View source for Sitatunga

{{Short description|Species of swamp-dwelling antelope}}
{{good article}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Sitatunga
| image = Sitatunga at Oji Zoo.JPG
| image_caption = A male at the [[Oji Zoo]], [[Kobe]], Japan
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{cite iucn  |publisher=[[IUCN]]| author = IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group | title = ''Tragelaphus spekii'' | article-number = e.T22050A115164901 | year = 2016 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22050A115164901.en |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22050/115164901}}</ref>
| taxon = Tragelaphus spekii
| authority = [[John Hanning Speke|Speke]], 1863
| range_map = Tragelaphus spekii map.png
| range_map_caption = The range map of sitatunga
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=MSW3/>
| synonyms = * ''T. albonotatus'' <small>(Neumann, 1905)</small>
* ''T. baumii'' <small>(Sokolowsky, 1903)</small>
* ''T. inornatus'' <small>(Cabrera, 1918)</small>
* ''T. larkenii'' <small>(St Leger, 1931)</small>
* ''T. speckei'' <small>(Neumann, 1900)</small>
* ''T. typicus'' <small>([[Rowland Ward|R. Ward]], 1910)</small>
* ''T. ugallae'' <small>(Matschie, 1913)</small>
* ''T. wilhelmi'' <small>(Lönnberg and Gyldenstolpe, 1924)</small>
}}

The '''sitatunga''' ('''''Tragelaphus''' '''spekii''''') or '''marshbuck'''<ref>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Marshbuck |volume=17 |page=773}}</ref> is a [[swamp]]-dwelling medium-sized [[antelope]] found throughout central [[Africa]], centering on the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], the [[Republic of the Congo]], [[Cameroon]], parts of [[South Sudan|Southern Sudan]], [[Equatorial Guinea]], [[Burundi]], [[Ghana]], [[Botswana]], [[Rwanda]], [[Zambia]], [[Gabon]], the [[Central African Republic]], [[Tanzania]], [[Uganda]] and [[Kenya]].
The sitatunga is mostly confined to swampy and marshy habitats. They occur in tall and dense vegetation as well as seasonal swamps, marshy clearings in forests, riparian thickets and mangrove swamps.

[[File:Sitatungas.jpg|thumb|Sitatungas in [[Chester Zoo]], [[England]]]]

==Taxonomy and genetics==

The [[Binomial nomenclature|scientific name]] of the sitatunga is ''Tragelaphus spekii''. The species was [[Scientific description|first described]] by the English explorer [[John Hanning Speke]] in 1863.<ref name=MSW3>{{MSW3 Artiodactyla|id=14200740|page=699}}</ref><ref name=groves>{{cite book|last=Groves|first=C.|title=Ungulate Taxonomy|date=2011|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Baltimore, Maryland|isbn=978-1-4214-0093-8|page=135|author2=Grubb, P. }}</ref> Speke first observed the sitatunga at a lake named "Little Windermere" (now Lake Lwelo, located in [[Kagera Region|Kagera]], [[Tanzania]]). In his book ''Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile'', Speke called the animal "nzoé" ([[Kiswahili language|Kiswahili]] name for the animal) or "water-boc" (due to its resemblance to the [[waterbuck]]).<ref name=speke/> The word "sitatunga" itself comes from an ancient Bantu language.<ref name="Gotch">{{cite book |last1=Gotch |first1=A. F. |title=Mammals - Their Latin Names Explained |date=1979 |publisher=Blandford Press Ltd. |isbn=0-7137-0939-1}}</ref> The scientific name has often been misstated as ''T.&nbsp;spekei'', and either Speke or Sclater is referred to as the [[Binomial nomenclature#Authority|binomial authority]]. 

