Jump to content

Lechwe: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎Description: typical sizes, but varies quite a bit (e.g. median is ~50 kg for female black lechwe, ~70 kg for female red lechwe)
Reverted 1 edit by 102.182.46.181 (talk)
 
(14 intermediate revisions by 10 users not shown)
Line 13: Line 13:
| authority = [[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1850
| authority = [[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1850
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision = * ''[[Red lechwe|Kobus leche leche]]''
| subdivision = * ''Kobus leche leche''
* ''[[Kafue lechwe|Kobus leche kafuensis]]''
* ''[[Kobus leche kafuensis]]''
* [[Extinction|†]] ''[[Roberts' lechwe|Kobus leche robertsi]]''
* [[Extinction|†]] ''[[Kobus leche robertsi]]''
* ''[[Black lechwe|Kobus leche smithemani]]''
* ''Kobus leche smithemani''
| range_map = Kobus leche range map.png
| range_map = Kobus leche range map.png
| range_map_caption = Distribution range of lechwe
| range_map_caption = Distribution range of lechwe
Line 22: Line 22:
}}
}}


The '''lechwe''', '''red lechwe''', or '''southern lechwe''' (''Kobus leche'') is an [[antelope]] found in wetlands of south central Africa.
The '''lechwe''', '''red lechwe''', or '''southern lechwe''' ('''''Kobus leche''''') is an [[antelope]] found in [[Wetland|wetlands]] of south-central Africa.


==Range==
==Range==
The lechwe is native to [[Botswana]], [[Zambia]], southeastern [[Democratic Republic of Congo]], northeastern [[Namibia]], and eastern [[Angola]], especially in the [[Okavango Delta]], [[Kafue Flats]], and [[Bangweulu Wetlands]].
The lechwe is native to Botswana, Zambia, southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northeastern Namibia, and eastern Angola, especially in the [[Okavango Delta]], [[Kafue Flats]], and [[Bangweulu Wetlands]]. The species is fairly common in zoos and wild animal farms.

A single animal may have been recorded in [[Kakadu National Park]] along the highway in [[Northern Territory]], [[Australia]], in 2013.<ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/08/14/3825580.htm Antelope In Kakadu]</ref>


==Description==
==Description==
Lechwe typically stand {{convert|90|to|100|cm|in|abbr=on}} at the shoulder and generally weigh from {{convert|50|to|120|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. They are golden brown with white bellies. Males are darker in colour, but exact hue and amount of blackish on the front legs, chest and body varies depending on [[subspecies]]. The long, spiral horns are vaguely lyre-shaped and borne only by males. The hind legs are somewhat longer in proportion than in other antelopes to ease long-distance running on marshy soil.
Adult lechwe typically stand {{convert|90|to|100|cm|in|abbr=on}} at the shoulder and generally weigh from {{convert|50|to|120|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, with males being larger than females. They are golden brown with white bellies. Males are darker in colour, but exact hue and amount of blackish on the front legs, chest and body varies depending on [[subspecies]]. The long, spiral horns are vaguely lyre-shaped and borne only by males. The hind legs are somewhat longer in proportion than in other antelopes to ease long-distance running on marshy soil.


