Where does the klipspringer live?
The klipspringer is a small antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. It inhabits places characterised by rocky terrain and sparse vegetation, from north-eastern Sudan through Ethiopia to South Africa, in mountain fynbos in the Cape, on the kopjes of forests and savannas in southern Africa, and in the mountainous regions of Ethiopia. It is the sole member of its genus.
What does the klipspringer eat?
Primarily a browser, the klipspringer prefers young plants, fruits and flowers, and eats a little grass, mainly seasonally. It is typically nocturnal, resting during the middle of the day and late at night. It walks on the tips of its cylindrical, blunt hooves, which gives it grip for climbing rocky surfaces. Klipspringers form monogamous pairs, sometimes for life, which stay within 5 m of each other.
Is the klipspringer endangered?
No: the IUCN lists it as Least Concern, with no major threats to its survival, because its habitat is hard to reach. It reaches 43 to 60 cm at the shoulder and weighs 8 to 18 kg. Only males have short, spiky horns, 7.5 to 9 cm long. Its thick, coarse coat, with hollow, brittle hairs, camouflages it in the rocks.
