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Tragelaphus spekei
Sitatunga (Sp), Sitatunga (G), Sitatunga (F), Waterkoedoe (Af). Sometimes called marshbuck in Africa.
DESCRIPTION (male) Shoulder height 33-47 inches (85-120 cm). Weight 155-240 pounds (70-120 kg).
A medium-sized antelope that has evolved for living in Africa's swamps and flooded forests. The back is hunched, the coat is long and shaggy, the legs are long and thin, the hoofs are elongated with widespread tips and greatly enlarged false hoofs, and the tail is tufted. Coloration is gray to brown, with white markings on cheeks and throat and an incomplete white facial chevron. White stripes and spots may be present or absent, varying with the race and location. Only the males grow horns, which are long and smooth, carry two keels and form 1-1/2 to 2 spiral turns on mature specimens. Females are smaller, without horns, reddish-brown in color, and are more likely than males to have conspicuous white markings.
DISTRIBUTION Private ranches, mainly in Texas.
REMARKS Native to Africa, where it is found in swamps and marshes south of the Sahara. Four subspecies are recognized in Africa, but are not separated here.
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