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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 mammal ...
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 The Okavango Delta (or Okavango Grassland; formerly spelled "Okovango" or "Okovanggo") in Botswana is a swampy inland delta formed where the Okavango River reaches a tectonic trough at an altitude of 930–1,000 m in the central part of the en ...
,
Kafue Flats The Kafue Flats (locally called Butwa) are a vast area of swamp, open lagoon and seasonally inundated flood-plain on the Kafue River in the Southern, Central and Lusaka provinces of Zambia. They are a shallow flood plain 240 km long and abo ...
, and
Bangweulu Wetlands The Bangweulu Wetlands is a wetland ecosystem adjacent to Lake Bangweulu in north-eastern Zambia. The area has been designated as one of the world's most important wetlands by the Ramsar Convention and an "Important Bird Area" by BirdLife Internat ...
. 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 The Okavango Delta (or Okavango Grassland; formerly spelled "Okovango" or "Okovanggo") in Botswana is a swampy inland delta formed where the Okavango River reaches a tectonic trough at an altitude of 930–1,000 m in the central part of the en ...
, 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
marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...
y 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 mouthp ...
of
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 g ...
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 Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
,
Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...
,
Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
and
Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...
. * Kafue Flats lechwe (''Kobus leche kafuensis'') ( Haltenorth, 1963) - It is confined within the
Kafue Flats The Kafue Flats (locally called Butwa) are a vast area of swamp, open lagoon and seasonally inundated flood-plain on the Kafue River in the Southern, Central and Lusaka provinces of Zambia. They are a shallow flood plain 240 km long and abo ...
(seasonally inundated flood-plain on the
Kafue River The Kafue River is the longest river lying wholly within Zambia at about long. Its water is used for irrigation and for hydroelectric power. It is the largest tributary of the Zambezi, and of Zambia's principal rivers, it is the most central ...
, Zambia). *
Roberts' lechwe Roberts' lechwe (''Kobus leche robertsi'') or Kawambwa lechwe is an extinct subspecies of lechwe. It was found around Kawambwa, Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, ...
(''Kobus leche robertsi'') (
Rothschild Rothschild () is a name derived from the German ''zum rothen Schild'' (with the old spelling "th"), meaning "with the red sign", in reference to the houses where these family members lived or had lived. At the time, houses were designated by sign ...
, 1907)
- Formerly found in northeastern Zambia, now extinct. Also called the Kawambwa lechwe. * Black lechwe (''Kobus leche smithemani'') ( Lydekker, 1900) - Found in the Bangweulu region of Zambia. In addition, the
Upemba lechwe The Upemba lechwe (''Kobus leche anselli'') is a subspecies of antelope found only in the Upemba wetlands in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was described in 2005, after analysis of 35 museum specimens collected in 1926 and 1947–8. Some au ...
(''Kobus anselli'') and the extinct
Cape lechwe The Cape lechwe or Venter's lechwe (''Kobus venterae'') is an extinct species similar to the red lechwe, ''Kobus leche''. It was described by Robert Broom from a frontlet and horn core from Haagenstad (now known as Florisbad), which Broom belie ...
(''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 The Nile lechwe or Mrs Gray's lechwe (''Kobus megaceros'') is an endangered species of antelope found in swamps and grasslands in Sudan and Ethiopia. Description Males are an average of long and tall at the shoulders, and weigh between , whil ...
(''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 The waterbuck (''Kobus ellipsiprymnus'') is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus '' Kobus'' of the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833. Its 13 subspecies a ...
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