

bovid family
bovid family
other herbivores

wildlife (back to intro)

in this section
Blue Duiker
Gazelle tribe
Thomson's gazelle
Grant's gazelle
Kob antelope
Sable antelope
Oryx or Gemsbok
Topi or Tsessebe
Common Wildebeest
Greater Kudu
Common eland
African or Cape buffalo
Gerenuk: Litocranius walleri

An elongated version of a gazelle with very long limbs, neck, and tail.


Weight and Height
males: wt 99 lb (45 kg), ht 35-42 in (89-105 cm)
females: wt 68 lb (31 kg), ht 32-40 in (80-100 cm)

large, rounded ears, and wedge-shaped head

Found in males only, Generally 12.5 to 17 in (32-44 cm) long. Very thick with deep ridges.

Red-brown saddle on nude-colored body and limbs; white underparts; also white ring around eyes and throat area.

Page not found | SchoolNet South Africa

This is somewhat embarrassing, isn’t it?


Most Used Categories


Try looking in the monthly archives.

General Locations
Area from central Ethiopia to Northwest Tanzania, Somali-Masai Arid Zone. Also found in the Eastern Rift Valley below 4800 ft (1200 m). Gerenuks can be seen in Tsavo and Meru NP, Samburu-Isiolo NR, Kenya.

The gerenuk is known for its ability to easily adapt to arid conditions. With its long neck and legs, it is able to stand over 6 ft, 7 in (2 m) high which enables it to feed on leaves, shoots, fruits and flowers which are normally out of reach for most animals. Gerenuks rarely even drink water because they tend to depend on evergreen shrubs, bushes and trees during the 8-month dry season.

Gerenuks are definitely diurnal animals and may also be considered nocturnal. The odd thing is that the Gerenuk's timing varies from day to day so as a result there are not any known peak feeding times, etc. However, it has been reported that females spend 51 to 68% and males spend 32 to 64% of the day feeding.

Social System
Most gerenuks seem to be territorial, sedentary or semisocial. On average 3.2 animals herd together in Tsave NP and slightly more in drier regions. On average, 42% of all males and females seen are single.

Males generally stay with their mother for 1 to 1.5 years, at which point they split off and join small bachelor herds. These herds can frequently be seen accompanying adult females. Home territories can range from 346 to 840 acres (140-340 ha). An average range is 519 acres (210 ha) and is typically isolated from other ranges.

The gestation period for gerenuks is 6.5 to 7 months. Females generally conceive every 8 to 9 months starting at around 11 months of age. Males are usually fertile by that age, but do not typically become dependent until they are 3.5 years old.

Wild dog, cheetah, leopard, lion, and jackal.

©  Copyright 1998, ThinkQuest team 16645
All rights reserved.