Klipspringer

Scientific name: Oreotragus oreotragus

How weight is recorded: Carcass weight

Field notes

Appearance

Stocky, compact antelope with upright posture. Coat grey-brown with darker dorsal stripe; males slightly darker. Both sexes carry short, parallel horns; males noticeably larger and more robust.

Size and weight

Males 3.0–3.5 kg, females 2.5–3.0 kg. Body length 45–60 cm; shoulder height 45–52 cm.

Habitat

Rocky outcrops, kopjes, and cliff faces from sea level to 5,500 m. Sparse grass and low shrub vegetation typical; requires steep, broken terrain with good vantage points.

Distribution

Endemic to rocky highlands of sub-Saharan Africa from Ethiopia south to South Africa. Habitat-locked to mountainous terrain; absent from lowlands and flat country.

Diet

Selective browser feeding on leaves, shoots, and forbs; shifts to dried vegetation and lichen during dry season. Rarely drinks free water.

Behaviour

Primarily diurnal, most active dawn and dusk. Territorial and monogamous; pairs or small family groups occupy home ranges of 0.5–2 ha. Extremely agile on steep rock; uses distinctive stiff-legged pronking gait when alarmed.

Hunting tips

Look for droppings (small pellets) concentrated on rock ledges and preferred bedding sites; fresh rubs on low vegetation mark territory boundaries. Approach from below using wind advantage and broken terrain; move slowly across open rock faces to avoid triggering pronking flight. Glass ridge-tops and cliff edges during low-light hours when animals are most visible.

Carcass weight

This species is logged by carcass weight — the animal weighed dressed, the way hunting teams normally report it.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 8 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.