Adult sex ratio of a wild population of springbok ( Antidorcas marsupialis ) at Nxai Pan, Botswana : short communications

Transect surveys of springbok Antidorcas marsupialis in Nxai Pan National Park, Botswana revealed an adult sex ratio of 1.86 : 1 (females : males). Circumstantial evidence suggests that this skewed ratio resulted from elevated male mortality. In a literature survey, adult sex ratios in springbok were generally skewed towards females but this skew tended to be more pronounced in areas with large predators. Further work on mortality patterns and adult sex ratios across populations is encouraged.