Black Springbok and Copper Springbok

[Diamondhitch]

I was just wondering if Black Springbok and Copper Springbok are actual sub species, naturally occurring color phases or genetically manipulated animals?

 

[andriesdeklerk]

Just a colour mutation. The white springbuck has a lack of melanin and are not an albino. If you inspect the skin you will notice underneath the white hair the skin is black. The over production of melanin creates the black face of the springbuck and the copper version somewhere in between. I have all four colour faces on my range and they all are very attractive but the common phase still the most colourful

 

[Hank2211]

I just returned from a hunt in South Africa. I was looking for a common springbuck, but it wasn't a high priority. After bagging one, I sort of got into the game of trying for one of each color - copper, black and white, in addition to the regular. Collectively, they constitute a "springbuck slam", which I don't think has any official recognition, but is fun to go after. I certainly had fun getting all four (plus a Kalahari springbuck, which is the same color as a regular springbuck but seems to be a bit bigger, both in body and horns)!

As Andriesdeclerck said, these are just a color mutation and not a separate species or sub-species. Having said that, the copper, black and white (especially the white) seem to be a recessive trait (they aren't very common in a mixed herd), so that if you allow these to breed with the regular color, you will get only the odd color variation. I believe you will get more of the color variations if you segregate the colors and only allow them to breed with similarly colored animals. Having said that, I think most game ranchers would tell you it's way too much trouble to do that, so I expect the color variations will remain the exception rather than the rule.