Springbok

Springbok facts at a glance

How big is a springbok?

An adult springbok measures 1.5 m long — about 87% of the height of an average adult person (1.73 m) — and weighs around 40 kg, about 57% of an average adult’s body weight (70 kg).

What is a group of springboks called?

Explore more animal collective nouns and baby animal names .

Pronking, the signature leap

The springbok takes its name from its habit of pronking, also called stotting: a series of stiff-legged, arch-backed bounds that can carry it up to 2 m off the ground. When it pronks, the animal fans out a fold of white skin along its back, flashing a crest of long white hairs. Biologists think pronking signals fitness to predators, effectively telling a lion or cheetah that this individual is too alert and fit to be worth chasing. It may also serve to alarm the herd and confuse an attacker.

Speed and survival

Springbok are among the fastest land animals, able to sprint at up to 88 km/h over open ground. That raw speed, combined with sharp senses and sudden changes of direction, is their main defence against cheetahs, lions, and hunting dogs. They are also remarkably agile, capable of leaping long distances at full gallop. Living in herds adds safety in numbers, with many eyes watching for danger across the open plains.

Diet and desert adaptation

Springbok are mixed feeders that graze on grasses when they are green and browse on shrubs, leaves, and succulents when grass is scarce. This flexibility lets them thrive in the dry, unpredictable environment of the Karoo, Kalahari, and Namib fringes. They are well adapted to going without free-standing water, drawing much of their moisture from the plants they eat, and they often feed at dawn, dusk, and even at night to avoid the worst heat. Succulent tubers and roots dug from the ground provide extra water in the driest months.

Herds and social life

Springbok are social animals that gather in herds ranging from small family groups to, historically, enormous aggregations. In the past, migrating herds numbering in the hundreds of thousands, known as treks, once swept across the South African interior in search of grazing. Today herds are far smaller, but the animals remain gregarious, with mixed groups of females and young and separate bachelor groups of males. Dominant rams hold territories during the breeding season and compete for access to females.

Breeding and young

Breeding can occur at various times of year but often peaks to coincide with the rains, when food is most plentiful. After a gestation of around six months, a female gives birth to a single lamb, which she hides in vegetation for the first days of life. Lambs are up and running remarkably quickly, an essential ability in open country full of predators. Within a few weeks they join the herd, where the safety of numbers improves their chances of reaching adulthood.

Status and importance

The springbok is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and remains common across much of southern Africa, particularly in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. It is farmed on private ranches and game reserves and hunted both for meat and as a game animal, which gives it strong economic value. As the national animal of South Africa, it lends its name to the country's rugby team, the Springboks. Well-managed populations on protected and private land help keep the species secure.

Did you know? Springbok facts

• Springbok are medium-sized antelope known for pronking — stiff-legged leaps that may signal fitness to predators.
• Pronking may warn predators the chase is not worth it, or signal to the herd.
• Listed Least Concern — large populations remain on farms and reserves.
• Conservation: Least Concern.

Diet & feeding

Springbok feeds primarily as a grasses and shrubs.

Adaptations

• The flashing white rump patch is raised during leaps, possibly confusing predators.
• Springbok can survive with limited water by selecting moisture-rich plants.

Behaviour & ecology

• The flashing white rump patch is raised during leaps, possibly confusing predators.
• Springbok can survive with limited water by selecting moisture-rich plants.

Communication

• Springbok uses scent, posture, and vocal signals to mark territory and coordinate social behaviour.
• Communication intensity often peaks during breeding seasons and territorial disputes.

Habitat & range

Arid grasslands of southern Africa

Ecological role

Springbok plays a recognised ecological role in arid grasslands of southern africa.

Conservation status of the Springbok

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Springbok:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Antidorcas marsupialis.

• iNaturalist — observations & photos

  Search citizen-science observations and community IDs for Antidorcas marsupialis. Useful for range checks and recent sightings — not a substitute for formal Red List status.

• GBIF — occurrence data

  Global Biodiversity Information Facility species search for Antidorcas marsupialis. Explore published occurrence records used in range research.

• IUCN Red List — Antidorcas marsupialis.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Animal Diversity Web — Antidorcas marsupialis. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Life history, morphology, and range.

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.