<gallery mode="packed">
<gallery mode="packed">
Red Lechwe in the Okavango.jpg|Adult red lechwes in the [[Okavango Delta]]
File:Red Lechwe in the Okavango.jpg|Adult red lechwes in the [[Okavango Delta]], Botswana
Leaping Lechwe.jpg|Female red lechwe running
File:Leaping Lechwe.jpg|alt=Female red lechwe runningOkavango Delta, Botswana|Female red lechwe, <br>Okavango Delta
Red lechwe (Kobus leche leche) juvenile.jpg|Juvenile red lechwes<br>[[Okavango Delta]], [[Botswana]]
File:Red lechwe (Kobus leche leche) juvenile.jpg|alt=Juvenile red lechweOkavango Delta, Botswana|Juvenile red lechwe,<br>Okavango Delta
Red lechwe (Kobus leche leche) males fighting, composite.jpg|Males red lechwes flighting<br>[[Okavango Delta]], [[Botswana]]
File:Red lechwe (Kobus leche leche) males fighting, composite.jpg|alt=Males red lechwes flightingOkavango Delta, Botswana|Male red lechwes fighting,<br>Okavango Delta
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Habitats==
==Habitats==
Lechwe are found in [[marsh]]y areas where they are an important [[herbivore]] of [[aquatic plant]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Franceschini |first1=M. Celeste |last2=Murphy |first2=Kevin J. |last3=Moore |first3=Isabel |last4=Kennedy |first4=Michael P. |last5=Martínez |first5=Fedra S. |last6=Willems |first6=Frank |last7=De Wysiecki |first7=M. Laura |last8=Sichingabula |first8=Henry |date=29 July 2020 |title=Impacts on freshwater macrophytes produced by small invertebrate herbivores: Afrotropical and Neotropical wetlands compared |journal=Hydrobiologia |volume=847 |issue=17 |pages=3931–3950 |doi=10.1007/s10750-020-04360-5|s2cid=220843360 }}</ref> They use the knee-deep water as protection from predators. Their legs are covered in a water-repellant substance which allows them to run quite fast in knee-deep water. Lechwe are [[diurnal animal|diurnal]]. They gather in herds which can include many thousands of individuals.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lechwe|url=https://urbancamp.net/backup%20of%20old%20site/contents/en-us/p22_Lechwe.html|last=Windhoek|first=UrbanCamp net {{!}} Camping {{!}} Leisure {{!}}|website=urbancamp.net|language=en-us|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref> Herds are usually all of one sex, but during mating season they mix.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1093/beheco/8.1.1|title=Lekking, resource defense, and harassment in two subspecies of lechwe antelope|journal=Behavioral Ecology|volume=8|pages=1–9|year=1997|last1=Nefdt|first1=Rory J. C.|last2=Thirgood|first2=Simon J.|doi-access=free}}</ref>
Lechwe are found in [[marsh]]y areas where they are an important [[herbivore]] of [[aquatic plant]]s, as well as [[grass]]es that are found in flooded [[meadows]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Franceschini |first1=M. Celeste |last2=Murphy |first2=Kevin J. |last3=Moore |first3=Isabel |last4=Kennedy |first4=Michael P. |last5=Martínez |first5=Fedra S. |last6=Willems |first6=Frank |last7=De Wysiecki |first7=M. Laura |last8=Sichingabula |first8=Henry |date=29 July 2020 |title=Impacts on freshwater macrophytes produced by small invertebrate herbivores: Afrotropical and Neotropical wetlands compared |journal=Hydrobiologia |volume=847 |issue=17 |pages=3931–3950 |doi=10.1007/s10750-020-04360-5|s2cid=220843360 |url=http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/bitstream/handle/10915/144665/Documento_completo.pdf?sequence=1 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Kobus_leche/#:~:text=Lechwe%20are%20medium%2Dsized%20antelopes,Males%20darken%20with%20age | title=Kobus leche (Lechwe) | website=[[Animal Diversity Web]] }}</ref> They use the knee-deep water as protection from predators. Their legs are covered in a water-repellant substance which allows them to run quite fast in knee-deep water. Lechwe are [[Diurnality|diurnal]]. They gather in herds which can include many thousands of individuals.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lechwe|url=https://urbancamp.net/backup%20of%20old%20site/contents/en-us/p22_Lechwe.html|last=Windhoek|first=UrbanCamp net {{!}} Camping {{!}} Leisure {{!}}|website=urbancamp.net|language=en-us|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref> Herds are usually all of one sex, but during mating season they mix.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1093/beheco/8.1.1|title=Lekking, resource defense, and harassment in two subspecies of lechwe antelope|journal=Behavioral Ecology|volume=8|pages=1–9|year=1997|last1=Nefdt|first1=Rory J. C.|last2=Thirgood|first2=Simon J.|doi-access=free}}</ref>


==Taxonomy==
==Taxonomy==
Line 46: Line 44:
===Subspecies===
===Subspecies===
[[File:Kob Antelope.jpg|thumb|Kafue lechwes (''K. l. kafuensis'') where the male has more black to the front legs and chest than the red and Upemba lechwes, but less than the black lechwe that also has some blackish to the side of the body]]
[[File:Kob Antelope.jpg|thumb|Kafue lechwes (''K. l. kafuensis'') where the male has more black to the front legs and chest than the red and Upemba lechwes, but less than the black lechwe that also has some blackish to the side of the body]]
[[File:Kobus leche smithemani 44223157.jpg|thumb|Black lechwe (''K. l. smithemani'')]]


Four subspecies of the lechwe have been recognized.<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3|page=720|id=14200984}}</ref><ref name=groves>{{cite book |last1=Groves |first1=C.|last2=Grubb |first2=P.|title=Ungulate Taxonomy |date=2011|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |location=Baltimore |isbn=978-1-4214-0093-8|pages=190–1}}</ref>
Four subspecies of the lechwe have been recognized.<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3|page=720|id=14200984}}</ref><ref name=groves>{{cite book |last1=Groves |first1=C.|last2=Grubb |first2=P.|title=Ungulate Taxonomy |date=2011|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |location=Baltimore |isbn=978-1-4214-0093-8|pages=190–1}}</ref>


