grow on termite mounds. Tree leaves make up 90% of their diet. They are diurnal animals, meaning they are most active in the daylight, but less active during the hottest part of the day. Like other bovids, they also have a ruminant digestive system. Because water is essential to the sable antelope's survival, it travels every two to four days to drink at water sources. The sable antelope presumably decreases its risk of being eaten by predators by staying away from feeding areas with high numbers of other grazers, but at the cost of prolonged and strenuous journeys to water. Use of specific water sources in particular regions is related to the presence of calcium and magnesium salts in the water, allowing the antelope to consume large amounts of minerals while meeting their water needs. In Popular Culture The Sable Antelope is featured on the Rhodesian flag and coat of arms. References External links Information by ITIS Information by African Wildlife Foundation sable antelope Fauna of East Africa sable antelope Herbivorous mammals sable antelope Mammals of Angola Mammals of Botswana Mammals of Kenya Mammals of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mammals of Malawi Mammals of Mozambique Mammals of Namibia Mammals of South Africa Mammals of Tanzania Mammals of Zambia Mammals of Zimbabwe National symbols of Rhodesia National symbols of Zimbabwe