What are the different kinds of antelopes that live in Togo?

There are an astounding number of separate antelope species found here! These remarkable creatures are very different from each other, each one being uniquely adapted to its specific habitat.

In this article, you’ll find interesting facts, photos, and even range maps so you can learn all about these incredible animals!

3 Antelopes Found in Togo:

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#1. Bush Duiker

• Sylvicapra grimmia

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults grow up to 50 cm (20 in) tall.
• They vary in color and may be chestnut, grizzled gray, or light brown, with an erect tuft of hair on the top of their head.
• Males have small, spike-like horns up to 11 cm (4.3 in) long with grooves at the base.

Bush Duikers are the smallest antelopes in Togo!

These little animals will adapt to various habitats and live in woodlands, savannas, grasslands, and mountainous areas. They inhabit higher altitudes than any other African ungulate. To help live in these inhospitable conditions, they consume insects and have occasionally been observed stalking and eating birds, rodents, lizards, and frogs.

Bush Duikers are territorial and form monogamous pairs. Both sexes will use threat displays to drive other Duikers of the same sex out of their territory. If these displays fail, battles may ensue! Females will head-butt other females, and males may fight, chase, and stab each other with their horns.

The lifespan of Bush Duikers in the wild is unknown, but they have lived up to 14 years in captivity. This species is listed as one of least concern on the IUCN Red List.

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#2. Northern Bushbuck

• Tragelaphus scriptus

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 65-100 cm (26-39 in) tall at the shoulder.
• Adults may be reddish, yellow-brown, or light brown with various white spots and stripes, which vary over their range.
• Adult males have parallel horns which spiral once and are fairly straight.

These antelopes are highly adaptable in Togo.

Northern Bushbucks prefer areas with plenty of wooded cover. They spend much of their time on forest edges and in brushy areas near rivers and streams. At night they often head to nearby open areas to feed. Northern Bushbucks are very capable swimmers and will easily cross rivers.

When conditions are good, Northern Bushbucks tend to be selective feeders and show a clear preference for knobbly creeper and sausage trees. That said, they’re excellent survivalists and will browse various plants when necessary, consuming leaves, twigs, flowers, and occasionally some grass.

These small antelopes are a solitary species but aren’t territorial, so sometimes, many animals will live within the same habitat even though they don’t form traditional herds. They’re widespread and plentiful within their range. In fact, unlike many antelopes, they are able to thrive around humans, and in some areas, they are considered a pest.

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#3. Kob

• Kobus kob

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 82–100 cm (26-39 in) tall at the shoulder.
• They have short, reddish-brown coats, white throat patches, white underparts, and distinctive black stripe marks on the front of their forelegs.
• Adult males have ringed horns that curve backward and then turn up at the tips.

Look for these antelopes in Togo around permanent water sources.

You might spot Kobs grazing in moist savannas, floodplains, and along the edges of woodlands. They feed primarily on grasses and weeds and will migrate great distances along rivers and streams to find food.

About nine months after breeding, females typically give birth to a single calf. The calves remain hidden, with mothers visiting only to suckle them for the first month of their life. This protects them from predators because the adult females draw much more attention than the young. As they get older, the calves form groups, called crèches, and then eventually join the herd at three to four months old.

Kobs are listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List. However, their populations are declining because of hunting and human development. Their range is greatly reduced from what it was even 100 years ago, and they may become dependent on conservation efforts in the future.

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Check out these other guides about animals found in Togo!

• 50 Animals that Live in Togo (COMMON)

• The 14 MOST Common Birds in Togo!

• The 6 Types of Snakes That Live in Togo! (ID Guide)

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Which of these antelopes have you seen before in Togo?

Leave a comment below!