Speke had stated in a footnote in his book that the species had been named ''Tragelaphus spekii'' by English zoologist [[Philip Sclater]].<ref name=speke>{{cite book|last=Speke|first=J. H.|title=Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile|url=https://archive.org/details/journaldiscover00spekgoog|date=1863|publisher=William Blackwood and Sons|location=England|page=[https://archive.org/details/journaldiscover00spekgoog/page/n281 223]}}</ref> However, according to the [[International Code of Zoological Nomenclature]] (Article 50.1.1) and the [[International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature]], which acknowledge the person who first described the species, simply declaring Sclater as the authority in a footnote is insufficient to recognise him as the author.<ref name=MSW3/> Hence, Speke was recognised as the correct authority and ''T.&nbsp;spekii'' (where ''spekii'' is the [[genitive]] of the [[Latin]]ised "Spekius") was considered the correct name for the species.<ref name=kingdon2>{{cite book|last1=Kingdon|first1=J.|last2=Happold|first2=D.|last3=Butynski|first3=T.|last4=Hoffmann|first4=M.|last5=Happold|first5=M.|last6=Kalina|first6=J.|title=Mammals of Africa|date=2013|publisher=Bloomsbury|location=London|isbn=978-1-4081-2257-0|pages=172–8}}</ref>

The sitatunga is placed under the [[genus]] ''[[Tragelaphus]]'' and in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Bovidae]]. In 2005, Sandi Willows-Munro of the [[University of KwaZulu-Natal]] ([[Durban]]) carried out a [[mitochondria]]l analysis of the nine ''Tragelaphus'' species. [[mtDNA]] and [[nDNA]] data were compared. The results showed that sitatunga plus [[bongo (antelope)|bongo]] (''T. eurycerus'') form a [[monophyletic]] [[clade]] with the [[mountain nyala]] (''T. buxtoni'') and [[Northern bushbuck|bushbuck]] (''T. scriptus'').<ref name=cladogram>{{cite journal|last1=Willows-Munro|first1=S.|last2=Robinson|first2=T. J.|last3=Matthee|first3=C. A.|title=Utility of nuclear DNA intron markers at lower taxonomic levels: Phylogenetic resolution among nine ''Tragelaphus'' spp.|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|date=June 2005|volume=35|issue=3|pages=624–36|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2005.01.018|pmid=15878131|bibcode=2005MolPE..35..624W }}</ref> The greater kudu (''T. strepsiceros'') split from this clade approximately 8.6 million years ago.<ref name="ropiquet">{{cite journal|last1=Ropiquet|first1=A.|title=Etude des radiations adaptatives au sein des Antilopinae (Mammalia, Bovidae)|journal=Ph.D. Thesis, Université Paris|date=2006|volume=6|issue=1–247}}</ref><ref name="hassanin">{{cite journal|last1=Hassanin|first1=A.|last2=Delsuc|first2=F.|last3=Ropiquet|first3=A.|last4=Hammer|first4=C.|last5=Jansen van Vuuren|first5=B.|last6=Matthee|first6=C.|last7=Ruiz-Garcia|first7=M.|last8=Catzeflis|first8=F.|last9=Areskoug|first9=V.|last10=Nguyen|first10=T.T.|last11=Couloux|first11=A.|title=Pattern and timing of diversification of Cetartiodactyla (Mammalia, Laurasiatheria), as revealed by a comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial genomes|journal=Comptes Rendus Biologies|date=2012|volume=335|issue=1|pages=32–50|doi=10.1016/j.crvi.2011.11.002|pmid=22226162|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Within ''Tragelaphus'', the bushbuck, bongo, sitatunga and [[nyala]] (''T. angasii'') are particularly close relatives. The bushbuck and sitatunga are genetically similar enough to [[Hybrid (biology)|hybridise]].<ref name=estes>{{cite book|last=Estes|first=R. D.|title=The Behavior Guide to African Mammals: Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates|date=2004|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley|isbn=0-520-08085-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_0520080858/page/175 175–7]|edition=4th|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_0520080858/page/175}}</ref> Hybrids between bongo and sitatunga have proved to be fertile.<ref name=hybrid1>{{cite journal|last=Koulischer|first=L.|author2=Tijskens, J. |author3=Mortelmans, J. |title=Chromosome studies of a fertile mammalian hybrid: the offspring of the cross bongo × sitatunga (Bovoidea)|journal=Chromosoma|date=1973|volume=41|issue=3|pages=265–70|doi=10.1007/BF00344021|pmid=4691550|s2cid=7987737 }}</ref><ref name=hybrid2>{{cite journal|last=Tijskens|first=J.|title=Preliminary notes on the F1 Bongo antelope x sitatunga hybrids ''Taurotragus eurycerus'' x ''Tragelaphus spekei'' at Antwerp Zoo|journal=International Zoo Yearbook|date=January 1968|volume=8|issue=1|pages=137–9|doi=10.1111/j.1748-1090.1968.tb00464.x}}</ref> The sitatunga is more variable in its general characters than any other member of the [[Tribe (biology)|tribe]] [[Strepsicerotini]], that consists of the genera ''[[Taurotragus]]'' (elands) and ''Tragelaphus'', probably because of their confinement to swampy and marshy habitats.<ref>{{cite book|last=Leakey|first=L.S.B.|title=Olduvai Gorge|date=1965|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=0-521-05527-X|page=42}}</ref>

