Seasonal changes in herd size and time budget of springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) in southern Namibia

Abstract

AbstractSpringbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) is an understudied species with a dearth of scientific work having been conducted, especially so for the Nama‐Karoo vegetation type, in southern Namibia. We studied variations in herd composition and time budget of springbok by direct observations during a dry and wet season in southern Namibia and found significant differences (p < 0.001) in mean herd size between the dry and wet seasons. Herd size decreased from early morning to late afternoon during the dry season (p = 0.037) but not the wet season (p = 0.362). Springbok spent more time browsing during the dry season compared to the wet season (p < 0.001) when they spent more time grazing (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the time springbok spent walking between the two seasons (p = 0.181). Other energy‐intensive activities such as grooming and running increased during the wet season (p < 0.001) due to favourable environmental conditions, breeding season and possibly an increase in parasite load.