Lichtenstein's hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus lichtensteinii) is a subspecies of the hartebeest antelope. It is named in honor of the German zoologist Martin Lichtenstein.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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HerdingA herd is a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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starts withLichtenstein's hartebeest is red-brown in color with lighter underbelly. Both males and females have horns that appear from the side like the letter 'S', and from the front look like the letter 'O' with its upper portions missing. The horns are slightly ridged and reach over 0.5 m (1.6 ft) in length.
Lichtenstein's hartebeest are found in Southeastern and Central Africa. They live in woodland areas, savannahs, high grasslands, and open plains.
Lichtenstein's hartebeest are diurnal animals. They gather in herds of 5 to 15 females and calves and a single male, which leads them. Adult males hold large territories, which they mark by digging up soil with their horns around the borders and forming dung piles. Bachelor bulls do not establish territories. Lichtenstein's hartebeest have good eyesight but a poor sense of smell. Their main sounds are a bellow and a sneeze-snort sound.
Hartebeest are herbivores (graminivores) and graze mostly on various grasses.
Hartebeest are polygynous meaning that one male mates with many females during the breeding season. The rutting period (breeding season) of Lichtenstein's hartebeest runs typically from mid-October to January. During this time the males may fight fiercely for dominance. Bachelor bulls often challenge alpha bulls until the point of complete exhaustion to take over the related female. In general, female hartebeest give birth to a single calf after the gestation period of 8-9 months. Calves can move about on their own shortly after birth, however, they usually lie in the open near their mothers. Calves are usually weaned at 4 months of age, but young males stay with their mothers for 2.5 years. Both males and females become reproductively mature between 1 and 2 years of age.
Hartebeest were formerly widespread in Africa, but populations of this species have undergone a drastic decline due to habitat destruction, hunting, expansion of human settlements, and competition with livestock for food. They are also popular game animals due to their highly regarded meat.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of Lichtenstein's hartebeest is 58,000 mature individuals. Currently, this subspecies is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...