About
Lesser kudus are secretive African antelope that hide in dense thickets and are seldom seen in the wild. They are also nocturnal. Like most prey animals, they have excellent hearing and eyes that are located on the sides of their heads that offer wide peripheral vision to more easily detect predators. When alarmed, lesser kudu will “bark” to warn others and use their long slender legs to flee. They can reach speeds of 40 miles per hour or more and can leap as far as 30 feet and up to 6.5 feet in the air. They live in groups of one to three females and their young. Older males are usually solitary and use their magnificent spiraled horns for both defense and sparring contests with rival males. The horns can reach up to three feet in length and if broken will not regrow. Females do not have horns.
Lesser kudu, as the name suggests, are smaller than their relatives, the greater kudu, which are about twice as large.
Habitat
Lesser kudu live in the forests, savannahs, and shrublands of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda in eastern Africa.
Diet
These herbivores browse on tree leaves, bushes, shrubs, and herbs
Physical Characteristics
Body length up to 4.5 feet. Weight ranges between 110 and 200 pounds. Males are larger than females. Lifespan in the wild is 8–10 years and 15–20 years in human care.