File:Group of blesbok walking in tall grass - DPLA - e8f1722cdc8fdfcf9bd9464d45a1933b.jpg

35 mm slide; color. Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Chordata; Class: Mammalia; Order: Artiodactyla; Family: Bovidae; Genus: Damaliscus; Genus species: Damaliscus dorcas. Animal characteristics: Head-Body Length: 1.4-1.6 m; Height: 84-99 cm; Weight: 59-100 kg; Identification: The blesbok is a rich purple-chestnut color with a darker neck and hindquarters. The rump, belly, lower legs, and face patch are white; Habitat: Open grasslands; Diet: Herbivore; Reproduction: A 7.5 month gestation period produces a single calf that will remain with its mother for two years; Social Structure: Males form bachelor herds after they leave their mothers. Nonbreeding animals form mixed herds of 20-500 animals; Behavior: Grazing is done in the early morning and evening; Status: No special status; Interesting Facts: The blesbok was almost fully extinct until it became a protected species in Africa.