The lesser kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis) is a medium-sized bushland antelope found in East Africa.

The lesser kudus have very distinctive physical markings; females and juveniles have a golden-brown coat, with white vertical stripes on their sides, while the males develop into a dark grey colour—after about two years—and grow a pronounced “streak” of shaggy hair down the centre of their backs.

Males retain the golden-brown color only on the shins, with the top of each thigh having a darker black band separating it from the grey body.

These markings may aid in camouflaging and hiding amidst shrubbery, as well as helping to cool specific areas of the body by being white.

A pure browser, the lesser kudu subsists off of foliage from tall bushes, trees (fresh branch shoots, twigs) and herbaceous perennial plants.

The lesser kudu is mainly crepuscular, preferring to be active after dusk until the dawn hours, seeking shelter in dense thickets just after the sunrise.

The lesser kudu inhabits dry bushland regions, bordering on arid grasslands, as well as scrubland and light open forest habitat.

The lesser kudu is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, but it is possibly extirpated from Djibouti.

[4] In 1912, the genus Ammelaphus was established for just the lesser kudu by American zoologist Edmund Heller, the type species being A.

[7] In 2005, Sandi Willows-Munro (of the University of KwaZulu-Natal) and colleagues carried out a mitochondrial analysis of the nine Tragelaphus species.

[8][9] On the basis of mitochondrial data, the lesser kudu separated from its sister clade around 13.7 million years ago.

[14] The lesser kudu is mainly active at night and during the dawn, and seeks shelter in dense thickets just after the sunrise.

If it senses any approaching predator, it gives out a short sharp bark, similar to the bushbuck's, then makes multiple leaps up to 2 m (6.6 ft) high with an upraised tail.

No distinct leader or any hierarchy is noted in the social structure; with no territorial behavior, fights are uncommon.

However, at the age of 4-5 years, males prefer a solitary lifestyle and avoid one another, though four or five bulls may share the same home range.

[13][16] A pure browser, the lesser kudu feeds on foliage from bushes and trees (shoots, twigs) and herbs.

Foliage from creepers and vines (such as Thunbergia guerkeana and some species of Cucurbitaceae and Convulvulaceae) forms 15-25% of the diet in the wet season.

[4] However, unlike the long-necked gerenuk, the lesser kudu rarely consumes Acacia species, and does not stand on its hindlegs while feeding.

[13] The lesser kudu likewise does not have a great requirement for water, and can thrive in arid environments[14] as it is able to extract sufficient moisture from succulent plants, such as the leaves of wild sisal and Sansevieria ('snake-plants', genus Dracaena), and certain species of the poisonous Euphorbiaceae family; it drinks water readily when rains come or when sources are available.

A study at Dvůr Králové Zoo (Czech Republic) showed that 55% of the births occurred between September and December.

Having located a female in estrus, the male follows her closely, trying to rub his cheek on her rump, head, neck, and chest.

In a study at Basle Zoo (Switzerland), where 43% of the offspring from captive breeding died before reaching the age of six months, the major causes of high juvenile mortality were found to be the spread of white muscle disease and deficiency of vitamin E and selenium in diets.

[20] The lesser kudu is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, but it is extinct in Djibouti.

Evidence for its existence in the Arabian Peninsula includes a set of horns obtained in 1967 from an individual shot in South Yemen and another in Saudi Arabia, as well as a recent analysis of early and middle Holocene rock art sites in Jubbah and Shuwaymis, Ha'il province, Saudi Arabia.

For instance, the lesser kudu is widespread in the Ogaden region, which is rich in dense bush, despite reckless hunting by local people.

[1] However, rinderpest outbreaks, to which the lesser kudu is highly susceptible, have resulted in a steep decline of 60% in the animal's population in Tsavo National Park in Kenya.

[20] The handsome head of the male lesser kudu, with his elegant spiraled horns, is the symbol of the Saint Louis Zoo.