On the basis of physical characteristics such as hair texture, coat colour and the coat stripes, up to ten subspecies of the sitatunga have been described. However, these factors may not be reliable since hair texture could vary with the climate, while [[Coat (animal)|pelage]] colour and markings vary greatly among individuals. Moreover, the coat might darken and the stripes and spots on it might fade with age, especially in males.<ref name=kingdon2/> The species might even be [[monotypic]],<ref name=kingdon2/> however, based on different [[Drainage system (geomorphology)|drainage systems]], three distinct subspecies are currently recognised:<ref>{{ITIS |id=625133 |taxon=''Tragelaphus spekii '' |access-date=13 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name=kingdon1>{{cite book|last1=Kingdon|first1=J.|title=The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals|date=2015|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|location=London|isbn=978-1-4729-2135-2|pages=515–6|edition=2nd}}</ref>
* '''''T. s. spekii''''' <small>(Speke, 1863)</small>: Nile sitatunga or East African sitatunga. Found in the Nile watershed.
* '''''T. s. gratus''''' <small>(Sclater, 1880)</small>: Congo sitatunga or forest sitatunga. Found in western and central Africa.
* '''''T. s. selousi''''' <small>([[Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild|W. Rothschild]], 1898)</small>: Southern sitatunga or Zambezi sitatunga. Found in southern Africa.

{{cladogram|title=
|caption=Phylogenetic relationships of the mountain nyala from combined analysis of all molecular data (Willows-Munro et.al. 2005)
|cladogram={{clade | style=font-size:90%;line-height:100%;width:300px;
|1={{clade
|1={{clade |label1=
 |1= {{clade|label1=
           |1=
         {{clade
         |label1=
         |1={{clade
            |1={{clade
                |1={{clade
                   |1=[[Giant eland]]
                   |2=[[Common eland]]}}
                |2={{clade
                   |1=[[Greater kudu]]
                   |2={{clade
                       |1=[[Balbok]]
                       |2={{Clade
                           |1={{clade
                              |1={{clade
                                  |1=[[Bongo (antelope)|Bongo]]
                                  |2='''Sitatunga'''}}
                           |2={{Clade
                           |1={{clade
                              |1={{clade
                                  |1=[[Cape bushbuck]]
|2=[[Harnessed bushbuck]] }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} 
         |2=[[Nyala]]}}
|2=[[Lesser kudu]] }} }} }} }} }} }}

==Description==
[[File:Sitatunga Tragelaphus spekii gratus RB1.jpg|thumb|Male sitatunga]]
[[File:Sitatunga (1).JPG|thumb|Female sitatunga]]

The sitatunga is a medium-sized antelope. It is [[sexually dimorphic]], with males considerably larger than females. The head-and-body length is typically between {{convert|136|-|177|cm|in|abbr=on}} in males and {{convert|104|-|146|cm|in|abbr=on}} in females. Males reach approximately {{convert|81|-|116|cm|in|abbr=on}} at the shoulder, while females reach {{convert|72|-|90|cm|in|abbr=on}}. Males typically weigh {{convert|76|-|119|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, while females weigh {{convert|24|-|57|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. The tail is {{convert|14|-|37|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. The saucer-shaped ears are {{convert|11|-|17|cm|in|abbr=on}} long.<ref name=kingdon2/> Only the males possess horns; these are spiral in shape, have one or two twists and are {{convert|45|-|92|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. The sitatunga is almost indistinguishable from the [[nyala]], except in [[pelage]] and [[spoor (animal)|spoor]].<ref name=estes/> Speke pointed out that, though "closely allied" to the waterbuck, the sitatunga lacks stripes and is spotted instead.<ref name=speke/>

