The topi (Damaliscus korrigum jimela) qualifies for an anterior auricular flagg, whereas the tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus lunatus) does not

By Antoni V Milewski and Anthony J Mills · Originally published 1 July 2026

About this edition. This is Antoni Milewski’s post, republished with his permission. Only the photographs he chose are used. Those on iNaturalist under a Creative Commons licence are shown; the rest are hosted externally and are given as links. No images have been substituted. Read the original on iNaturalist.

Damaliscus korrigum jimela qualifies for an anterior auricular flagg, whereas Damaliscus lunatus lunatus does not.

This is consistent with the facts that the former

is slightly more conspicuous than the latter in overall colouration, and

is less likely than the latter to discolour its face by means of mud.

The colouration on the anterior surface of the ear pinna is similar in the two spp. However, it is slightly more vivid in D. k. jimela than in D. l. lunatus, enough to pass a certain criterion.