn. Both the males and females will have long hair that runs along the back of their heads down to the base of their tails, males will also have an additional fringe of long hair along the mid line of their chest and belly. These animals can also have white spots scattered across their bodies, the patterns of their stripes and spots can vary between each individual.

Diet:

This species of Nyala are known to feed from a variety of foliage, fruits, flower and twigs. During the rainy season they will mainly feed on fresh grass that has recently sprouted. They are known to generally feed in the early mornings as well as the late afternoons, although they will feed at night during the rainy season. Their diet will vary depending on the season, their diet will consist richer in fiber and proteins outside of the rainy seasons. Studies have shown that the sex of the animal will also determine their feeding habits, females will generally spend equal times in all of their ranges of habitats where as males seem to prefer feeding in areas like the sand forest more. Other differences between the sexes were noted with the males seeming to eat more woody species of plant that grew at a higher level than the females generally eat from. It was concluded that these differences are likely due to the different dietary needs to maintain their bodies which differ greatly due to the sexual dimorphism, furthermore it is also quite likely that the difference in diet is to assist with their respective reproductive roles. Nyala are also known to follow baboons as they take advantage of fruit and leaves dropped by baboons in trees.

Behaviour:

Nyala are noted as being very shy and cautious creatures, they spend a lot of their time concealed in various bushes either to escape from the heat of the sun or to hide from predators. If they feel threatened by a predator the females in the group will let out an alarm call that consists of a deep barking sound, this call will result in the other Nyala within hearing range fleeing from the area. These animals are also able to react to the alarm call of several other species such as Impala (Aepyceros melampus), Baboons (Papio), and Kudu (Tragelaphus). These animals are also capable of sensing danger through their keen sense of smell and sight.

These antelope are social animals and will generally be seen in groups of 2 to 30 individuals, these groups can either be mixed in terms of gender or contain only females or only males. Groups that only have males tend to be transitory in nature as the males will split apart one by one in order to find another group with females to be in. These herds will spend their time eating and drinking together, as they are rather shy animals they prefer to remain close to water holes rather than open spaces. These animals do not display signs of being territorial and multiple herds are noted to gather in the same area where there is a concentration of food or water.

Males will fight one another when a female is in their estrus/mating cycle. The males will display to another male by raising the crest of white hair on their chest whilst holding their heads and tails up high. If further aggression is shown it can get rather violent between the two battling males, it has been noted that fatal injuries can result from these battles usually from the horns piercing the body of an opposing male. Generally the larger of the two males will be victorious during these battles, the victor will then proceed with the female that they were fighting over.

Nyala are polygynous which means that one male will generally mate with more than one female. Mating can occur all year round but there is peak mating activity during spring and autumn. After mating a female will be pregnant for about 7 months before giving birth to a single calf. Birth will generally occur in a place that is out of sight of potential predators in places like a thicket of vegetation. The calf will remain hidden for up to 18 days as the mother will continue to nurse the calf at regular intervals. The young will generally stay close to their mother until the birth of the next calf, at this time the males in the group will drive away the older calves away from mother. Females will reach sexual maturity at around 11 – 12 months where as the males will start to seek out females to mate with after they are 18 months of age.

Threats:

Currently the Nyala is listed as a species of least concern and their numbers are stable for the time being. These animals do have a few potential threats however, issues such as poaching, habitat loss due to agriculture and other human developments as well as competition with cattle for food and water could pose a threat to these animals. A viral infection known as Rinderpest (also known as Cattle Plague or Steppe Murrain) have at times contributed to population loss for these animals. The most notable form of population loss would be from poaching as the males of these species are highly prized as game animals in Africa.

The main predators of these animals include Lions (Panthera leo), Leopards (Panthera pardus), and Cape Hunting Dogs (Lycaon pictus temminck). Baboons and raptorial birds of prey are also known to prey on juvenile Nyala. Despite these animals preying on the Nyala it appears that these predatory animals do not contribute in any meaningful way to any drop in population for the Nyala. It is uncertain whether or not the numbers will drop, rise, or remain stable for this beautiful animal in the future. That said over 80% of the total population of this species is protected, a good number of these animals are protected in various national parks, sanctuaries, reserves, and even on private land.

Further Reading (general information):

Wikipedia: Nyala - Wikipedia

Animal Diversity: ADW: Tragelaphus angasii: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)

Kidadl: Did You Know? Incredible Nyala Facts (kidadl.com)

Animalia: Nyala - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio

Africa Freak: 16 Incredible Facts About Nyala, The Legendary African Antelope (africafreak.com)