Oreotragus oreotragus
The Klipspringer (Afrikaans for “rock jumper”) lives in Africa, from the Cape region in the south up through eastern Africa to Abyssinia. It inhabits very rocky environments of mountainous areas and koppies.
This animal is short, stocky and powerful, but at the same time very agile. In fact, Klipspringers are as good as goats in rocky terrain.
Klipspringers are monogamous, and a klipspringer will usually keep in close distance from its mate. While one of them eats, the other acts as a watcher for possible predators. Klipspringers are herbivores, eating rock plants. They never need to drink, since the succulents they subsist on provide them with enough water to survive.
The picture of this Klipspringer was taken at the zoo of San Diego, California, in March 2004.
Genus Oreotragus
Subfamily Antilopinae
Family Bovidae
Order Artiodactyla
Subclass Eutheria
Class Mammalia
Subphylum Vertebrata
Phylum Chordata
Kingdom Animalia
Life on Earth
Index