Antelope
Scientific classification:
Antelopes belong to the family Bovidae of the order Artiodactyla
| Antelope |
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| Scientific classification |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia | | Phylum: | Chordata | | Class: | Mammalia | | Order: | Artiodactyla | | Family: | Bovidae |
| | Genera |
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Aepyceros
Alcelaphus
Antidorcas
Antilope
Cephalophus
Connochaetes
Damaliscus
Gazella
Hippotragus
Kobus
Madoqua
Neotragus
Oreotragus
Oryx
Ourebia
Pantholops
Procapra
Sylvicapra
Taurotragus
Tragelaphus
and others |
The Pronghorn Antelope of North America, while commonly called an antelope, is not a true antelope. No North American mammal is more native to the North American continent than the pronghorn, which was mistakenly identified as an antelope by early explorers, but it is actually the last survivor of a group called the antilocaprids, that has inhabited this continent for 15 million years. True antelopes belong to the family Bovidae of the order Artiodactyla. Both the pronghorn and antelopes are related to sheep, goats, and cattle. About 5 million years ago at the beginning of the Pliocene Epoch, antelopes were widespread throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. Today they live only in Africa and in central and southern Asia, with Africa having the greatest number of species. Antelopes have never lived in the Americas, although the pronghorn looks very much like an antelope and shares a similar way of life. Today, Americans use the terms "antelope" and "pronghorn" interchangeably. Antelope is a common name applied to a diverse group of hollow-horned mammals. About 100 species of antelopes live in Africa and Asia, including some of the world's fastest and most graceful hoofed mammals, as well as some of the most endangered. In size, antelopes range from the tiny royal antelope, which stands about ten inches high (25 cm) at the shoulder, (about the size of a large jack rabbit) to the massively built common eland, which can weigh nearly a ton (900kg) --more than an average automobile. Antelopes vary widely in their physical appearance and the way they live. Some antelopes, including many of the smallest species, stay close to vegetative cover and disappear into the undergrowth if disturbed, but most live in more open habitats where they rely on speed and alertness to escape attack. Some antelope species are solitary animals, but most live in herds. Pronghorns have the distinction of being the fastest grazing animal on earth. They developed this trait because they were once prey animals for a cheetah that went extinct in North America about 13,000 years ago. They can reach speeds exceeding 60 m.p.h. (100 kilometers). Antelope are also great jumpers and have very keen eyesight. The impala can jump ten foot fences and cover 33 feet (10 meters) in a single bound.
Kinds of Antelope:
There are about 100 species of antelopes living in Africa and Asia. The pronghorn, which is a similar animal but not a true antelope, is the only antelope-like creature that lives in North America. There are no antelope in Europe, although Antelope once lived there about 5 Million years ago.
blackbuck, black buck, Antilope cervicapra — A common Indian antelope with a dark back and spiral horns. gerenuk, Litocranius walleri — Slender east African antelope with slim neck and backward-curving horns. addax, Addax nasomaculatus — A large antelope with lightly spiraled horns of desert regions of North Africa. gnu, wildebeest — A large African antelope having a head with horns like an ox and a long tufted tail. dik-dik — Any of several small antelopes of eastern Africa of the genus Madoqua; the size of a large rabbit. hartebeest — A large African antelope with lyre-shaped horns that curve backward. sassaby, topi, Damaliscus lunatus — A large South African antelope; considered the swiftest hoofed mammal. impala, Aepyceros melampus — An African antelope with ridged curved horns; moves with enormous leaps. gazelle — A small, swift, graceful antelope of Africa and Asia having lustrous eyes. bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus, Boocercus eurycerus — These are large forest antelope of central Africa having a reddish-brown coat with white stripes and spiral horns. kudu, koodoo, koudou — Either of two spiral-horned antelopes of the African bush. harnessed antelope — Any of several antelopes of the genus Tragelaphus having striped markings resembling a harness. mountain nyala, Tragelaphus buxtoni — A shaggy antelope that lives in the mountains of Ethiopia. nilgai, nylghai, nylghau, blue bull, Boselaphus tragocamelus — Large Indian antelope; male is blue-grey with white markings; female is brownish with no horns. sable antelope, Hippotragus niger — Large black east African antelope with sharp back-curving horns. saiga, Saiga tatarica — These are goat-like antelope of central Eurasia having a stubby nose like a proboscis. steenbok, steinbok, Raphicerus campestris — Small plains antelope of southeastern Africa. eland — Either of two large African antelopes of the genus Taurotragus having short spirally twisted horns in both sexes. This is the largest species of antelope. waterbuck — Any of several large African antelopes of the genus Kobus having curved ridged horns and frequenting swamps and rivers. puku, Adenota vardoni — An African antelope closely related to the waterbuck. oryx, pasang — Large African antelope with long straight nearly upright horns.pronghorn -- Not a true antelope, but a similar animal that lives in North America and is commonly called an antelope. (See picture below, left.) |
