Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Klipspringer

Oreotragus oreotragus

Least Concern

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

The klipspringer is a small, compact antelope specialised in rocky ground. It walks on tiptoe on blunt, cylindrical hooves with a bearing surface the size of a coin, which give it extraordinary grip on bare rock. It lives in monogamous pairs for life that defend a rocky outcrop and hardly ever move more than a few metres apart. Its coat is made of hollow, brittle hairs that cushion knocks and insulate against heat and cold.

Weight

8 kg – 18 kg

Size

75 cm – 1.2 m

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaDesertMountainHerbivore Diurnal In pairs Savanna Desert Mountain Mammal

43countries 27parks86same family

Fun facts

GeneralIt stands on the very tips of its hooves, as though on tiptoe across the rock.
It literally walks on tiptoe: it puts down only the tips of blunt, cylindrical hooves, with a contact surface the size of a coin, which lets it leap between ledges where no other antelope will fit.
Its hairs are hollow and brittle, like small tubes filled with air: they insulate against the heat and cold of the rock and cushion knocks in a fall.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Rock outcrops, koppies, cliffs and scree of eastern and southern Africa and the Horn of Africa
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 6.4 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreotragus_oreotragus