The [[Coat (animal)|coat]] colour varies geographically, but, in general, is a [[rufous]] red in juveniles and chestnut in females.<ref name=adw>{{cite web|last=Coash|first=M.|title=Sitatunga ''Tragelaphus spekii''|url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Tragelaphus_spekii/|work=University of Michigan Museum of Zoology|publisher=Animal Diversity Web|access-date=14 March 2014}}</ref> There are white facial markings, as well as several stripes and spots all over, though they are only faintly visible. White patches can be seen on the throat, near the head and the chest.<ref name=nowak/> A pair of [[Inguinal lymph nodes|inguinal]] [[scent gland]]s are present.<ref name=estes/> The coats of males darken with age, becoming gray to dark brown. Males develop a rough and scraggy mane, usually brown in colour, and a white dorsal stripe.<ref name=estes/> There is a [[Chevron (anatomy)|chevron]] between the eyes of the males.<ref name=vlies>{{cite book|last=Vlies|first=C. V. D.|title=Southern Africa Wildlife and Adventure|date=2010|publisher=Trafford On Demand Publications|location=South Africa|isbn=978-1-4269-1932-9|page=145}}</ref>

The body and legs of this antelope are specially adapted to its swampy habitat. The hooves of the male are elongated and widely splayed.<ref name=track/> The rubbery, shaggy, water-repellent coat is minimally affected by slimy and muddy vegetation. The wedge-like shape and lowering of the head, coupled with the backward bend of the horns (in males) provides for easy navigation through dense vegetation. The [[pastern]]s are flexible,<ref name=nowak>{{cite book|last=Nowak|first=R. M.|title=Walker's Mammals of the World|url=https://archive.org/details/walkersmammalsof0002nowa|url-access=registration|date=1999|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Baltimore, Maryland|isbn=0-8018-5789-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/walkersmammalsof0002nowa/page/1136 1136–7]|edition=6th}}</ref> and the hooves, banana-like in shape,<ref name="cranfield">{{cite book|last1=Cranfield|first1=I.|last2=Lovell|first2=R.|title=Young Readers Animal World|date=1991|publisher=Egmont Books Ltd.|location=New York|isbn=978-0-88029-693-9|page=28}}</ref> can reach a length of up to {{convert|16|cm|in|abbr=on}} in the hindlegs and {{convert|18|cm|in|abbr=on}} in the forelegs.<ref name=track>{{cite book|last=Liebenberg|first=L.|title=A Photographic Guide to Tracks and Tracking in Southern Africa|date=2000|publisher=Struik|location=Cape Town|isbn=1-86872-008-X|page=121}}</ref> The pointed toes allow it to walk slowly and almost noiselessly through the water.<ref name=williamson>{{cite journal|last1=Williamson|first1=D. T.|title=Notes on sitatunga in the Linyanti Swamp, Botswana|journal=African Journal of Ecology|date=December 1986|volume=24|issue=4|pages=293–7|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2028.1986.tb00373.x|bibcode=1986AfJEc..24..293W }}</ref> Moreover, the colour of the coat provides an excellent camouflage. Hearing is acute, and the ears are so structured that the animal can accurately determine the direction from where a sound has originated. This adaptation is of profound use in habitats where long sight is of very little value due to the density and darkness of the environment.<ref name=kingdon2/>

==Ecology and behaviour==
[[File:Sitatoenga.jpg|thumbnail|Sitatunga standing in water]]
Sitatunga are active mainly during the early hours after dawn, the last one or two hours before dusk, and at night,<ref name=williamson/> and spend a large part of this time feeding.<ref name=owen/> Basically sedentary, they rest in flat areas and [[reed bed]]s, especially during the hotter part of the day.<ref name=games>{{cite journal|last1=Games|first1=I.|title=Observations on the sitatunga ''Tragelaphus spekei selousi'' in the Okavango delta of Botswana|journal=Biological Conservation|date=January 1983|volume=27|issue=2|pages=157–70|doi=10.1016/0006-3207(83)90086-1|bibcode=1983BCons..27..157G }}</ref><ref name=starin>{{cite journal|last1=Starin|first1=E. D.|title=Notes on sitatunga in The Gambia|journal=African Journal of Ecology|date=December 2000|volume=38|issue=4|pages=339–42|doi=10.1046/j.1365-2028.2000.00262.x|bibcode=2000AfJEc..38..339S }}</ref> They seldom leave their swamp habitat during the daytime.<ref name=owen>{{cite journal|last1=Owen|first1=R. E. A.|title=Some observations on the sitatunga in Kenya|journal=African Journal of Ecology|date=August 1970|volume=8|issue=1|pages=181–95|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2028.1970.tb00839.x|bibcode=1970AfJEc...8..181O }}</ref> Though sitatunga commonly form pairs or remain solitary, larger groups have also been observed. A study in Kenya recorded a herd of as many as nine individuals, comprising an adult male, four females and four juveniles.<ref name=estes/> Loose groups may be formed but interaction among individuals is very low.<ref name=games/> Individuals generally associate only with their own sex.<ref name=kingdon2/>

