502 
AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 
Common Waterbuck 
Kobus 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 
General dorsal coloration dark, warm sepia-brown 
Highland Waterbuck 
Kobus ellipsiprymnus thikce 
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. 
thikce 
kuru 
