Friday, June 22, 2012

Klipspringers - The African Rock Jumpers

What is this animal with pointy horns that look like they could easily poke your eye out, balancing so precariously on the side of that mountain? It's a klipspringer, a small species of African antelope.

klipspringer

The word "klipspringer" means rock jumper in African. The klipspringer walks on its hooves, which are narrow and hard-edged - this enables their hooves to dig into the ground, which makes it so easy for these agile creatures to climb rocks. The narrowness of their hooves also lets klipspringers be able to stand on cliffs the size of a Canadian dollar coin (about the size of the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin here in the States).

klipspringers

Klipspringers mate for life and travel in their pairs. They are herbivores, eating the succulent plants that grow in the rocky terrain of the mountains. They never need to drink water because of the plants' high water content.

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