The lechwe, red lechwe, or southern lechwe (''Kobus leche'') is an

antelope The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mammals ...

found in

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

of south-central Africa.

Range

The lechwe is native to Botswana, Zambia, southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northeastern Namibia, and eastern Angola, especially in the Okavango Delta, Kafue Flats, and Bangweulu Wetlands. The species is fairly common in zoos and wild animal farms.

Description

Adult lechwe typically stand at the shoulder and generally weigh from , with males being larger than females. They are golden brown with white bellies. Males are darker in colour, but exact hue and amount of blackish on the front legs, chest and body varies depending on

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

. The long, spiral horns are vaguely lyre-shaped and borne only by males. The hind legs are somewhat longer in proportion than in other antelopes to ease long-distance running on marshy soil. File:Red Lechwe in the Okavango.jpg, Adult red lechwes in the Okavango Delta, Botswana File:Leaping Lechwe.jpg, alt=Female red lechwe runningOkavango Delta, Botswana, Female red lechwe,
Okavango Delta File:Red lechwe (Kobus leche leche) juvenile.jpg, alt=Juvenile red lechweOkavango Delta, Botswana, Juvenile red lechwe,
Okavango Delta File:Red lechwe (Kobus leche leche) males fighting, composite.jpg, alt=Males red lechwes flightingOkavango Delta, Botswana, Male red lechwes fighting,
Okavango Delta

Habitats

Lechwe are found in marshy areas where they are an important

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...

aquatic plant Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments (saltwater or freshwater). They are also referred to as hydrophytes or macrophytes to distinguish them from algae and other microphytes. A macrophyte is a plant that ...

s. They use the knee-deep water as protection from predators. Their legs are covered in a water-repellant substance which allows them to run quite fast in knee-deep water. Lechwe are diurnal. They gather in herds which can include many thousands of individuals. Herds are usually all of one sex, but during mating season they mix.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Four subspecies of the lechwe have been recognized. * Common red lechwe (''Kobus leche leche'') (Gray, 1850) - Widely distributed in the wetlands of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia. * Kafue Flats lechwe (''Kobus leche kafuensis'') ( Haltenorth, 1963) - It is confined within the Kafue Flats (seasonally inundated flood-plain on the Kafue River, Zambia). * Roberts' lechwe (''Kobus leche robertsi'') ( Rothschild, 1907) - Formerly found in northeastern Zambia, now extinct. Also called the Kawambwa lechwe. * Black lechwe (''Kobus leche smithemani'') (

Lydekker Richard Lydekker (; 25 July 1849 – 16 April 1915) was an English naturalist, geologist and writer of numerous books on natural history. Biography Richard Lydekker was born at Tavistock Square in London. His father was Gerard Wolfe Lydekker, ...

, 1900) - Found in the Bangweulu region of Zambia. In addition, the Upemba lechwe (''Kobus anselli'') and the extinct Cape lechwe (''Kobus venterae'') are also considered subspecies by some authorities (as ''Kobus leche anselli'' and ''Kobus leche venterae''). Although related and sharing the name "lechwe", the Nile lechwe (''K. megaceros'') is consistently recognized as a separate species.

Reproduction

Lechwe mate during rain seasons of November to February. They have a gestation period of seven to eight months so a majority of calves are born from July to September. Although rare, hybrids between lechwe and waterbuck have been observed.

References

External links

*ARKive
images and movies of the black lechwe ''(Kobus leche smithemani)''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q273565 Marsh antelopes Mammals of Sub-Saharan Africa Mammals of Central Africa Mammals of Angola Mammals of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mammals of Namibia Mammals of Zambia Mammals described in 1850 Taxa named by John Edward Gray