The sitatunga is not [[Territory (animal)|territorial]]. Males may engage in locking horns with other males and attacking vegetation using their horns.<ref name=starin/> They may perform feinting by raising their forelegs with the hindlegs rooted in the ground as a threat [[Display (zoology)|display]]. Sitatunga interact with each other by first touching their noses, which may be followed by licking each other and nibbling. Alarmed animals may stand motionless, with the head held high and one leg raised. Sitatunga may occasionally emit a series of coughs or barks, usually at night, which may cause other animals to join in, and these sounds can be heard across the swamp. This barking may be used by females to warn off other females. Males often utter a low bellow on coming across a female or a herd of females in the mating season. A low-pitched squeak may be uttered while feeding. Mothers communicate with their calves by bleats.<ref name=kingdon2/>

Sitatunga can feed or rest close to [[southern lechwe]] herds, but do not interact with them. They often attract [[yellow-billed oxpecker]]s, [[African jacana]]s and [[great egret]]s. Sitatunga are good swimmers, but limit themselves to water with profuse vegetation in order to escape [[crocodile]]s. In some cases, for instance when troubled by flies or pursued by predators, the sitatunga might fully submerge themselves in the water except for the nose and the eyes, which they keep slightly above the water surface. Due to its close association with water, the sitatunga are often described as "[[Aquatic animal|aquatic]] antelopes", like the [[waterbuck]].<ref name="bailey">{{cite book|last1=Bailey|first1=A.|title=Okavango: Africa's Wetland Wilderness|date=1998|publisher=Struik Publishers|isbn=978-1-86872-041-5|page=12}}</ref><ref name=dudgeon/> They often dry themselves under the sun after feeding in water.<ref name=kingdon2/> Predators of the sitatunga include [[lion]]s, [[African wild dog|wild dogs]], [[crocodile]]s and [[leopard]]s.<ref name=adw/>

===Diet===

Sitatunga are selective and mixed feeders. They feed mainly on new foliage, fresh grasses, sedges and browse. Preferred plants include: bullrushes (''[[Typha]]''), sedges (''[[Cyperus]]''), aquatic grasses (''[[Vossia (plant)|Vossia]]'', ''[[Echinochloa]]'', ''[[Pennisetum]]'', ''[[Leersia]]'', ''[[Acroceras]]'' and ''[[Panicum]]''. Species in [[Umbelliferae]] and [[Acanthaceae]] are preferred in [[Saiwa Swamp National Park]] (Kenya), and [[Fabaceae]] species are preferred in [[Bangweulu Swamp|Bangweulu]] and Busanga (in [[Kafue National Park]]).<ref name=owen/> They feed mostly in the wetland fringes. Diet preferences may vary seasonally in swamps where water levels change notably. Like the [[gerenuk]], the sitatunga may stand on its hindlegs to reach higher branches of trees, or even use its horns to pull down the branches.<ref name=kingdon2/>

A study recorded forty major species eaten by the animal, the majority of which were herbs. [[Sweet potato]] was the most preferred crop. The study predicted an increase in preference for crops due to seasonal food variations.<ref name=tweheyo>{{cite journal|last1=Tweheyo|first1=M.|last2=Amanya|first2=B. K.|last3=Turyahabwe|first3=N.|title=Feeding patterns of sitatunga (''Tragelaphus Spekii'') in the Rushebeya-Kanyabaha wetland, south western Uganda|journal=African Journal of Ecology|date=December 2010|volume=48|issue=4|pages=1045–52|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2028.2010.01210.x|bibcode=2010AfJEc..48.1045T }}</ref> Another study showed that annual floods affect the seasonal movement and diet of the species. These floods force the animals out of the [[reed bed]]s onto the flooded grasslands when the water levels are high. At low water levels the cattle take over the flooded plains and send the sitatunga back to their original place.<ref name=games/>

