Puku communicate primarily by whistling. Regardless of sex or age, they whistle to alarm others of incoming predators. Young puku whistle to gain the attention of their mother.
Territorial males rub their horns on the grass to saturate the grass with their neck secretions. These secretions warn rival males that they are in another male's territory. If a bachelor male is on a territorial male's area, then the bachelor male is chased away. If it is another territorial male, then the owner of the property uses visual communication by rapidly wagging its tale in an attempt to scare the other male away. If the opposing male does not flee, a fight ensues. Males fight with their horns. Horn clashing occurs between two males in a battle for territory. The winner gets to keep the territory. Significantly more face-offs occur between two territorial males than between territorial males and bachelor males. Chases usually occur between territorial and bachelor males. These chases occur even if the bachelor male does not show any aggressive behavior towards the territorial male.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: scent marks
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Puku are currently listed as near threatened because populations are considered stable and are not under immediate threat. Their survival depends on several fragmented populations. Puku have to compete with cattle for forage and populations suffer when habitats are modified for agriculture and grazing.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: near threatened
There are no recognized negative impacts on humans from puku.
Puku are considered a game animal. They are killed for food and hides. They can also be a tourist attraction.
Positive Impacts: food ; body parts are source of valuable material; ecotourism
Puku are part of a grazing fauna that is important in structuring grassland communities and supporting populations of large predators, such as lions and leopards, and scavengers, such as vultures and hyaenas.
Puku prefer plants containing high crude protein value. They eat a wide variety of perennial grasses which varies by season. Eragrostis rigidior is the primary grass eaten because is has a high amount of crude protein. After the grass has matured, the amount of crude protein is reduced and puku resort to other plants for protein. During March, 92% of their diet is from Brachiaria latifolia, but this is to make up for the lack of E. rigidior.Brachiaria latifolia has roughly 5% crude protein. Puku eat more Digitaria setivalva than other antelopes, this grass species has high protein content but low crude fiber.
Plant Foods: leaves
Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore )
Kobus vardonii, commonly refered to as puku, are primarily found south of the Equator between 0 and 20 degrees and between 20 and 40 degrees east of the Prime Meridian. Recent research described puku as being found in Angola, Botswana, Katanga, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia. Populations were estimated at 54,600 Puku within Tanzania and 21,000 in Zambia. Nearly two-thirds live in the Kilombero Valley of Tanzania. Other countries in which they exist have much smaller populations. In Botswana there are less than 100 remaining, and their numbers are falling. Due to dimishing habitat, many puku have been relocated into national parks; nearly one-third of their population is now located in protected areas.
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )
Puku are found in grasslands, savannas, and river floodplains. Seasonal changes in temperature and precipitation influence mating and movements of pukus. For example, in wet seasons populations tend to move to higher elevations due to flooding. During dry seasons they remain near watercourses.
Range elevation: 900 to 1550 m.
Average elevation: 1000 m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland
Other Habitat Features: riparian
Kobus varondii individuals have been estimated to live up to 17 years in the wild.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 17 (high) years.
Puku are a medium-sized antelopes. Their fur is approximately 32 mm in length, with varying colors. The majority of their fur is golden yellow, the forehead is browner in color than elsewhere on the body and they have white fur near the eyes and under the belly, neck, and upper lip. Their tails have long hairs towards the tip and lack of bushiness. This distinguishes K. vardonii from other, similar antelope species.
Puku are sexually dimorphic. Males have horns and the females do not. The horns are lyre-shaped and strongly ridged for two-thirds of their length and smooth towards the tips. Females are also significantly smaller in mass, weighing an average of 66 kg, while males weigh an average of 77 kg. Puku have small face glands. Territorial males have significantly larger neck girths on average than bachelor males. Territorial and bachelor males can be identified by glandular secretions on the neck. Territorial males excrete more hormones from their neck than bachelor males. Territorial males use their glandular secretions to spread their scent over their territory. This scent warns other males that they are intruding on anothers territory. Neck patches do not appear in territorial males until they have already established their territories. Neck patches only appear between the months of May and November. Puku also have well-developed inguinal pouches that are 40 to 80mm deep.
