— Graceful nyala antelopeThe graceful nyala antelope that inhabits the savannas of Southeast Africa is pu. Markhorn antelope: description of species Nyala animal

The markhorn antelope breed is a collective concept and implies a group of bovid artiodactyl animals, which are currently systematically assigned to the Bovid family. Previously, they were allocated to a subfamily, but after genetic studies were combined. The tribe has nine species that live in Africa.

Nyala

The original name comes from the local Swahili. Often this species called flat. This is a markhorned antelope weighing 55-125 kg and growing at the withers up to 110 cm. There is sexual dimorphism, males are larger than females, differ in coat color. The former have a gray tint and spirally screwed horns with white tips, as well as an upright mane. Juveniles and females are hornless and red-brown in color. All nyalas have up to 18 white vertical thin stripes on the sides. Males lead a solitary lifestyle, while females and cubs form small herds. Habitat - Mozambique, Zimbabwe, northeast of South Africa.

mountain nyala

This is a markhorned antelope living at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level. The description of the appearance is in many ways similar to the previous view. However, they are larger average height at the withers reaches 150-180 cm, and the weight is 150-300 kg. Males and females are similar in appearance, but the latter do not have horns and are much smaller in size. This is an endemic species of the Great and has the status of endangered. On the this moment the population has 7-8 thousand individuals.

Sitatunga

This is a fairly large markhorned antelope, reaching a height of 1 m at the withers and a weight of 125 kg. Females have a reddish hue, and males are black-brown. Transverse white stripes of varying severity are visible on the body. On the underside of the neck, characteristic crescent spots are visible. The coat is thick and long. Males have horns over 90 cm long. main feature sitatunga - widely spaced and elongated hooves, which are adapted for movement in swampy areas.

bushbuck

Large animals, with a height at the withers from 75 to 110 cm - this is a markhorned breed. The description of the breed should begin with the fact that this species is very common throughout Africa. In this regard, the coat color varies greatly from light brown to dark with a red tint, various kinds of light spots and numerous stripes throughout the body. Males have impressive curved horns, reaching a length of 50 cm, as well as a mane along the entire length of the spine, which they can demonstrate by raising their hair on end. They prefer to live in bushes and forests near water bodies. Lifestyle - solitary, less often in pairs.

big kudu

This is a markhorned antelope, which can be easily confused with a nyala. The coat is light brown in color, in males with a noticeable gray tint. On the sides, as a rule, from 6 to 10 white stripes are located. They have large, rounded ears and an elongated tail. Males at the withers reach 1.40 m, have a weight of up to 250 kg and large horns up to 1 m in length. The species is ubiquitous. Females and young animals live in groups of up to 10 individuals, males live separately or also in a small herd.

lesser kudu

This species differs from the previous one in size. Males grow up to 1 m at the withers, weigh up to 100 kg, and also twisted horns up to 75 cm long. Females are much smaller, but the same in color: brown-brown hair with 15 thin light stripes. Unlike big kudu, this species is less common and has a limited habitat.

Bongo

A medium-sized markhorn antelope, the photo of which shows us a rather cute animal, grows up to 100-130 cm at the withers, has a weight of up to 200 kg. The horns of males are in the form of a weakly expressed spiral, more than one meter long. The color of the coat is bright, chestnut-red with white markings on the legs, chest and stripes on the sides. On the throat there is a suspension of hair and a short mane along the spine. Animals are subject to seasonal migrations. Females and young animals form groups, males live alone.

Cannes

This is a genus of the largest antelopes, including two species. The height at the withers reaches 1.8 m, and the body length is 3.5 m. All individuals weigh from 400 to 1000 kg. Their physique is strong and massive, the limbs are slender, the tail is long, compared to other species. Markhorn antelope has a characteristic skin fold from the throat to the chest. The two species differ from each other in color. The eland is grey-brown, while the western variety is red-brown. Males and females have spiral horns.

graceful antelope nyala

Graceful nyala antelope inhabiting the savannas southeast africa- This is a shy animal that lives under the cover of trees and in thickets of bushes.

