Кіші күдік - сипаттамасы мен ерекшеліктері

Species of antelope

speciesbox
| name = Lesser kudu
| image = Lesser Kudu Male (Tragelaphus imberbis). jpg
| image caption = Adult male
| status = NT
| status system = IUCN3.1
| status ref =
| taxon = Tragelaphus imberbis
| authority = (Blyth, 1869)
| synonyms ref = The generic name, Tragelaphus, derives from Greek word tragos, meaning a male goat, and elaphos, which means a deer, while the specific name imberbis comes from the Latin term meaning unbearded, referring to this kudu's lack of mane. The vernacular name kudu (or koodoo) may have originated from the Khoikhoi kudu, or via the Afrikaans koedoe. The term "lesser" denotes the smaller size of this antelope as compared to the greater kudu. The lesser kudu is now typically placed in Tragelaphus. In 2005, Sandi Willows Munro (of the University of KwaZulu Natal) and colleagues carried out a mitochondrial analysis of the nine Tragelaphus species. mtDNA and nDNA data were compared. The results showed that the tribe Tragelaphini is monophyletic with the lesser kudu basal in the phylogeny, followed by the nyala (T. angasii). On the basis of mitochondrial data, the lesser kudu separated from its sister clade around 13.7 million years ago. However, the nuclear data show that lesser kudu and nyala form a clade, and collectively separated from the sister clade 13.8 million years ago. The lesser kudu has 38 diploid chromosomes. However, unlike others in the subfamily Tragelaphinae, the X chromosome and Y chromosome are compound and each is fused with one of two identical autosomes.

The lesser kudu is a spiral horned antelope. The head and body length is typically between Males reach about at the shoulder, while females reach Males typically weigh and females The bushy tail is long, white underneath and with a black tip at the end. Distinct signs of sexual dimorphism are seen in the antelope. The male is considerably larger than the female. The females, as well as juveniles, have a rufous coat, whereas the males become yellowish grey or darker after the age of 2 years. The male has a prominent black crest of hair on the neck, but this feature is not well developed in the female. One long white stripe runs along the back, with 11–14 white stripes branching towards the sides. Females have four teats. The midday is spent in rest and rumination in shaded areas. The animal spends about equal time foraging, standing and lying, and roaming. A rutting male tests the urine of any female he encounters, to which the female responds by urinating. Having located a female in estrus, the male follows her closely, trying to rub his cheek on her rump, head, neck, and chest. He performs gasping movements with his lips. Finally, the male mounts the female, resting his head and neck on her back, in a similar way as other tragelaphines. The mother hides her calf while she goes out to feed, and returns mainly in the evening to suckle her young. She checks the calf's identity by sniffing its rump or neck. In the first month, suckling may occur for 8 minutes. The mother and calf communicate with low bleats. She licks her offspring, particularly in the perineal region, and may consume its excreta.

The lesser kudu's shyness and its ability to camouflage itself in dense cover has protected it from the risks of poaching. For instance, the lesser kudu is widespread in the Ogaden region, which is rich in dense bush, despite reckless hunting by local people. Overgrazing, human settlement, and loss of habitat are some other threats to the survival of the lesser kudu. Population density rarely exceeds 1/km2., and is generally much lower. The handsome head of the male lesser kudu, with his elegant spiraled horns, is the symbol of the Saint Louis Zoo.