502 AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 



Common Waterbuck 



Kohus ellipsiprymnus 



The common waterbuck is well characterized by the 

 broad white ring on the rump, which encircles the tail and 

 contrasts conspicuously with the dark-brown coat. This is 

 the only very obvious difference from the defassa, but other 

 minor points, such as the lack of reddish suffusion to the 

 coat, the smaller body size, and the light-colored legs, may 

 be made out upon actual comparison of specimens. No 

 intergrading races are known between these two species, 

 although they lack skull differences and occupy separate 

 geographical areas, as is characteristic of races rather than 

 species. At the northern limits of its range the common 

 waterbuck shows a reduction in the rump ring, the middle 

 portion across the back being often obsolete or wanting. 

 The common waterbuck is in some parts of its range subject 

 to albinism, a condition never met with in the closely allied 

 defassa. Several geographical races are recognized which 

 are based on differences in the general tone of coloration. 

 The common waterbuck is limited to the eastern coast region 

 of Africa east of the Rift Valley, from southern Somaliland 

 south to the Limpopo River in the Transvaal. 



Key to the Races of ellipsiprymnus 

 General dorsal coloration light, drab or hair-brown thika 



General dorsal coloration dark, warm sepia-brown kuru 



Highland Waterbuck 

 Kohus ellipsiprymnus thika 



Native Name: Kikamba, ndoo. 



Kobus ellipsiprymnus thikce Matschie, 1910, Sitz. Ber. Ges. Nat. Fre., Berl., 

 p. 411. 



Range. — From the Northern Guaso Nyiro River of 

 British East Africa southward to the German border and 

 westward through the Rift Valley; east along the Tana 

 River and the flanks of the highlands to within a short 

 distance of the coast, where it intergrades with the Swa- 

 hili race. 