* '''Red lechwe''' (''Kobus leche leche'') <small>(Gray, 1850)</small> - Widely distributed in the wetlands of [[Zimbabwe]], [[Botswana]], [[Namibia]] and [[Zambia]].
* '''Common red lechwe''' (''Kobus leche leche'') <small>(Gray, 1850)</small> - Widely distributed in the wetlands of [[Zimbabwe]], [[Botswana]], [[Namibia]] and [[Zambia]].
* '''[[Kafue Flats lechwe]]''' (''Kobus leche kafuensis'') <small>([[Theodor Haltenorth|Haltenorth]], 1963)</small> - It is confined within the [[Kafue Flats]] (seasonally inundated flood-plain on the [[Kafue River]], Zambia).
* '''[[Kafue Flats lechwe]]''' (''Kobus leche kafuensis'') <small>([[Theodor Haltenorth|Haltenorth]], 1963)</small> - It is confined within the [[Kafue Flats]] (seasonally inundated flood-plain on the [[Kafue River]], Zambia).
* {{Extinct}} '''[[Roberts' lechwe]]''' (''Kobus leche robertsi'') <small>([[Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild|Rothschild]], 1907)</small> - Formerly found in northeastern Zambia, now extinct. Also called the Kawambwa lechwe.
* {{Extinct}} '''[[Roberts' lechwe]]''' (''Kobus leche robertsi'') <small>([[Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild|Rothschild]], 1907)</small> - Formerly found in northeastern Zambia, now extinct. Also called the Kawambwa lechwe.
* '''Black lechwe''' (''Kobus leche smithemani'') <small>([[Richard Lydekker|Lydekker]], 1900)</small> - Found in the [[Bangweulu Wetlands|Bangweulu]] region of Zambia.
* '''Black lechwe''' (''Kobus leche smithemani'') <small>([[Richard Lydekker|Lydekker]], 1900)</small> - Found in the [[Bangweulu Wetlands|Bangweulu]] region of Zambia.


In addition the [[Upemba lechwe]] (''Kobus anselli'') is also considered a subspecies by some authorities (as ''Kobus leche anselli'').<ref>{{cite iucn |author=IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group |date=2017 |title=''Kobus leche'' ssp. ''anselli'' |volume=2017 |page=e.T136937A50198198 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T136937A50198198.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
In addition, the [[Upemba lechwe]] (''Kobus anselli'') and the extinct [[Cape lechwe]] (''Kobus venterae'') are also considered subspecies by some authorities (as ''Kobus leche anselli'' and ''Kobus leche venterae'').<ref>{{cite iucn |author=IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group |date=2017 |title=''Kobus leche'' ssp. ''anselli'' |volume=2017 |page=e.T136937A50198198 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T136937A50198198.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Brain|first1=C. K.|title=The Hunters Or the Hunted?: An Introduction to African Cave Taphonomy|date=1983|publisher=American Bar Foundation|page=173}}</ref>


Although related and sharing the name "lechwe", the [[Nile lechwe]] (''K. megaceros'') is consistently recognized as a separate species.<ref name=groves/>
Although related and sharing the name "lechwe", the [[Nile lechwe]] (''K. megaceros'') is consistently recognized as a separate species.<ref name=groves/>
Line 60: Line 59:
==Reproduction==
==Reproduction==
Lechwe mate during rain seasons of November to February. They have a gestation period of seven to eight months so a majority of calves are born from July to September. <ref>Newell, T. 1999. "Kobus leche" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed March 06, 2020 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Kobus_leche/</ref> Although rare, hybrids between lechwe and [[waterbuck]] have been observed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Antelope hybrid in the wilds of northern Botswana |url=https://africageographic.com/stories/a-wild-hybrid-antelope-in-botswana/ |website=Africa Geographic |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200807040142/https://africageographic.com/stories/a-wild-hybrid-antelope-in-botswana/ |archive-date=7 August 2020 |date=19 May 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Lechwe mate during rain seasons of November to February. They have a gestation period of seven to eight months so a majority of calves are born from July to September. <ref>Newell, T. 1999. "Kobus leche" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed March 06, 2020 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Kobus_leche/</ref> Although rare, hybrids between lechwe and [[waterbuck]] have been observed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Antelope hybrid in the wilds of northern Botswana |url=https://africageographic.com/stories/a-wild-hybrid-antelope-in-botswana/ |website=Africa Geographic |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200807040142/https://africageographic.com/stories/a-wild-hybrid-antelope-in-botswana/ |archive-date=7 August 2020 |date=19 May 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Cape lechwe]], ''Kobus venterae''
* [[Nile lechwe]], ''Kobus megaceros''


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

{{clear}}


==External links==
==External links==

Latest revision as of 22:21, 27 July 2024

Lechwe
male K. l. leche
Nkasa Rupara National Park, Namibia
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Kobus
Species:
K. leche
Binomial name
Kobus leche
Gray, 1850
Subspecies
Distribution range of lechwe
Synonyms

Onotragus leche

The lechwe, red lechwe, or southern lechwe (Kobus leche) is an antelope found in wetlands of south-central Africa.

