Klipspringer are a seldom seen and often over-looked African Herbivore. They are a delightfully attractive antelope and can be a special sighting on any South African Safari. The name Klipspringer is an Afrikaans name, translated to English it is 'Rock Jumper'. This is a very suitable name for the animal as it perfectly describes the habitat and unique behaviour of the Klipspringer.

In South Africa, Klipspringer can be found in the mountain fynbos areas to the West and the rocky koppies in the woodlands and savanah areas to the East. They stand on the very tips of their hooves which are cylinder shaped and specially adapted to life in rocky territories. They are sometimes referred to as the 'bushveld  ballerinas' because of the way they jump and land on their tip toes. The hooves are like a hard rubber that can mould to the rock for extra grip as well as absorb the shock of their boulder leaps.

Look closely at the hooves and you can see the Klipspringer standing on the tip of the toe.
Klipspringer are relatively small and grow to a height of 60cm/ 22 Inches. This puts them in a group called dwarf antelope and visitors to the bush often mistake the adults as baby antelope. Their coat varies in colour and contains shades of grey, black, brown and rusty red. This creates a speckled colour often referred to as 'salt and pepper'. This speckled camouflage is perfect for blending in with colours of the granite rocks. The hairs are hollow, this has a double effect for the Klipspringer. The hollow hair can be a cushion that will protect the Klipspringer from smashing on the rocks during a fall and from sharp sections of the rock. The hollow hair also helps the Klipsringer to deal with the huge range in temperature that can be found in their rocky territories. The hair will also shake and rattle when the Klipspringer is alarmed.

Klipspringer live in Monogamous pairs in very small territories, however the offspring may stay with the parents in areas with exceptional food source. In South Africa only the males have horns which grow between 10 and 15cm in length. Klipspringer eat a variety of leaves, flowers, fruit and lichens. They will eat grass in the wet season and different succulents throughout the year. Klipspringer do not need any drinking water they can survive on the water they absorb from the plants they eat and from the moisture they get from licking rocks.

Klipspringer mark and defend their territories and can often be seen standing on a projected rock to show their presence. They mark their territories by inserting small twigs from low bushes into their pre orbital glands, this leaves a sticky black secretion on the twig which is marked many times.
The Pre Orbital Gland is the black patch at the front of the eyes.
Klipspringer need to be on the look out for predators such as leopard, baboon, caracal and eagles. There will always be one Klipspringer watching while the other is feeding.  If they spot a predator they will will release a sharp whistle as a warning to their partner and to show the predator it has been spotted.
On a recent trip to Kruger we heard the whistle alarm call of a Klipspringer, we have seen this particular Klipspringer many times in the past. Once we located the male we followed his eyes directly to a wandering leopard. The Klipspringer are so fast and nimble in their habitat that can easily avoid danger once it is sighted.
It is very rare for an established mating pair of Klipspringer to leave their territory and their territories are so small and unique in the bushveld that we often see the same pair when we are passing by their koppies. We will be sure to introduce you to the Bushveld Ballerinas when you join us on your next South African safari.