The Lesser Kudu is one of Africa’s most elegant antelope. One of the spiral horn antelope, a mature bull can have horns measuring up to 28” long with 2 and a half twists. The horns are dark brown with white tips. Horns are present only on bulls. Their appearance is similar to the greater kudu, but quite a bit smaller. Males stand approximately 37–41 in at the shoulder and typically weigh 200–250lbs. Their coats are reddish gray and feature white stripes running down the sides off a long white stripe that runs along the spine. The face has a white chevron running from each eye to the center. The lesser kudu has large, rounded ears. The throat and chest have white patches and the underside is completely white.
The lesser kudu is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The lesser kudu is mainly nocturnal and seeks shelter from predators in dense thickets during the day, where its striped coat camouflages well. The kudu is a browser, foraging leaves from bushes and trees, shoots and in the scrubland. Kudus will also eat other varieties of plant life such as herbs, flowers, and fruit when available. The lesser kudu gets a lot of its water from its food and is well adapted to arid environments.
Kudus are prey to a number of predators such as lions, leopards, hyenas, cheetahs and wild dogs.
Lesser kudu are not territorial animals. These bulls are fairly solitary, while females with their young are usually found in small herds. Males and females usually only come together to breed.