===Reproduction===
[[File:Sitatunga juvenile.ogv|thumbnail|left|Juvenile sitatunga in [[Salzburg Zoo]], [[Austria]]]]
Females are [[sexually mature]] by one year of age, while males take one-and-a-half-year before they mature. Breeding occurs throughout the year. When females gather, the males compete among each other for the right to mate, showing [[Polygyny in animals|polygyny]] in males.<ref name=magliocca/> The [[Rut (mammalian reproduction)|rutting]] male approaches the female in a lower bending posture, sniffing her [[vulva]]. The female may move slowly or react nervously. Even if the female flees, the male continues pursuing her steadily, without showing any sign of hurry. A receptive female will raise her head with her mouth wide open, following which the male will begin attempts at mounting. At the time of mounting the female lowers her head, while the male first bends and then straightens his forelegs and rests his head and neck on her back. The two remain together for one or two days, during which time the male ensures that no other male can approach the female.<ref name=kingdon2/>

[[Gestation]] lasts for nearly eight months, after which generally a single calf is born. Parturition occurs throughout the year, though a peak may occur in the dry season.<ref name=kingdon2/> Calves are hidden adroitly, and brought out of cover only in the presence of many other sitatunga. The mother gazes and nods at the calf to summon it for nursing. A calf follows its mother about even after she has given birth to another calf. The mother suckles and licks her calf for about six months. The calf takes time to master the specialised gait of the sitatunga, and thus often loses its balance and falls in water.<ref name=estes/> Males, and even some females, have been observed to leave their herds even before reaching sexual maturity due to intrasexual competition.<ref name=magliocca>{{cite journal|last1=Magliocca|first1=F.|last2=Quérouil|first2=S.|last3=Gautier-Hion|first3=A.|title=Grouping patterns, reproduction, and dispersal in a population of sitatungas|journal=Canadian Journal of Zoology|date=February 2002|volume=80|issue=2|pages=245–50|doi=10.1139/z01-224|url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00138093/document|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Lifespan recorded in captivity averages 22 to 23 years.<ref name=adw/>

==Habitat and distribution==
The sitatunga is an amphibious antelope (meaning it can live on both land and water) confined to swampy and marshy habitats.<ref name=dudgeon/> They occur in tall and dense vegetation of perennial as well as seasonal swamps, marshy clearings in forests, riparian thickets and [[mangrove]] swamps.<ref name=magliocca/> Sitatunga move along clearly marked tracks in their swampy habitat, often leading to reed beds.<ref name=owen/> These tracks, up to {{convert|7|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide, can lead to feeding grounds and nearby riverine forests.<ref name=estes/> The sitatunga hold small [[home range]]s near water bodies <ref name="dudgeon">{{cite book|last1=Dudgeon|first1=D.|title=Tropical Stream Ecology|date=2008|publisher=Academic Press|location=London, UK|isbn=978-0-12-088449-0|page=177|edition=1st}}</ref> In savannas, they are typically found in stands of papyrus and reeds (''[[Phragmites]]'' species and ''[[Echinochloa pyramidalis]]''). They share their habitat with the [[Nile lechwe]] in the [[Sudd swamps]] and with the southern lechwe in [[Angola]], [[Botswana]] and [[Zambia]].<ref name=iucn/>

The sitatunga is native to Angola, [[Benin]], Botswana, [[Burundi]], [[Cameroon]], [[Central African Republic]], [[Chad]], [[The Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Equatorial Guinea]], [[Gabon]], [[Gambia]], [[Ghana]], [[Guinea]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Kenya]], [[Mozambique]], [[Namibia]], [[Nigeria]], [[Rwanda]], [[Senegal]], [[South Sudan]], [[Tanzania]], [[Uganda]], Zambia and [[Zimbabwe]]. It is extinct in [[Niger]], where it formerly occurred in the [[Lake Chad]] region, and is feared to be extinct in [[Togo]], where its habitat has been taken over by dense human settlements. While it is localised and sporadic in western Africa, the sitatunga is still common in the forests of central Africa and certain swampy regions in central, eastern and southern Africa.<ref name=iucn/><ref name=east>{{cite book|last1=East|first1=R.|last2=IUCN/SSC Antelope Specialist Group|title=African Antelope Database 1998|date=1999|publisher=The IUCN Species Survival Commission|location=Gland, Switzerland|isbn=2-8317-0477-4|pages=123–6}}</ref>

