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Puku
Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae
Subfamily : Reduncinae
Species : Kobus vardonii
The Puku (Kobus vardonii) is one of the smaller deerlike antelopes of the Bovidae family. Herds of these animals live in the drier areas of swampland and rivers or wet grasslands, and they are always near the water. They are scattered throughout eastern and central Africa, particularly in wet areas in Zambia and southern Democratic Repblic of Congo. These antelopes are also found in the area of Chobe River, near Kasane, in Botswana. However, 75% of the total population is assumed to be restricted now to the Kilombero Valley in Tanzania. Puku are often mistaken for impala or lechwe because these three closely-related African antelopes often graze together. There is strength in numbers as they have common enemies. However, the puku's size is smaller although it is bulkier compared to the impala. They are around 80 centimeters tall on the shoulders, and their weights are between 70 and 80 kilos. These antelopes are brown like sand or nearly uniformly red in colour with the underbelly having a lighter shade while the impalas have ankles that are black and markings on their faces and the lechwe have black markings on the legs and high rear-quarters. The male puku has two horns that are shaped a little like a lyre and measure about 50 centimeters, smaller than the horns of the impala and lechwe.
Puku eat grass as they graze in water rich grassland. They live in herds that are segregated and a territorial male separates the female herd from the bachelors. This alpha male holds the female herds in its territory. A herd, meanwhile, can have about twenty females. Only submissive bachelors are allowed to mingle within the territory.
Puku are active during the earlier time of the morning and again in the late afternoon. When frightened or disturbed, they sound off a repeated whistle and they stot off with heads held up high compared to the lechwe that have their heads held down low. On rainy seasons, herds stay together to have added security and safety.
Picture of the Puku by Paul Maritz, licensed under GFDL
The Puku is listed as Conservation Dependent (LR/cd), the focus of a continuing taxon-specific or habitat-specific conservation programme targeted towards the taxon in question, the cessation of which would result in the taxon qualifying for one of the threatened categories below within a period of five years, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Countries
Angola, Botswana, Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and ZimbabweHabitats
Grassland, Shrubland, Subtropical / Tropical Dry Grassland and Subtropical / Tropical Dry Shrubland
Facts about the puku
Puku is not a member of any public groups (Full text)
_exec('writeSource',''); Home > eBay Stores > PukuLover > FeedingAdd to My Favorite StoresPukuLoverMaintained by: pukulover ( 3 )Puku Puku is the leading brand in baby and Maternity market in Taiwan. (Full text)
_exec('writeSource',''); Home > eBay Stores > PukuLover > Other ItemsAdd to My Favorite StoresPukuLoverMaintained by: pukulover ( 3 )Puku Puku is the leading brand in baby and Maternity market in Taiwan. (Full text)
Although sometimes classified as a southern subspecies of the kob, the puku is now generally considered a species unto itself. (Full text)
Natural History: Feeding activity of the Puku is generally limited to the early mornings and late afternoons, although this period may extend long after dark. (Full text)
::: The Twins From Hell ::: The Wild Planet Aquapets Special Encore Edition Buddy Pack Miku & Puku is a set of two of the wildly popular Aquapets released in special colors and sold exclusively at Toys 'R Us. (Full text)
The Puka or Puku (Kobus vardonii) is an antelope found in wet grasslands in southern Democratic Republic of Congo and in Zambia. (Full text)
Puku is my favourite. (Full text)
at the entrance hall 5 Puku is playing with rubber boots 6 & 7 & 8 Puku is playing with a rubber toy (Full text)
Ecology and Behavior Feeding activity of the puku is generally limited to the early mornings (Full text)
1. puku, Adenota vardoni -- (an African antelope closely related to the waterbuck)puku
Adenota vardoni
(Source WordNet)