Types of antelope

Although antelopes all belong to the cattle family (family Bovidae), the term antelope is an informal one, and does not have any precise scientific meaning.

Types of Antelope

Some mammalogists take it to mean all bovids except cattle, but many also exclude another group known as the goat antelopes. The goat antelopes include animals such as the serow, markhor, bharal and urial, and also the musk-ox, all of which often have a mixture of goat and antelope features. This exclusion leaves a collection of seven or eight subfamilies of true antelopes, the exact number depending on the classification system used.

Nilgai and Four-Horned Antelopes

In evolutionary terms, among the most primitive true antelopes are the nilgai and four-horned antelopes (subfamily Boselaphinae). These two species are found primarily in India, although nilgai have been introduced into southern Texas in the United States as free-roaming game animals. The nilgai is a stocky animal with a horselike shape. The four-horned antelope, also known as the chousingha, is smaller, and it is the only antelope to have four horns—two on the crown of its head, and a smaller pair set just above its eyes. These antelopes browse on leaves, shoots, and fruits. The four-horned antelope is dependent on water and rarely strays far from a water source.

Spiral-Horned Antelopes

The spiral-horned antelopes (subfamily Tragelaphinae) live in Africa and include the kudu, sitatunga, bushbuck, bongo, and eland. Some of these animals, particularly the elands, are similar to cattle, with heavily built bodies and a dewlap (loose fold of skin) hanging from the neck. Males are larger than females, and in some species only males have horns. Primarily browsers, these antelopes use their long tongues to strip leaves from low branches and shrubs. They live in woodlands and forests, and rely on fur markings that blend into their surroundings and unobtrusive movements to avoid predators. Elands are among the few antelopes that have been raised on farms, although with limited success. Elands produce good meat in climate conditions that are too hot for domestic cattle, and they have been raised for their milk, but their nomadic lifestyle makes it difficult to keep them under control.

The sitatunga inhabits swampy beds of sedges, reeds, or grasses throughout Central Africa. It is a good swimmer and diver and if pursued it may take refuge in deep water, submerging itself with only its nostrils above the surface. The sitatunga has physical characteristics specialized for a semiaquatic life. Its hooves are long and splayed to provide support on soft, muddy ground. This hoof modification makes sitatungas awkward on dry ground, and they rarely venture out into the open.

Duikers

Duikers (subfamily Cephalophinae) form a group of small antelopes that live mainly in forests and scrub. Their name comes from an Afrikaans word meaning ‘diver,’ a reference to their habit of diving into vegetation when disturbed. There are about 18 species of duikers and the largest stands little more than waist-high. Duikers live exclusively in Africa, and although they are widespread, their secretive habits often make them go unnoticed. Both sexes have horns, which are often completely hidden by a characteristic tuft of hair on top of the head. Unusually for antelopes, females have slightly larger horns than males. Duikers browse on leaves and some also eat small birds or the remains of dead animals.

Reedbucks, Waterbucks, and Their Relatives

Reedbucks, waterbucks and their relatives (subfamily Reduncinae) include ten species of antelopes that live in wetlands and tussock grasslands in southern Africa. Their need for water means they rarely stray far from a river or waterhole. The horns of these antelopes typically curve backward from the base and then forward toward the tips, giving them an S-shape. Their horns have a series of ridges or rings known as annuli that give the horns a knobbly appearance. The antelopes in this group have a characteristic shaggy coat. Some species have long fur around the neck, and the two species of waterbuck are shaggy all over with oily fur that gives off a powerful smell. Mammalian hunters, such as lions and leopards, prey upon reedbucks and waterbucks, and crocodiles have been known to attack these antelopes as they drink from rivers.

Rheboks

The rhebok or reebok (subfamily Peleinae) is so named because it reminded early white settlers of the roebuck, a type of deer in Europe. Found only in South Africa, the rhebok’s preferred habitat is grassy hills and mountains. The rhebok reaches about 75 cm (30 in) in height at the shoulder. Males possess horns that may extend 28 cm (11 in) in length. Its woolly, curly coat is brownish gray in color.

Horse Antelopes

Seven species known as horse antelopes (subfamily Hippotraginae) include the sable antelope, roan antelope, oryx, and addax—large-bodied animals that have a horselike build. They live in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula in a variety of habitats from woodlands to deserts. Despite their collective name, these antelopes are impossible to confuse with real horses because they have exceptionally long horns. The horns of the gemsbok, a type of oryx, are almost straight, and measure up to 1.5 m (nearly 5 ft) long, while the horns of the scimitar-horned oryx curve backward in a graceful arch. Trophy hunters prize horse antelope horns, a fact that has brought some of these animals to the verge of extinction.

Gnus, Hartebeests, Blesboks, and Their Relatives

The gnus, hartebeests, blesboks, and their relatives (subfamily Alcelaphinae) make up a group of seven species, or eight if the impala is included (some authorities class the impala in a subfamily of its own called Aepycerotinae). Unlike horse antelopes, these African antelopes have an ungainly build, with sloping backs, narrow heads, and short, sharply bent horns. Some of the most numerous antelopes alive today, these antelopes have a marked tendency for living in large herds. They live in open woodlands or grassy plains, often migrating long distances to find food. Together with gazelles, these antelopes form an important source of food for many of Africa’s largest predators, including lions and hyenas.

Other Antelopes

The remaining true antelopes are often classified into a single group (subfamily Antilopinae), although some authorities prefer to divide them into three subdivisions. The smallest of these subdivisions contains just two species, the saiga and the chiru (also known as the Tibetan antelope). Both animals are unusual. The saiga has a distinctive trunklike muzzle, with downward-pointing nostrils. It lives in the low-lying steppes of Central Asia, and some experts believe that its strange nose is an adaptation for breathing cold air. Male saigas have short, slightly curved horns, up to 36 cm (14 in) long. The chiru lives in mountainous regions of Tibet. It has inflatable nasal sacs, which may be an adaptation to breathing at high elevations. Its horns reach 75 cm (30 in) in length, with sharply pointed tips.

A second subdivision is made up by the dwarf antelopes, an entirely African collection of largely forest and woodland animals. They include the dik-diks, klipspringer, and steenbok, and also the royal antelope—the smallest antelope. Numbering about a dozen species, dwarf antelopes are physically very varied: the royal antelope, for example, has an arched back, long back legs, and a short neck, giving it a shape like a rabbit, while the dik-diks look more like typical antelopes that have been scaled down to a small size. Male dwarf antelopes have short straight horns, and the females have no horns.

The third and largest subdivision in the subfamily Antilopinae consists of gazelle and their close relatives. These long-legged, slender, and graceful animals have fawn-colored upperparts and pale undersides, and both males and females grow short S-shaped horns. Gazelles live in Africa and Asia, and their habitats vary from open woodlands and grassy plains to barren high-altitude steppes. There are 16 species, and they include some with large populations, such as Thomson’s gazelle, and others, such as Przewalski’s gazelle from northern China, that have become extremely rare. Gazelles are fast on their feet and some species have been credited with top speeds of nearly 100 km/h (60 mph).