Range mass: 60 to 92 kg.
Average mass: 75 kg.
Range length: 126 to 142 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger; ornamentation
If threatened, puku emit a repeated whistle which is used to warn others. Aside from natural predation from leopards and lions, puku are also in danger of humans. Humans cause unsustainable hunting and habitat loss. Grasslands that puku prefer are increasingly invaded by livestock and human settlement each year.
Known Predators:
Anti-predator Adaptations: aposematic
Puku breed year round but are more sexually active after the first heavy rains of the wet season. Territorial males are polygynous and herd females into their territories. But there is evidence that females choose their mates. Occasionally bachelor males are tolerated as long as they do not show any sexual interest in the females.
Mating System: polygynous
The reproductive season is closely matched to seasonal variation, however puku can breed year-round. Most mating occurs between the months of May and September to ensure that offspring are born during the wet season. The amount of rainfall during this season varies between years; most calves are born from January to April, since forage is most abundant at this time. The typical number of offspring per female per breeding season is one. Offspring are difficult to locate because they are "hiders," meaning that females leave them on their own in a hidden place rather than travel with them. The wet season provides high quality forage for females to support their lactation and heavy vegetation helps provide cover for hidden calves.
Puku gestation lasts 8 months and they generally give birth to a single offspring. Puku wean after 6 months and reach sexual maturity at 12 to 14 months. Older calves come out of hiding and join the herd.
Breeding interval: Puku generally breed once yearly.
Breeding season: Mating can occur year-round, but peaks from May to September.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 1.
Average gestation period: 8 months.
Average weaning age: 6 months.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 12 to 14 months.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 12 to 14 months.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
Females do not have a strong bond with their young. They rarely defend their young or address the high-pitched bleating a calf may produce when calling for help. Calves wean at approximately 6 months.
Parental Investment: precocial ; female parental care ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female)
The puku (Kobus vardonii) is a medium-sized antelope found in wet grasslands in southern Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and more concentrated in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.[1] Nearly one-third of all puku are found in protected areas, zoos, and national parks due to their diminishing habitat.[2][3]
Puku stand about 80 cm (31 in) at the shoulder and weigh from 70 to 80 kg (150 to 180 lb). The puku is sandy brown in colour, with the underbelly a slightly lighter brown. The coat is rougher than that of the similar-sized southern reedbuck, lechwe or impala, or the smaller oribi. Males have horns which are ridge-structured, 50 cm (20 in) long, and lyre-shaped.[4]
There are two subspecies, the Senga Puku (Kobus vardonii senganus) and the southern puku (Kobus vardonii vardonii).
Puku are found almost exclusively in marshy grassland and dambos, where they eat grasses.[3] The puku diet is flexible in regards to type of grasses consumed. There is little dietary competition with other bovids.[5] This species is crepuscular, active in the early morning and late afternoon. When scared, puku repeat a shrill whistle sound. Females gather in herds of up to 20 individuals. During the rainy season, herds will come together for added safety, typically reaching around 50 females. Males hold territories and attempt to persuade herds of females to stay within their territories for as long as possible. In the wet season, due to large floods in their habitat they migrate to a higher elevation and in the dry season remain near water.[6]
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Male and female K. v. senganus, Kafue National Park, Zambia
Female K. v. senganus and fawn, in South Luangwa NP, Zambia
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Female K. v. vardonii, in Chobe National Park, Botswana
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Female K. v. vardonii, in Chobe National Park, Botswana
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K. v. vardonii fawn, in Chobe National Park, Botswana
The puku (Kobus vardonii) is a medium-sized antelope found in wet grasslands in southern Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and more concentrated in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Nearly one-third of all puku are found in protected areas, zoos, and national parks due to their diminishing habitat.
