#amazinganimals facts for kids
The kudus are two species of antelope of the genus Tragelaphus:
Lesser kudu of eastern Africa and Greater kuduof eastern and southern Africa.
The two species of the Kudus look quite similar, though Greaters are larger than the lesser kudu. Both species have long horns, which point upward and slightly back, and curl in a corkscrew shape.
Lesser kudus come from the savanna near Acacia and Commiphora shrubs. They have to rely on thickets for protection, so they are rarely seen in the open. Their brown and striped pelts help to camouflage them in scrub environments.
Like many other antelopes, male kudus can be found in bachelor groups, but they are more likely to be solitary. Their dominance displays tend not to last long and are generally fairly peaceful, consisting of one male making himself look big by making his hair stand on end. When males do have a face-off, they will lock their horns in a competition to determine the stronger puller; kudus' necks enlarge during the mating season for this reason. Males are seen with females only in the mating season, when they join in groups of 5 to 15 kudus, including offspring. Calves grow very quickly and at six months are fairly independent of their mothers.
Kudus are browsers and eat leaves and shoots. In dry seasons they eat wild watermelons and other fruit for their liquid content and the natural sugars that they provide. The lesser kudu is less dependent on water sources than the greater kudu.
Predators, such as lions and leopards, African wild dogs, hyenas, and sometimes pythons, hunt kudu and their young. Kudu numbers are also affected by humans hunting them for their meat, hides and horns, or using their habitats for charcoal burning and farming.