Animal features

Horns: Dark brown or black with ivory tips. Head: both sexes have large ears, so animals have very keen hearing and hear the sounds of an enemy that is approaching. Males have bright white spots between the eyes. Male: darker than female. wool cover- brown with a grayish coating. The body is divided by 14 narrow vertical white stripes. The head, neck and shoulders of the male are covered with a mane, which stands on end during a collision with an opponent. Female: smaller than male, hairline light red, white dots and transverse stripes on the sides. A short black mane runs along the back. When threatened, it emits a piercing, staccato cry. The female gives birth to one, less often two babies. For some time they lie, hiding in dense thickets. The mother visits to feed her offspring, and disappears again. When the kids grow up, they begin to walk after their mother.

Nyala is a small antelope, about the size of a lesser kudu. Its slightly twisted horns reach 80 cm in length. Nyala is found in the vast flat savannas. Appearing in open areas, the antelope is in danger of becoming a victim of a lion or leopard. When forced to move across open areas, such as when roaming in search of water or food, the nyala gather in large herds. Thanks to this, ungulates notice the approach of a predator faster. The herd of antelopes lives on an area of ​​0.5 to 3.5 km2 and has up to 30 animals. A mixed or bachelor herd is always led by one male leader. The leader of the family group is adult female. Fights between males rarely end in the death of animals, however, arguing over a female, they often beat the opponent with their front legs and horns. The hair on the back of the males stands on end, while the animals nervously run back and forth with raised fluffy tails. Enraged opponents rush at each other, bowing their heads, horns towards the opponent. The herd does not protect its territory, however, lone males often mark their possessions, leaving on the bushes the secretion of odorous glands located on the muzzle of animals. Chasing away strangers, males knock their horns on the ground. Nyala coexist well with antelopes of other species.

Nyalu grazes from early evening until morning. To do this, the animal goes to open areas. Later hides in a hiding place, in the thick of the bushes. The antelope feeds on leaves, twigs, grass, wild fruits and some cultivated plants. The animal likes the leaves of many types of trees and bushes, among them are the leaves of acacia, mustard tree, salvador and medicinal borage. It also consumes the bark of baobabs. Nyalu eats everything she can reach: she grabs part of the plant with her tongue and then plucks it with her tongue. lower teeth. During the period of grass growth, the antelope plucks young shoots not with teeth, but with lips. During a drought, the animal feeds on dry leaves.

The number of the species is quite stable throughout the range, despite the irrational use of its habitats by humans.

A majestic animal paces measuredly across the hot savannahs and steppes. The antelope is famous not only for its stunning appearance and grace, but also for its lightning-fast reaction and speed, allowing them to immediately hide at the first sign of danger. At the mention of these animals, each person will certainly imagine how a large African antelope with long horns stands wary under the rays of the hot sun. But not everyone realizes how different representatives of a large and confused group can be. This is primarily due to the fact that their classification is unsettled and does not have a clear structure. Antelopes include all bovids that did not fall into other genera, families and subfamilies. Currently, there are more than 100 species of these animals.

Antelopes have adapted well to a variety of climatic conditions. If you look at the habitat of these animals, it is safe to say that they are literally scattered around the planet.

Many are accustomed to the fact that horned beauties are found only in the savannas of Africa. This misconception may have arisen due to the fact that the vast majority of species of the bovid group live on this continent. However, some species of antelopes are found in the steppe expanses. Central Asia, Europe (Caucasus, Alps), India, North and South America.

The antelope usually lives in places with a hot dry climate, where all kinds of herbs grow well. Animals feel great in the conditions of deserts, semi-deserts and steppes. The open terrain allows herbivores to notice a creeping predator in time and quickly run to a safe distance. Among them are the famous antelopes from Africa: wildebeest, large kudu, nimble gazelles Thompson and Speke, impalas. The steppe antelope, saiga, lives in the semi-deserts of Central Asia. The rare oryx lives in the deserts of Arabia.

