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  1. #1
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    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    Over that hill
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    32
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    76

    Default Peculiar Reedbuck Specimens

    Hi guys, I'm in the midst of a feud over whether a species other than the Common Reedbuck exists in KZN. I've been shooting them for 10years(since I was 9) and my father for 30 years and have never seen a Reedbuck like the two i will go on to describe below. This may also account for our differing opinions on the subject, he is as stubborn as a donkey in the view that it is impossible but I'm not so sure.

    A few weeks ago we went for a hunt in the Boston area to shoot a few Reedbuck on a good friends farm. Upon arriving, he showed us two animals shot the previous day, one was the typical Common Reedbuck but the other had horns of a very similar shape to a Mountain Reedbuck or Bohor Reedbuck with a pronounced curve inwards toward the tips. The arguement started here. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that my favourite bullseye, the usual black coloured gland behind the ear was white and was lighter in colour than the other animal. We put our differences aside and went out to find our own. The first animal we shot was a nice size, bigger body than his horns(12inch or so) originally might have suggested. A while later one the way back for lunch, a shril whistle cut through there air from our left. I flicked the safety off and put a shot into his left eye, exiting just below the right ear. Feeling proud of myself, I tramped through a marsh to cut its throat and gut it. When I got closer I noticed the same horn shape as described earlier. Intrigued and feeling vindicated, I took a look behind the ear and found the white glands as described behind the ear and on later comparison, its coat colour was lighter than the two "typical" common reedbuck too. Unfortunately, I didnt get pictures due to a lack of a camera but I'd like to hear your thoughts non the less.

    Is it possible that we have a different species of Reedbuck in KZN? Is it a mutation? Or are we vastly less experienced than we thought and this is a common occurance within the normal Common Reedbuck gene pool? Lastly, is it possibly a cross between two different species?(You might laugh at the last one, as would I have a year ago, but a friend has an animal the Parks Board is convinced is a Bushbuck-Nyala cross! Last I checked they are looking to shoot it for genetic confirmation of what the the photo's they have suggest.)

    Cheers

  2. #2
    User
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Graaff-Reinet, EC
    Posts
    618

    Default Re: Peculiar Reedbuck Specimens

    Hi.

    Such a pity you could not get any photos. It may (most likely) be a mutation specific to the common reedbuck population in that area. I guess a hybrid is also possible.

    Cheers.

  3. #3
    User
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    47
    Posts
    1,322

    Default Re: Peculiar Reedbuck Specimens

    is it possible for a common and a Mountain to interbreed?

    could you imagine it being a cross?

  4. #4
    User
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    Over that hill
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    32
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    Default Re: Peculiar Reedbuck Specimens

    I'll get hold of the farmer later and see if he has photo's of any animals similar to the ones we shot/saw. If not, I'll ask him to keep an eye out for any more shot like that and ask him to take photo's.

    Oh, to add to the original post, the two different specimens mentioned had much smaller horns than you would expect for an animal their size or age. Of the two we shot, I mentioned the one had shorter than expected horns(totally normal as someanimals just dont have the genes for big horns) but the one I shot had maybe 10 inch horns at most with a biggish body, which is reflective of what I have come up with in my research into Nagor Reedbuck.

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