Redunca fulvorufula

118. Southern Mountain Reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula French: Rédunca de montagne / German: Sudlicher Bergriedbock / Spanish: Redunca de montana Taxonomy. Antilope fulvorufula Afzelius, 1815, eastern Cape Colony. The Southern Mountain Reedbuck is sometimes taken to include Chanler’s Mountain Reedbuck (R. chanleri) and the Adamawa Reedbuck (R. adamauae) as subspecies. This species is considered monotypic here. Distribution. SE Botswana, E South Africa, Swaziland, and Lesotho. Descriptive notes. Head-body 100-124 cm, tail 13-20 cm, shoulder height 60-80 cm; weight 31 kg (22-37 kg) for males and 27 kg (22-35 kg) for females. Male Southern Mountain Reedbucks are larger than females and have a significantly longer tail. Body condition may vary dramatically between seasons, with a decline in body weight of up to 20-40% occurring during winter. The pelage is dense and woolly; the overall color is grayish-fawn with a rufous tinge. There is a sharp demarcation between the gray upperparts and the white belly partway up the flanks. The inner surfaces of the legs are white, and the gray outer surfaces lack conspicuous markings. The tail has a bushy white underside. The face has a rufous or fulvous cast, and the chin and upper throat are pale, approaching white. A black glandular patch, devoid of hair, is located beneath each ear. Males alone possess horns; the bases are heavily ridged and the profile has only a slight forward curve. Horn length in large malesis 18-22. 5 cm; the distance between horn tips is usually 7.5-15 cm. Dental formulais10/3,C0/1,P3/3,M3/3(x2)=32. Habitat. Montane grasslands. The Southern Mountain Reedbuck shows a marked preference for areas with rocky terrain, steep slopes, and brushy cover. Flat, open areas tend to be avoided; when threatened, this species typically hides on rocky hillsides or in areas of long grass. The Southern Mountain Reedbuck is usually observed on slopes of 20-30°, a habitat that is unused by other ungulates. North-facing slopes are most frequently inhabited, but this is one of the only ungulate species in its range to use south and south-easterly aspects. In the Drakensberg mountain range, South Africa, this species is predominantly found in the sandstone montane belt (1400-1900 m), an area with more steep cover than higher-elevation plateaus. Winter temperatures may drop below freezing in some areas. Population densities average 5-7 ind/km?, with reported values of 3-1-11-5 ind/km?. Food and Feeding. A grazer. The diet is composed almost entirely of monocotyledonous plants (98% of 46 rumen content samples), of which the great majority are grasses. The Southern Mountain Reedbuck is a selective feeder, preferentially choosing the leaves of grasses over stems. Coarser stems are consumed during winter, when forage quality and leaf availability are reduced. A preference for the grasses Chloris virgata, Digitaria spp., Eragrostis spp., Panicum maximum, Rhynchelytrum repens, and Urochloa spp. was observed in one captive female kept on native pasture. Dicotyledonous plants are consumed in very low quantities, with a slight increase in use at the beginning of the dry season. The Southern Mountain Reedbuck appears to be water-dependent, generally drinking every other day during the dry season (winter). Breeding. The reproductive cycle of the Southern Mountain Reedbuck is largely dependent on resource availability. In areas with harsh winters, births are largely confined to the summer months (particularly November). In other regions, breeding is observed year-round, although there is often a slight peak in births in November—January and a notable drop in the birth rate during the winter months. Females are polyestrous and cycle until they become pregnant; the estrous cycle is estimated to be 2—4 weeks in length. Courtship generally resembles that of the Southern Reedbuck (R. arundinum), with a male following an estrous female, licking and smelling her vulva, and flehming (after smelling the vulva or urine). Females often adopt a submissive posture with the head held low when approached by a male. Ritualized foreleg kicks directed between the hindlegs of the female called “laufschlag” serve as a precursor to mounting. Numerous mounting attempts may occur before successful intromission. After each attempt, the female moves forward 2-20 m and the male performs an abbreviated version of the courtship ritual. After successfully copulating (which lasts less than five seconds), both sexes begin grazing within 1-2 minutes. A single field observation of a known female indicated a gestation period of 236-251 days; general trends based on peak breeding and birthing times also correspond to an eight-month pregnancy. Litter size is one, and weight at birth is approximately 3.3-8 kg. Neonates are cached in dense vegetation for at least four weeks, during which time they are visited by their mothers for nursing. Females exhibit a postpartum estrus 2—4 weeks after birth, although ongoing lactation appears to prevent conception. The birthing interval is typically one year. Young females experience theirfirst estrus before twelve months of age (but rarely become pregnant at this time), and are considered fully mature at 18-24 months. Horn growth in males begins at 4-7 months, and young males tend to disperse from their natal groups at 9-15 months of age. Spermatozoa may be produced at twelve months, but full reproductive maturity (as indicated by testicular development) is not reached until 27 months. Social maturity, when males are capable of holding a territory, may not occur until laterstill. Life span in captivity may exceed 14 years. Activity patterns. Active throughout the day (50% of daylight hours) and night (72% of nocturnal hours). The Southern Mountain Reedbuck is most active in the early morning and late afternoon, continuing after sunset. Between these peaks in activity, there are distinct resting periods in the afternoon (13:00-15:00 h) and during the night (20:00-21:00 h and 03:00-04:00 h). Overall, feeding occupies approximately 30% of the activity budget. Individuals tend to be more active on overcast days; this species appears to be intolerant of high midday temperatures. Activity levels are lower during the wet season, and the elevated diurnal activity levels during the dry season are believed to result from less abundant food sources and cooler temperatures. Pregnant and lactating females have higher activity levels than males. Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Southern Mountain Reedbuck is a social species; groups of 3-8 individuals (females and juveniles) are common. The composition of these groups is fluid and unstable; individual female Southern Mountain Reedbucks regularly leave one group and join another. Females occupy large home ranges, averaging 0-57 km? (0-36-0-76 km?, with some reported to exceed 2 km?). In contrast, males are often solitary and territorial; the average size of defended territories is between 0-15 km*and 0-28 km?, depending on the study area (observed range: 0-08-0-48 km?®). The home ranges of females thus cross the territories of numerous males, who maintain territorial boundaries regardless of the presence or absence of females. Males compete for access to cover, rather than food or water, in order to attract females: female Southern Mountain Reedbucks prefer territories with larger areas of steep slopes. As a result, male territories rarely occur in flat terrain and are centered around hilly areas. Territorial boundaries often coincide with landmarks such as streams and hilltops. Boundaries are not marked with dung or scent marks (despite the large subauricular glands); it appears that subtle posturing, such as an alert stance orstiff-legged jump, and whistling vocalizations, communicate territorial limits. Peripheral areas of male home ranges may overlap 5-35%. Non-territorial and immature males often form small bachelor groups. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (as R. f. Jfulvorufula). The total estimated population is approximately 33,000 individuals. Numbers are relatively stable in South Africa, where this species occurs in relatively large numbers in protected areas and private reserves. Little information is available on the status of the Southern Mountain Reedbuck in the margins of its distribution in Botswana; it is uncertain whetherit currently inhabits southern Mozambique. Bibliography. Anderson & Koen (1993), East (1999), Els (1991), IUCN/SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2008ay), Irby (1979, 1981, 1984), Kingdon (1997), Lydekker (1914), Rowe-Rowe (1983), Taylor, Skinner & Krecek (2006, 2007), Taylor, Skinner, Williams, & Krecek (2006), Walther (1990d), Weigl (2005).Published as part of Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2011, Bovidae, pp. 444-779 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 624, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.651248