Range

[edit]

The lechwe is native to Botswana, Zambia, southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northeastern Namibia, and eastern Angola, especially in the Okavango Delta, Kafue Flats, and Bangweulu Wetlands. The species is fairly common in zoos and wild animal farms.

Description

[edit]

Adult lechwe typically stand 90 to 100 cm (35 to 39 in) at the shoulder and generally weigh from 50 to 120 kg (110 to 260 lb), with males being larger than females. They are golden brown with white bellies. Males are darker in colour, but exact hue and amount of blackish on the front legs, chest and body varies depending on subspecies. The long, spiral horns are vaguely lyre-shaped and borne only by males. The hind legs are somewhat longer in proportion than in other antelopes to ease long-distance running on marshy soil.

  • Adult red lechwes in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
    Adult red lechwes in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
  • Female red lechwe runningOkavango Delta, Botswana
    Female red lechwe,
    Okavango Delta
  • Juvenile red lechweOkavango Delta, Botswana
    Juvenile red lechwe,
    Okavango Delta
  • Males red lechwes flightingOkavango Delta, Botswana
    Male red lechwes fighting,
    Okavango Delta

Habitats

[edit]

Lechwe are found in marshy areas where they are an important herbivore of aquatic plants, as well as grasses that are found in flooded meadows.[3][4] They use the knee-deep water as protection from predators. Their legs are covered in a water-repellant substance which allows them to run quite fast in knee-deep water. Lechwe are diurnal. They gather in herds which can include many thousands of individuals.[5] Herds are usually all of one sex, but during mating season they mix.[6]

Taxonomy

[edit]

Subspecies

[edit]
Kafue lechwes (K. l. kafuensis) where the male has more black to the front legs and chest than the red and Upemba lechwes, but less than the black lechwe that also has some blackish to the side of the body
Black lechwe (K. l. smithemani)

Four subspecies of the lechwe have been recognized.[7][8]

In addition, the Upemba lechwe (Kobus anselli) and the extinct Cape lechwe (Kobus venterae) are also considered subspecies by some authorities (as Kobus leche anselli and Kobus leche venterae).[9][10]

Although related and sharing the name "lechwe", the Nile lechwe (K. megaceros) is consistently recognized as a separate species.[8]

Reproduction

[edit]

Lechwe mate during rain seasons of November to February. They have a gestation period of seven to eight months so a majority of calves are born from July to September. [11] Although rare, hybrids between lechwe and waterbuck have been observed.[12]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2017). "Kobus leche". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T11033A50189021. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T11033A50189021.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ Franceschini, M. Celeste; Murphy, Kevin J.; Moore, Isabel; Kennedy, Michael P.; Martínez, Fedra S.; Willems, Frank; De Wysiecki, M. Laura; Sichingabula, Henry (29 July 2020). "Impacts on freshwater macrophytes produced by small invertebrate herbivores: Afrotropical and Neotropical wetlands compared" (PDF). Hydrobiologia. 847 (17): 3931–3950. doi:10.1007/s10750-020-04360-5. S2CID 220843360.
  4. ^ "Kobus leche (Lechwe)". Animal Diversity Web.
  5. ^ Windhoek, UrbanCamp net | Camping | Leisure |. "Lechwe". urbancamp.net. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  6. ^ Nefdt, Rory J. C.; Thirgood, Simon J. (1997). "Lekking, resource defense, and harassment in two subspecies of lechwe antelope". Behavioral Ecology. 8: 1–9. doi:10.1093/beheco/8.1.1.
  7. ^ Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 720. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  8. ^ a b Groves, C.; Grubb, P. (2011). Ungulate Taxonomy. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 190–1. ISBN 978-1-4214-0093-8.
  9. ^ IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2017). "Kobus leche ssp. anselli". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T136937A50198198. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T136937A50198198.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  10. ^ Brain, C. K. (1983). The Hunters Or the Hunted?: An Introduction to African Cave Taphonomy. American Bar Foundation. p. 173.
  11. ^ Newell, T. 1999. "Kobus leche" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed March 06, 2020 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Kobus_leche/
  12. ^ "Antelope hybrid in the wilds of northern Botswana". Africa Geographic. 19 May 2016. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kobus leche.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lechwe&oldid=1237052026"