Bongo

=Bongo= by Anna9

Size: Physical Characteristics The bongo is the largest and heaviest forest antelope. Both males and females have spiraled lyre-shaped horns. The bright chestnut color of the bongo becomes darker with age until old males are almost black. The flat-sided body is highlighted with 12 to 14 narrow white stripes on the shoulders, flanks and hindquarters. A black and white crest of hair runs the length of the spine, a white chevron (or V shape) appears between the eyes and two large white spots grace each cheek. The bright chestnut color of the bongo becomes darker with age until old males are almost black. The flat-sided body is highlighted with 12 to 14 narrow white stripes on the shoulders, flanks and hindquarters. A black and white crest of hair runs the length of the spine, a white chevron appears between the eyes and two large white spots grace each cheek. The large ears are believed to sharpen hearing, and the distinctive coloration may help bongos identify one another in their dark forest habitats. Bongos have no special secretion glands and so rely less on scent to find one another than do other similar antelopes. Both males and females have spiraled lyre-shaped horns that resemble those of the related antelope species of nyalas, sitatungas, bushbucks, kudus and elands. They have a hunched posture, with the head held up and the horns extended along the back. __**http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/bongo**__

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