Another group of graceful bovids has taken a fancy to the forests. The eland, which looks like a strange mixture of bull and goat, adapts well to both forests and mountains. Often living in dense thickets, bovids are somewhat reminiscent of deer. Nyala from Africa almost never leaves the dense forest. Tiny babies are hiding in the thickets: dik-dik and duiker.

The most courageous animals mastered the highlands. Some African antelopes such as the sass (or klipspringer) are considered the best jumpers in your group. With the smallest footprint among artiodactyls, these babies are able to cross abysses without any problems and have fun jumping along the steepest slopes. Caucasian and Alpine chamois mainly live on the snowy peaks of the mountains, only harsh winter descend into the forests.

Some groups have chosen places near swamps and reservoirs. Antelope from Africa with the strange name "kob" are tied to permanent rivers and feed on vegetation growing on the banks and at the bottom. This graceful animal lives not far from the harsh Sahara. In woodlands with a large number reservoirs lives not at all a large antelope - a redunka, or upland.

Due to human activities, the habitats of some species of antelopes have significantly decreased. Pollution of water bodies, construction of cities and Agriculture pushing the artiodactyls from their natural habitat.

What do antelopes look like?

About the horns

The name "antelope" itself is translated from Greek as "horned animal". Indeed, each species of this large interesting group can boast of its own special crown.

If you look at the representatives of all families, you can see that their horns are completely different. They differ not only in diameter, but also in length (from 2 cm to 1.5 m), color and shape. This bony formation, unlike the antlers of deer and pronghorns, is firmly attached to the skull and does not branch.

The most unusual and beautiful is the crown of hornhorns. It has an interesting, spiral shape. Unfortunately, precisely because of this large kudu, the African antelope with long horns (more than a meter), strongly twisted with a corkscrew, was on the verge of extinction. Now the view is under protection.

The Great Kudu from Africa is the owner of the longest horns in the world, usually reaching a length of one to one and a half meters (the record is 1.8 m).

Water goats living near permanent reservoirs have lyre-shaped (doubly curved) horns. Their crown is usually large (in different types from 50 to 90 cm). Only in secretive ordinary reeds the horns are straight (slightly curved to the sides) and small (slightly more than 20 cm).

Peleya, or roe deer, is the only representative of the genus of roe deer antelope. These small graceful animals from Africa, weighing about 20 kg, have short, straight, but sharp and strong horns that allow them to defend themselves from predators.

Representatives of the saberhorn subfamily, resembling strange horses in their appearance, are endowed with very long horns. The shape and thickness of different genera is different: in addaxes - wide and twisted, in horse antelopes - horns strongly twisted back in the form of a semicircle, in oryx - thin straight or slightly curving horns of very large length.

Cow antelopes are one of the most major representatives of your group. Bubals got their second name because of the elongated skull, slightly resembling the head of a bull. One of the features of these large artiodactyls from Africa is that both males and females wear short, curved horns.

Gazelles are miniature owners of a straight or slightly curved crown. This antelope from the Asian steppes and Africa is very fast, and thin light horns do not interfere with running.

Impalas boast some of the most beautiful head ornaments. This African antelope with long horns (about a meter), curved in a wedge, proudly wears a "V"-shaped crown.

But duiker babies are considered the most modest. Their straight horns do not exceed 10 cm in length.

About physique

All antelopes are very strong and hardy animals. However, the structure and texture of their body is also different, depending on the habitat.

So, the wildebeest from hot Africa has slender long legs, powerful enough to travel long distances. The body is large with a small hump behind the back. The powerful neck is covered with a kind of "mane". And the head looks like a cow. It seems that the wildebeest was assembled from parts of different animals.

Gazelles are very thin and graceful. These artiodactyls have a long, flexible neck that allows them to quickly look around and reach leaves from trees. Due to their rather small size, gazelles become the prey of many predators. Beauties need to develop the highest possible speed in order to survive. Thin but strong legs allow gazelles to jump high, accelerating and maneuvering.