==Threats and conservation==
[[File:Milwaukee Public Museum February 2023 54 (Africa--Central Africa--Wet World- Sitatunga).jpg|thumb|The ''Wet World: Sitatunga'' diorama at the [[Milwaukee Public Museum]]]]

Habitat loss is the most severe threat to the survival of the sitatunga. Other threats include the increasing loss of wetlands, that has isolated populations; and long-term changes in the water level, that affects the nearby vegetation and thus bears upon their diet. Vast areas of Bangweulu and Busanga are burnt every year, placing animals like the sitatunga at grave risk given the inflammability of swamps.<ref name=iucn/> The sitatunga has been classified under the [[Least Concern]] category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ([[IUCN]]),<ref name=iucn/> and under [[CITES#Appendix III|Appendix III]] (Ghana) of the [[Washington Convention]] (CITES).<ref name=MSW3/>

In Senegal, intensive hunting for meat and habitat degradation have made the sitatunga very rare. Formerly it was common throughout Gambia, but now it is confined to a few inaccessible swamps; a population has been introduced in the [[Abuko Nature Reserve]]. On the other hand, though the animal is hunted by locals primarily for food, Botswana still supports a large portion of the total population. The species is of great economic significance for northern Botswana, that produces some of the world's biggest sitatunga [[Trophy hunting|trophies]].<ref name=iucn/><ref name=east/> Its status is unclear in Chad, Ghana, Guinea, Burundi and Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Significant populations still exist in countries such as Cameroon, Central African Republic, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Tanzania and Zambia.<ref name=east/> The inaccessibility of its habitat has rendered population estimates very difficult. In 1999, Rod East of the IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group estimated a total population of 170,000, but this is likely to be an overestimate. Its numbers are decreasing in areas of heavy human settlement, but are stable elsewhere.<ref name=iucn/>

Around 40 percent of the populations (based on the overestimate of 170,000) occurs in protected areas, mainly in [[Okavango Delta]] and [[Linyanti River|Linyanti]] and [[Cuando River|Chobe]] swamps (Botswana); [[Dja Faunal Reserve]] and [[Lobéké National Park]] (Cameroon); [[Bangassou]] (Central African Republic); [[Odzala National Park]], [[Lake Télé Community Reserve]], [[Likouala River|Likouala]] and [[Salonga National Park]] (The Democratic Republic of Congo); [[Monte Alén National Park]] (Equatorial Guinea); [[Saiwa Swamp National Park]] (Kenya); [[Akagera National Park]] (Rwanda); [[Moyowosi Game Reserve|Moyowosi]] and [[Kigosi Game Reserve|Kigosi]] Game Reserves (Tanzania); [[Bangweulu Swamp|Bangweulu]] and [[Busanga Swamp]]s (Zambia). However, only a few are of these parks and reserves are well-protected and managed.<ref name=iucn/><ref name=east/>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/sitatunga African Wildlife Fund]
{{Commons and category|Tragelaphus spekii|Tragelaphus spekii}}

{{Artiodactyla|R.4}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q234597}}

[[Category:Tragelaphus]]
[[Category:Fauna of Central Africa]]
[[Category:Mammals of West Africa]]
[[Category:Mammals of Zambia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Sudan]]
[[Category:Mammals of Gabon]]
[[Category:Mammals of the Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
[[Category:Mammals of Angola]]
[[Category:Mammals of the Republic of the Congo]]
[[Category:Mammals of Namibia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Tanzania]]
[[Category:Mammals of Botswana]]
[[Category:Mammals of Burundi]]
[[Category:Mammals of Cameroon]]
[[Category:Mammals of Chad]]
[[Category:Mammals of Equatorial Guinea]]
[[Category:Mammals of Kenya]]
[[Category:Mammals of Mozambique]]
[[Category:Mammals of Rwanda]]
[[Category:Mammals of South Sudan]]
[[Category:Mammals of Uganda]]
[[Category:Mammals of Zimbabwe]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1863]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Bovids of Africa]]
[[Category:Semiaquatic mammals]]