slender legs are tawny and have black and white patches. The lesser kudu is characterised by large, rounded ears. Its tracks are similar to the greater kudu's. Females have four teats. The average lifespan is 10 years in the wild, and 15 years in captivity. Horns are present only on males. The spiral horns are long, and have two to two-and-a-half twists. The base circumference is . The slender horns are dark brown and tipped with white. Male young begin developing horns after 6-8 months, which reach full length after 3 years. Ecology and behaviour The lesser kudu is mainly active at night and during the dawn, and seeks shelter in dense thickets just after the sunrise. It can camouflage so well in such dense vegetation that only its ears and tail can indicate its presence. The midday is spent in rest and rumination in shaded areas. The animal spends about equal time foraging, standing and lying, and roaming. As a thin tragelaphine, the lesser kudu can move readily through dense vegetation with ease. The lesser kudu is a shy and wary animal. When alarmed, the animal stands motionless. If it senses any approaching predator, it gives out a short sharp bark, similar to the bushbuck's, then makes multiple leaps up to high with an upraised tail. If captured by the predator, the victim gives a loud bleat. Lesser kudus are gregarious in nature, especially females. No distinct leader or any hierarchy is noted in the social structure; with no territorial behavior, fights are uncommon. While fighting, the lesser kudus interlock horns and try pushing one another. Mutual grooming is hardly observed. Unlike most tragelaphines, females can be closely associated for several years. One to three females, along with their offspring, may form a group. Juvenile males leave their mothers when aged a year and a half, and may form pairs. 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. Lesser kudu do not usually associate with other animals, except when they feed in the same area. Diet A pure browser, the lesser kudu feeds on foliage from bushes and trees (shoots, twigs) and herbs. It also eats flowers and fruits if available, and takes small proportions of grasses, usually in the wet season. Despite seasonal and local variations, foliage from trees