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Oreotragus oreotragus
This is a small antelope. Brownish grey coat, short legs.
Rocky slopes of the Swartberg mountain range. Fynbos vegetation.
Klipspringer means "rock jumper" in Afrikaans.
Spotted on Oct 22, 2008
Submitted on Apr 6, 2012
3 Comments
nice spotting!
Yes Alice, the locations and habitats are different, even if still classified in the same Karoo area. The Swartberg (this one) is still part of the little Karoo (southern part of that arid area). These mountains block most of the rain coming from south. Explaining why the slopes are so green in spring. Further north, aridity is more intense and the habitat is true dry bushveld. Only activities needing no irrigation can survive: mostly open range live stocks.
These Klipspringers were taken two different places and the vegatation is different also. I like them both.