Steenbok
David with his trophy Steenbok ram. Excellent trophy that belongs in the "Little Five" Pygmy Antelope collection of African game. Taken with the .223 caliber. The East Cape region sports excellent populations of record book Steenbok. Ask me about booking your own hunt for the "Little Five."
Steenbok, steinbok - RAPHICERUS CAMPESTRIS
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
Subclass: True Mammals (Eutheria)
Order: Even-toed Mammals (Artiodactyla)
Family: Bovidae.
The Name "Steenbok": "Steenbok" and "steinbok" are variations on the same Afrikaans (South African Dutch) word for "stone buck."
Location: Southern Africa and part of East Africa.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Open plains and lightly wooded savanna.
Description: The coat Is a uniform reddish color, sometimes turning grayish with a light silvery sheen. The delicate appearance of this slightly built antelope is accentuated by its long legs and thin neck. The ears are long and broad, and the tail is only a short stump. The horns, present only in the male, curve slightly forward and average 4 inches long with 7 inches being the record. Length of head and body is about three feet, two feet high at the shoulder, and it weighs about 26 pounds, the male sometimes lighter than the female.
Behavior: The steenbok is active both day and night constantly moving in search of food. It feeds on many plant species, eating grass, tubers, leaves, and fruit. It can go for long periods without drinking. It is found in lowland habitats, and never ventures into hilly areas. It is said sometimes to take refuge in the old burrows of aardvarks. It is generally solitary and is seen only briefly in pairs during the short mating season.
Reproduction: Gestation lasts about seven months, and one young is born.
Some of the beautiful flora that grows in South Africa. This is one BIG cactus!