Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Greater Kudu

Tragelaphus strepsiceros

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

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Bulls carry some of the longest and most impressive spiral horns in the animal kingdom, reaching up to 1.8 metres.

Weight

120 kg – 315 kg

Size

up to 1.5 m

Lifespan

11 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Crepuscular

Active above all at dawn and dusk.

Social structure

Herd

Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaTemperate forestHerbivore Crepuscular In herds Savanna Temperate forest Mammal

43countries 31parks86same family

Fun facts

Bulls carry spiral horns of up to 1.8 metres, which take 6 years to grow to full size.
Its large, extremely sensitive ears make it particularly hard to approach.
It lives in dense woodland, scrub and wooded hills.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Open woodland, scrub and wooded savanna of eastern and southern Africa
Birth weight: ~16 kg at birth, hidden in vegetation for 4-5 weeks
Size at birth: ~16 kg at birth
Sexual maturity: Female: 15-21 months | Male: 21-24 months (though it rarely breeds successfully before 4-5 years)
Gestation / incubation: 8-9 months (~240 days)
Litter / clutch size: 1 calf per birth (twins uncommon)
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 23.5 years

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Toronto Zoo; Animalia.bio; Kambaku; Ultimate Ungulate; A-Z Animals; Kruger Park; Hluhluwe Game Reserve; The Animal Facts; All Uganda Safaris