Sitatunga

Description

The sitatunga ( Tragelaphus spekii ) is an antelope that lives in the wetlands of central Africa (in particular in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,in Botswana,in Zambia and in the Caprivi region in Namibia ).The sitatunga is about a meter and a half tall at the withers.The coat,impermeable,is dark brown in males and reddish in females.In both sexes there are white stripes on the mantle,with white spots on the muzzle.The males have a mane and tapered horns that can almost reach the meter in length.The hooves,long and thin,allow the sitatunga to move easily between the papyri in marsh environments.The sitatunga are excellent swimmers so much so that,to escape predators,they usually take refuge in the water,where they remain immersed leaving only the nostrils surface.They are solitary and crepuscular animals (although they are sometimes active during the day).