Mountain nyala
The Mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) is an endangered antelope species native to the highland forests of Ethiopia, particularly the Arusi and Bale Mountains. Similar in appearance to greater kudus, male Mountain nyalas exhibit a striking coat that ranges from grayish brown to dark brown, adorned with white spots and stripes, alongside twisted, spiral horns exclusive to males. Females are smaller, lacking horns, and have shorter fur. These herbivorous animals typically stand between 35.5 to 53 inches tall and weigh between 330 to 660 pounds.
Mountain nyalas inhabit cold, damp areas, feeding on juniper leaves, young buds, and fallen fruits. Their population is critically low, estimated at just 1,500 to 2,500 individuals, primarily due to habitat destruction from logging, agriculture, and road construction, as well as predation by animals like mountain leopards. They are social creatures that travel in small herds divided by age and sex, with a breeding season peaking in December. The gestation period lasts about eight to nine months, after which a single calf is born. Unfortunately, threats such as illegal hunting and habitat loss continue to endanger their existence.
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Mountain nyala
Mountain nyalas are an endangered species that live in a small area of Ethiopia. They look a lot like the greater kudus.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Tragelaphus
Species: Buxtoni
Mountain nyalas look more like greater kudus than like common nyalas. The male's coat varies in color from grayish brown to dark brown and has white spots and several thin stripes across their tail end. He has long, stiff hair on his neck and shoulders and a mane that runs from the back of his neck to his tail. The horns are found only on the male and are spread apart and twisted with a couple of spirals and white tips. Like many of the spiral horned antelopes, the mountain nyalas have large ears beneath their horns.
Female mountain nyalas are smaller than the males and do not have horns. Their fur, though the same color as the males, is shorter and smoother. Mountain nyala are about 35 1/2 to 53 inches (90 to 135 centimeters) tall and 75 to 102 1/2 inches (190 to 260 centimeters) from head to tail. They can weigh between 330 to 660 pounds (150 to 300 kilograms). Females are smaller than males.
Mountain nyalas live in the cold, damp areas within highland forests, heather thickets and swamp areas on the Arusi and Bale Mountains of Ethiopia. This is only a small area. It is estimated that there are only between 1,500 and 2,500 of these animals alive in the twenty-first century. Their limited habitat, or home, is being depleted by logging, agriculture, and road construction. They are also being preyed upon by the mountain leopard and wild dogs.
Mountain nyalas travel in small herds eating the leaves of juniper plants and other low growing shrubs in that area of Ethiopia. They also eat young buds, herbs, and fallen fruit such as wild olives. They like these kinds of foods because they are herbivores, or non-meat eaters.
Mountain nyalas travel in herds that are divided according to age and sex. Females and their young tend to travel together, while immature males band together in bachelor herds. Mountain nyalas are mostly active at night, roaming the forests and thickets.
Breeding season for the mountain nyalas peaks in December. The males find the females and mate. The gestation period (duration of pregnancy) is between eight and nine months. Then the females give birth to one young. The newborn is hidden in thick undergrowth and is nursed by the mother. Calves are weaned from their mothers' milk by the time they are six months old. They can reproduce when they reach two years old.
Mountain nyalas have a life span of between 15 and 20 years. Illegal hunting, habitat destruction due to agriculture, and predation have made the mountain nyala an endangered species.
Bibliography
Aleman, Maria. “ADW: Tragelaphus Buxtoni: Information.” Animal Diversity Web, 2003, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tragelaphus‗buxtoni. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
“Mountain Nyala - Facts, Diet, Habitat, & Pictures on Animalia.bio.” Animalia, 2024, animalia.bio/mountain-nyala. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.