The saiga has an unusual adaptation. In the conditions of the dusty steppe, his unusual nose hanging on the lower lip becomes simply necessary. Inside the proboscis, the cavities are covered with mucous glands that trap particles of sand and other debris.

And the giraffe gazelle from Africa also has an unusual appearance, fully consistent with the name. The long neck of the animal allows it to easily, standing on two legs, eat the leaves of trees, where most herbivores will not get them.

What do antelopes eat?

Antelopes live in rather extreme places: in snowy mountains, in dry steppes and hot savannahs, impenetrable forests. In fact, the diet of animals differs in different climatic zones. What an antelope usually eats even determines the terrain (mountains, swamps, forests, plains). So, the diet of different representatives of this group may include:

• grass;
• leaves of trees and shrubs;
• aquatic and coastal vegetation;
• fresh branches;
• young shoots;
• flowers;
• fruit;
• moss;
• lichen;
• roots.

Antelopes are ruminants, which allows them to digest even the toughest grass and leaves. Cellulose, found in some parts of plants, is not digestible in the stomachs of many herbivores. Bovids have adapted to process this substance by chewing their food twice.

Many antelopes are said to be able to find food almost anywhere. A sharp scent and natural ingenuity will always find a solution in a difficult situation. Therefore, what the bovid eats can change in different times of the year.

Armed and very dangerous

AT wild nature only those who can adapt better survive. Antelopes are constantly in danger of being eaten by predators. But even these seemingly harmless animals have their own trump cards up their sleeves.

The main weapon of the gazelle is graceful but strong legs. They save her from being chased by predators. Bovids run very fast, successfully maneuver and jump, thereby confusing the attacker. In addition, being in a hopeless situation (for example, protecting a cub), artiodactyls begin to kick with their hooves.

The most noticeable weapon of these animals is their horns. And graceful artiodactyls use their “decoration” not only for games, mating battles, but also for defense. As a rule, representatives of both sexes of the bovid family have formidable bone weapons. For example, the oryx, an African antelope with long horns, with the help of a kind of "saber" can fight off its enemies, inflicting severe deep wounds.

Forewarned is forearmed. In the wild, this phrase is almost the most important law of survival. The sooner the herbivore notices the predator, the more likely it is to escape. The antelope is a true spy animal. Her large ears, widely spaced on the sides, like radars, listen intently to all the rustles of the grass. The eyes, also located on the sides, allow the antelope to see the approach of a predator. These animals also have a highly developed sense of smell.

Antelopes, like any herbivore, have stereoscopic vision. Their eyes are located on both sides of the head, which provides an almost circular view. These herbivores, unlike predators, see colors perfectly (which allows you to determine the edibility of vegetation). Their eyes focus on stationary objects and are almost unable to see anything in the absence of light.

Sneaking up to one antelope unnoticed is very difficult task. These animals are almost never left alone. They live in a kind of herd families, which allows you to observe almost the entire area in the district. If one individual from the herd notices a predator, then it will immediately notify all the others with a special signal.

Lifestyle

Antelopes are most often diurnal. In the light of the sun, it is much easier for these animals to notice a predator and find food. Bovids are forced to lead a nomadic lifestyle, constantly moving through endless pastures, forests or mountains.

Antelopes often live in large herd families. In different species, the hierarchy and structure of associations differ significantly. So, among pronghorns from Africa, the leader of the herd (a clear hierarchy and family ties no) is a female who directs her relatives to a new pasture or reservoir. Impala also have a kind of harems. The leader male guards a group of several females with cubs.

Antelopes sleep very little. During the day, they occasionally doze, standing on their feet or lying with their legs crossed. In case of danger, the animal instantly wakes up and begins to flee.

Many African long-horned antelopes gather in herds. So much safer. Some of the animals guard the rest, then they are replaced.

Antelope breeding

Many antelopes have a well-defined breeding season. mating games begin in February-April, towards the end of the rainy season. Each species expects babies to appear at the beginning of the wet season, when there is a lot of food.

