More Kinds Of Antelopes

Previously, I started talking about the antelopes that belong to the common horned family as the cow, the Bovidae.

One of the most interesting things about antelopes is the sheer variety of different species and the vast differences between them. Here are some more antelopes worthy of knowing about:

The Waterbucks form a group of large antelopes standing about fifty inches in height. Their hair is coarse.

Their horns are long, growing slightly backward, upward, and forward toward the tips, and strongly ringed.

The females are hornless. These animals are never found far from water.

The common Waterbuck occurs from South Africa to the northern tip of the continent eastward. It is distinguished by having a conspicuous white line encircling the rump.

The Defassa or Sing-sing Waterbuck is found in western and north-central Africa. Instead of a white ring on the rump, the Sing-sing has a large white patch below the tail.

The Lechwe is a smaller animal than the typical Waterbuck, with relatively longer horns. It is brownish yellow in color.

It is common on the plains and swamps of Zambia. In the Bargueolo marshes of north Zambia a black form of the Lechwe occurs.

The most striking colored antelope of this group is the Nile Lechwe or Mrs. Gray's Waterbuck. This animal lives in the swamps along the White Nile.

Old males are blackish brown with a white patch on the shoulders and upper side of the neck. Young males and females are chestnut colored.

The Kobs have very much the appearance of the Lechwe, but are slightly smaller and have shorter horns.

• The White-eared Kob, found in the regions of the upper Nile, is the handsomest in color. Old males are blackish brown, with white on the ears, a patch of white around each eye and on the throat and muzzle.
• the young males and females are reddish brown. The males and females of the Uganda Kob are all reddish brown with white about the eyes and on the muzzle.
• The Kobs of western Africa are smaller and have but a white line over the eye.

The Puku looks like a small Kob, with heavier, short horns. It is of a uniform reddish yellow color, and the hair is longer, with a slight tendency to curl. this animal lives in certain swamps and plains of Zambia.

The Reedbucks are found throughout much of Africa on plains, swamps, and mountains but not in heavy forests.

They are generally yellowish red, with medium-sized horns that grow upward and then forward at the tip.

They average about thirty inches at the shoulder, and their short, bushy tail is very similar to that of a white-tailed deer.

They generally go about singly or in small family parties, and when alarmed utter a shrill whistle.

The Mountain Reedbuck is a lose relative of the Reedbuck but has upright horns, and the pale-gray coat is of a woolly nature. this animal is found about the mountains and hills of South Africa.

The Dibatag, also known as Clarks' Gazelle, is an odd-looking animal with a long neck and tail. The horns of the male resemble those of the Reedbuck, to which it may be distantly related.

It is of a deep cinnamon color on the upper parts and has the face markings of some of the Gazelles.

It stands about three feet at the shoulder and is found on the deserts of central Somalia.

When running, the Dibatag has the peculiar habit of throwing its long neck far back and elevating its tail so that the tail and neck nearly meet over the back.

The Impalla is a common animal on the plains of East Africa.

It is bright yellowish red, with long, lyre-shaped horns. The Impalla goes about in herds of considerable size and is well known for its habit of leaping high in the air.

It stands about three feet in height. A form of the Impalla is also found in the Republic of Angola.

The Saiga is a remarkable looking animal with a large swollen nose which forms a short trunk.

It is about as big as a sheep. Its color is grayish white. The horns are pale amber -- on most antelopes the horns are dark.

The Saiga is found on the mountain sides of Turkey and parts of nearby countries.

On the high plateaus of Tibet lives the Chiru, or Tibetan Antelope, which also has the swollen nose. But the swellings are on the side, and the nose lacks the trunk-like appearance of the Saiga's.

The horns are black and erect and may reach a length of more than two feet. To protect it from the severe climate, the animal is covered with a thick fur which is woolly near the skin.

The general color of the Chiru is light fawn, with dark brown or black face. The does have no horns.

The Blackbuck, or Indian antelope, is restricted to the open plains of India. It frequently goes about in large herds and is very fleet of foot. The females and young males are reddish fawn, but as the males become older their coats become blackish brown.

The horns are V-shaped and spiral slightly and are covered with rings throughout most of their length. The females are hornless, although there are a few exceptions to this rule.