# Bontebok (*Damaliscus pygargus pygargus*) The Bontebok is a beautiful antelope with a reddish-brown coat and striking white face and rump. They are known for their graceful movements and can be found grazing peacefully in grasslands. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands - **Also known as:** Bontebok Antelope ![Bontebok](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426098/objects/5931.jpg) ## Appearance The Bontebok has a striking reddish-brown coat with a pure white belly, a large white blaze from its forehead to nose, and white markings on its rump and lower legs. Both males and females sport black, ringed, lyre-shaped horns. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Artiodactyla - **Family:** Bovidae - **Genus:** Damaliscus ## Interesting facts - A baby Bontebok hides perfectly still in tall grass for weeks after birth! - Bontebok are only found in a small part of South Africa, making them truly unique! - Bontebok males create special 'dung heaps' to show other antelopes their territory! - When alarmed, Bontebok can make a loud snort sound to warn its entire herd! ## Special abilities - **Territory Builder:** Bontebok can create dung piles to mark their territory, which helps them warn rivals and attract potential mates. - **Sharp Senser:** Bontebok has exceptional eyesight and hearing that helps them detect predators from afar and stay safe in open grasslands. - **Endurance Grazer:** Bontebok can efficiently digest coarse grasses because they have specialized digestive systems that allow them to thrive on their diet. - **Swift Defender:** Bontebok can achieve bursts of speed when startled, helping them quickly outmaneuver and escape from predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 140-160 cm - **Weight:** 50-90 kg - **Lifespan:** 8-12 years - **Speed:** 65 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1 - **Gestation:** 240 days ## Diet & Feeding Bonteboks are plant-eaters that love to munch on fresh grasses found in their habitats. - **Primary Foods:** Grasses, Herbs, Shrub leaves - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Leopard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard) (*Panthera pardus*) — Leopards are primary predators of Bontebok, especially calves and weaker adults. - **Eaten by:** Black-backed Jackal (*Canis mesomelas*) — Jackals often hunt Bontebok calves that are hiding in vegetation. - **Eats:** Red Grass (*Themeda triandra*) — Bontebok primarily graze on various grass species, including Red Grass. - **Eats:** [Cape Vulture](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cape-vulture) (*Gyps coprotheres*) — Cape Vultures scavenge on Bontebok carcasses, helping to clean the environment. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Striped](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/striped): Marked with parallel bands or lines of color. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Horned](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/horned): Characterized by having one or more hard, permanent, pointed projections on the head. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Admire Bonteboks from a safe distance and never try to approach or feed them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Bontebok? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Bontebok? 140-160 cm ### How much does Bontebok weigh? 50-90 kg ### How long does Bontebok live? 8-12 years ### How fast can Bontebok move? 65 km/h ### What does Bontebok eat? Bonteboks are plant-eaters that love to munch on fresh grasses found in their habitats. ### Where is Bontebok usually found? Grasslands ### How does Bontebok hunt? Grazing ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Bontebok: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bontebok)