Pregnancy of antelopes lasts in different ways. The larger the size of the individual in the form, the longer the cub is born. For example, eland, an African antelope with long horns, carries babies for 9 months, and tiny dik-dik - 6 months.

Marriage games are also different. Some species arrange duels. During the duel on the horns, the winner is established, who receives the harem. Other male antelopes gather a group of females, protecting them from strangers.

Babies are born already strong enough and in just a few minutes they get on their feet. Most cubs begin to immediately follow their mother. In some species of bovids, babies hide in special shelters.

Antelope species

If you look at all the antelopes, it is easy to see how different they are. And this is no accident! This motley group of animals includes several families. Sometimes they include some types of bulls and goats. Antelope species demonstrates a list of subfamilies:

• real antelopes;
• saberhorns (saber-horned antelopes);
• roe deer (roe deer antelope);
• cow antelopes (bubals);
• pygmy antelopes;
• water goats;
• pronghorns;
• impalas;
• some bulls and goats;
• crested antelopes (duikers).

You will learn about extinct species and genera a little later. Next, consider the most interesting representatives this group.

Wildebeest

The wildebeest is one of the most famous herbivores from Africa. They got their unusual and even slightly formidable name for the lowing sounds they make.

Currently, there are two subspecies of wildebeest: white-tailed (or black) and blue. The first is considered very rare. White-tailed wildebeest live only in southern Africa (Namibia), and blue - a little north, in Kenya. It is easy to distinguish these two species from each other. In the white wildebeest, the horns are directed slightly forward, the hair on the mane and tail is white, and in the blue wildebeest, the horns are set apart, the hair is black.

The unusual and slightly strange appearance of the animal seemed to have influenced its character. The wildebeest is characterized by an extremely unstable mood. A peacefully grazing animal can jump up abruptly, start butting the air and rush around the neighborhood with anger. If this is not enough for the wildebeest, she will attack the first inhabitant of Africa (even an elephant).

One of the most exciting phenomena of the animal world is the migration of bovids. Each large antelope joins the general nomadism in search of pastures. The timing of migration is not clearly defined. Every year, animals can "push the schedule."

Wildebeest are animals with a very developed social contact. Herbivores will always help out a member of the herd in trouble.

kanna

The eland is the largest animal in the bovid family. The length of her body is 2-3 meters, and her weight is from 500 to 1000 kg! Despite its serious size, this African antelope with long horns looks very slender.

Cannes are reddish-ochre from birth. However, their coat darkens over the years, acquiring a gray-blue hue.

Cannes live in northern Africa, where they safely settle on the plains. Animals feed on fruits, leaves and grass. Despite their outward grace, these antelopes are quite slow (although, if necessary, they can reach speeds of up to 70 km / h). Eland are known as excellent jumpers: from a place they can jump over a distance of more than three meters.

This African antelope with long horns lends itself well to domestication. Cannes is grown for milk, which is several times fatter and healthier than cow's, and meat.

These animals are quite peaceful and try not to displace smaller herbivores from their territory. In addition, they try their best to avoid unnecessary fights. Males communicate before meeting, sending signals to each other about their age, size, size of horns. The opponents assess the strength and the weaker one leaves the territory.

The royal, or dwarf, antelope is considered the smallest in its group. Her height does not exceed 30 cm and weighs no more than 4 kg.

The legs of cute crumbs from Africa are thin, but very strong. In danger, the animal can jump up to 2.5 meters in height. The body is small, oval with a characteristic light brown skin. These are very peaceful animals, so skirmishes between males occur infrequently. The black horns of the representatives of the species are therefore small (3-4 centimeters).

These crumbs live in the tropical forests of West Africa. Lead active night image life, morning and afternoon hiding. Unfortunately, their small size makes it difficult to study the species. The list of questions that scientists have accumulated is only increasing every year. It is known that representatives of the species live separately.

