Location: Southern and Eastern Africa
Species: Steenbok
Added: 2025-12-13
Published: 2023-7-25
Source: Harry Mateman

The Steenbok is a small, lightly built antelope standing around 45–60 cm at the shoulder and weighing roughly 12 kg. Its coat ranges from pale fawn to rich rufous, often with a warm orange tone, while the underside, throat and eye-ring are white. Distinctive markings include large ears with dark inner “finger marks”, a black crescent between the ears, a dark facial stripe leading to a glossy black nose, and a visible scent gland in front of each eye. Males carry straight, smooth horns measuring up to 19 cm, while the short tail is rarely seen.
Steenbok inhabit a wide range of environments, including semi-desert, open woodland, stony savan-nah and Acacia grasslands. In areas such as Kruger National Park, they show a strong preference for Acacia-dominated savannah and remain year-round without seasonal migration. Population densi-ties are generally low, increasing only in optimal habitats.
Their diet consists mainly of low-growing plants such as forbs, roots, tubers and woody browse, with fruit taken occasionally and grass eaten rarely. Steenbok obtain nearly all their moisture from food and do not rely on surface water. They are active both day and night, resting in shade during hotter pe-riods and increasing nocturnal feeding during the dry season.