Springbok Facts & Worksheets

Premium

Download the Springbok Facts & Worksheets

Click the button below to get instant access to these worksheets for use in the classroom or at a home.

Download This Worksheet

This download is exclusively for KidsKonnect Premium members!
To download this worksheet, click the button below to signup (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start the download!

Sign Me Up

Already a member? Log in to download.

Download

Edit This Worksheet

Editing resources is available exclusively for KidsKonnect Premium members.
To edit this worksheet, click the button below to signup (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start editing!

Sign Up

Already a member? Log in to download.

Edit

This worksheet can be edited by Premium members using the free Google Slides online software. Click the Edit button above to get started.

The springbok is a medium-sized species of antelope that is native to south and southwestern Africa. The national animal of South Africa has a distinct brown and white color, a slender frame, and long legs. Its scientific name is Antidorcas marsupialis. 

See the fact file below for more information on the Springbok, or you can download our 26-page Springbok worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment. The springbok is a medium-sized species of antelope that is native to south and southwestern Africa. The national animal of South Africa, it has a distinct brown and white color, a slender frame, and long legs. Its scientific name is Antidorcas marsupialis.

Key Facts & Information

ETYMOLOGY

• The name “springbok” is derived from the Afrikaans words spring (which means “jump”) and bok (which means “antelope” or “goat”).
• It was around 1775 when the name was first used.
• Antidorcas marsupialis is the scientific name of the springbok.
  • The word “anti” is rooted in the ancient Greek word for “opposite.”
  • “Dorcas,” on the other hand, means “gazelle” in Greek.
  • Therefore, antidorcas means “not a gazelle.”
  • “Marsupialis” is derived from the Latin word “marsupium” (which means “pocket”).
  • What differentiates the springbok from the gazelle is that the former has a pocket-like skin flap that runs along the midline of the back from the tail.

TAXONOMY

• In terms of scientific classification, springbok belong to the Kingdom Animalia; the phylum Chordata; the class Mammalia; the order Artiodactyla; the family Bovidae, together with antelopes, cattle, buffalo, bison, and caprines. It belongs to the Antilopini tribe. 
• The first recorded description of the springbok was written by German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann in 1780.
• Eberhard also placed the springbok in the genus Antilope.
• In 1845, Swedish zoologist Carl Jakob Sundevall classified the springbok as the only living creature of the genus Antidorcas.
• There are three subspecies of springbok: Antidorcas marsupialis angolensis, A. m. hofmeyri, and A. m. marsupialis.

BODY DESCRIPTION & PHYSIOLOGY

• The springbok has a slender body, a V-shaped face, a long neck, and long legs.
• Male and female species can grow up to 34 inches at the shoulder.
• The weight range of a springbok is between 27 and 42 kilograms.
• The A. m. hofmeyri species can grow the biggest while the A. m. marsupialis is as the smallest subspecies.
• The springbok is commonly light brown with a white underbelly.
• A dark reddish-brown band extends horizontally from the upper foreleg to the edge of the buttocks.
• The springbok’s face is predominantly white, with dark stripes running across from the corner of the eyes to the mouth.
• Both male and female springboks have black horns with ends that are curved backward.
• It has a large clump of hair that rises from a pouch on its back.
• The three subspecies can be identified by their varying colors:
  • The A. m. angolensis is brown or orange-brown with dark stripes and a distinctly bright white face.
  • The A. m. hofmeyri has a light fawn coat. Unlike the A. m. angolensis, the forehead patch of this species has no clear boundaries and extends beyond the level of the eyes.
  • The A. m. marsupialis is a chestnut brown color with light face stripes. It has a brown, fawn, or white forehead with a patch that does not extend beyond the eyes.

HABITAT

• Springboks inhabit dry areas such as a savanna, a mixed woodland-grassland ecosystem, or a desert, barren land with sparse vegetation.
• They are commonly found in south and southwestern Africa.
• They mostly populate the Kalahari desert in Botswana, the Namib Desert in Angola, and across Namibia and South Africa.
• A group of springboks is called a herd.
• In an earlier practice called trekbokking, herds used to migrate in large populations from the Kalahari desert and Karoo across the countryside. 
• Springboks assemble in the wet season and scatter during the dry season.

ECOLOGY, BEHAVIOR, AND DIET

• Springboks are primarily active at dawn and dusk.
• The activity of springboks is highly dependent on the weather.
• When the weather is cooler, they feed at midday, but when it’s warmer, they feed at night.
• In colder months, they can also rest out in the open, but during summer, they prefer to cool off in the shade of trees.
• In terms of diet, springboks mainly get their food through browsing, a kind of consumption in which a herbivore feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of shrubs and young succulents.
• Springboks are browsers and, at times, also practice grazing, a type of herbivory in which they eat grass growing in a field.
• Springbok can meet their water needs from the food they eat and are able to survive through the dry season without drinking water.
• Springboks are very fast creatures.
• Springboks perform pronking, carrying out multiple high leaps that reach 2 meters into the air.
• One theory as to why springbok practice pronking is that it is a way to alert or defend against a potential predator.
• During stretches of drought in the past, springboks do mass treks, also known as trekbokking in Afrikaans.
• Trekbokking involves millions of springboks migrating far distances.
• Springboks are vigilant animals. Males tend to be territorial for the sake of the herd.

MATING

• During mating season, males create herds and go in search of mates. 
• Territorial males shut out the eligible bachelors from the female herd that set foot in their area. 
• In separate herds, females live with their offspring and not with dominant males. A baby springbok is called a calf.
• After weaning, female calves stay with their mothers until they give birth to their next young.
• Meanwhile, males stay in their bachelor herds and mark their territories by urinating and excreting feces.
• In order to win access to the females, male springboks engage in combat with each other using their horns.
• Males fight by stabbing or twisting at each other.
• Mixed-sex herds can comprise up to 180 springboks.
• All-male herds are commonly made up of less than 50 springboks.
• Generally, all-female and nursery herds have no more than 10 springboks.

HUNTING SPRINGBOK

• Springboks have beautiful coats, which is why they are highly prized and hunted as game throughout Southern African countries like Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa.
• The skins of springboks are used for taxidermy purposes.

NATIONAL SYMBOL

• In the 20th century, during white minority rule, the springbok was declared a national symbol of South Africa.
• The springbok is South Africa’s national animal.
• It also became a nickname and mascot of multiple sports teams of South Africa, including the national rugby union team.
• The springbok can be seen on the reverse of the South African Krugerrand coin.

Springbok Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Springbok across 26 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Springbok. The springbok is a medium-sized species of antelope that is native to south and southwestern Africa. It is the national animal of South Africa.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Springbok Facts
2. Name Game
3. Fact or False
4. One Part, One Fact
5. Image Story
6. Fun Facts
7. The Bovidae Family
8. Mating Multiple Choice
9. Subspecies Sketching
10. Watch and Learn
11. The Story Behind The Symbol

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a springbok?

A springbok is a medium-sized antelope found in southern and southwestern Africa.

How fast can a springbok run?

Springboks are known for their incredible speed and agility. They can run at speeds of up to 80 km/h (50 mph).

How do springboks get their name?

Springboks are named for their ability to “pronk,” or jump into the air with all four feet at once. This behavior is also known as “stotting” or “pronking.”

Are springboks endangered?

Springboks are not currently considered endangered, although they have faced population declines in the past due to hunting and habitat loss.

What is a group of springboks called?

• A group of springboks is called a “herd” or a “pronk” (which also refers to their jumping behavior).

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Springbok Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, March 30, 2023