African Plains Game Safari
Are you considering a African plains game safari? Take some time to understand the animals you are likely to encounter. In particular how to distinguish between males and females.
Listed below are 26 plains game animals you may encounter and a description of how to distinguish males from females.
The Cape Buffalo bull has a colossal lump or boss. Also, males are larger and will have a thicker neck in comparison to females. In contrast, the female’s horns will have a gentle slope without the boss or helmet.
The difference between a male and female kudu is that the female does not have horns and is smaller and lighter than the male with very prominent ears. Also, they have no beard or nose markings.
Male Nyala has horns and is much larger than females and has a facial chevron, which females do not have. A nyala male is darker in color with a grey coat with far fewer white stripes, which are also less prominent. Females do not have horns.
A male sable is jet black with a white underbelly, and the female is dark brown. The local Dutch dialect name for the sable can be translated as “the black antelope with white underpants”. Males have longer and heavier horns.
Males and females present very low sexual dimorphism (physical differences between males and females) and are almost identical in appearance. This is most notable because both males and females have horns, though the males are shorter and thicker. In contrast, female horns are longer and thinner and tend to curve backward.
Gemsbok has evolved this reduced sexual dimorphism to facilitate more extended acceptance of juvenile males by the older territorial males. As a result, this has allowed the Gemsbok to better survive in vast empty spaces where finding mates can be a severe challenge. In contrast, the nyala, for example, exhibits very high sexual dimorphism.
The horns have a broad base in mature males. The male is more prominent with heavier and slightly longer horns than the female and higher at the shoulder. A shield forms by flattened horns for protection; this is not the female’s case.
The difference between a male and female waterbuck is that the female does not have horns and is smaller.
Both males and females have horns. Male Blesbok has thicker and heavier horns than the female.
Impala males are easily recognized as they have horns while females don’t. Females are also smaller.
Mature males are larger and have a very prominent dewlap on the throat. Adult males also have a darker coat, sometimes with a bluish tinge.
Males have dense fur on the forehead, while females do not. Both sexes have horns. The horns of males are thicker and shorter than those of females.
The male Warthog is larger with more prominent tusks and has two sets of warts. In contrast, the female Warthog has one set of warts and invariably has a brood of young following her around.
Both male and female springbok have horns. The male Springbok has thicker and heavier horns than the female and is slightly heavier with a thicker neck.
Red Lechwe males have horns while females do not. In contrast, females are also smaller and can be lighter in color.
Determining the difference between a zebra stallion and a zebra mare is no easy task. Stallions will be heavier with thicker necks. The stallion will often be at the back of the herd, protecting them against predators
Mountain Reedbuck males have horns while females do not. In this case, two females are pictured below with a young male.
Male blue wildebeest have heavier horns and, when mature, a blackface. In contrast, females and sub-adults have a brownish color just below the base of the horns. Besides, mature bulls will be heavier than females.
Females (Ewes) are smaller, and adult ewes are lighter in color than rams, with more pronounced white spots and stripes, while males have horns.
Both males and females have horns. However, males have thicker and heavier horns. Also, the male is bigger with a more pronounced neck.
Males and females have a type of horn called ossicones, made of cartilage covered in skin. The Giraffe bull has larger ossicones used for fighting and causes the fur to rub off, exposing a bald spot on top of them. As a result, mature males will nearly always have these gray bald spots on the top of the ossicones.
Males have horns while females do not.
Males or bucks are larger than females. Male fallow Deer carry antlers while females do not.
Grey Duiker males have horns, while females do not. The female and the male have a tuft of hair growing on their heads.
The color of the body of the bushpig varies widely between dark brown and reddish-brown in both males and females. What distinguishes a male and a female bushpig is the bony ridge and two warts on the snout in the male.
Both the roan antelope male and females have horns. The male’s horns are longer and heavier.
Males have horns while females do not.