It is believed that the royal antelope from Africa acquired its miniature size in order to reach what it eats - leaves from the lowest tiers. The fact is that each herbivore is adapted to a specific type of vegetation.

Sagaks (or margachi) live in the steppes of Asia. This slightly clumsy antelope, all species of which were threatened with extinction for some time, is easily recognizable. A large nose hanging down to the lower lip is a kind of adaptation to the harsh conditions of life. The proboscis allows you to filter air heavily clogged with dust.

The nose of the saiga is able to regulate the temperature and humidity of the incoming oxygen. A large number of blood vessels in the proboscis they heat or cool the air, and the mucous membranes soften too dry. Also, the nose is able to make various sounds-signals.

These medium-sized antelopes weigh up to 80 kg. Their body is long, and their legs are short and strong. Saiga saigas gather in large herds: in summer they migrate together, and in winter they keep warm.

On average, each female gives birth to two cubs (rarely three or one). For several days, the mother hides her baby in a shelter where the saiga calf lies motionless. Only after this time margachi big family begin to graze.

The steppes of Asia have very hot, dry summers and Cold winter With strong winds. That is why the fur coat of saigas changes seasonally: in summer it is thin, and in winter it is dense with an undercoat.

Gerenuk, or giraffe gazelle, is the owner of a very interesting appearance. The name of the animal accurately describes it. The long, very thin neck and legs allow the gerenuk to reach leaves on the highest branches.

The growth of a giraffe gazelle (at the withers) is 95 cm with a very small weight of 30-50 kg. Small black horns are found only in males. The body of the animal is slender reddish color.

Gerenuks live in semi-desert treeless areas. Never form groups. Males jealously defend their territory.

Oryx, an African antelope with long horns, is known throughout the world as a famous swordsman. Their slightly curved crown can reach a length of about 90 cm. They got their second name - oryx - these animals got their large physique, resembling a bull, and a beautiful striped pattern on the muzzle, like mountain chamois.

Oryxes live in dry deserts and semi-deserts. From the heat of the sun they are protected by a thick light skin that reflects the rays. Plus, this long-horned African antelope can survive for weeks without water!

Oryxes are able to feel moisture for several kilometers. They rarely manage to find bodies of water. They get all the moisture they need from sparse vegetation.

Oryxes live in small herds, led by a male leader. The association is characterized by a strict hierarchy. The leader guards his ladies with babies, who march in the herd right behind him. At the end are subordinate males.

Oryxes are real centenarians among antelopes. AT natural conditions they live an average of 18 years!

This African antelope with long horns uses its saber-like weapon in the fight for a female. Duels take place according to special rules. Males stand shoulder to shoulder to each other and begin to fence with their horns. Often this is where it ends. Oryxes do not allow bloodshed.

extinct antelope

The diversity of antelopes is overshadowed by serious losses. Already fourteen genera of these beautiful animals are completely extinct. Among them are both the ancient inhabitants of our planet, and those who lived quite recently. Consider some of the antelopes forever lost to the world.

Tragocerus appeared on our planet about 30 million years ago. These ancient animals lived in the savannas and forest-steppes of Africa. The remains found by groups testify to their herd way of life.

These were small (no more than 90 cm in height) antelopes quickly spread across the continent, adapting to a wide variety of vegetation. Goat-horns died out about 5 million years ago due to a sharp drying up of the climate, and then a cold snap.

No wonder saigas are called living fossils. These animals have retained their unchanged appearance for more than 250 thousand years! Traditionally, saigas are considered a steppe Asian antelope, however, in 1876, geologist Ivan Dementievich Chersky found a margach skull in cold Yakutia.

It turns out that these antelopes lived at the same time as mammoths. It is in conditions of extreme low temperatures and lack of food, the famous margach nose was formed.

The blue antelope became the first large herbivore of Africa to disappear due to human fault. Their habitat was very small (4 thousand square kilometers) and was located in the very south of the continent. Although, judging by the rock paintings, in ancient times it was much larger.

The animal was discovered by Europeans in the 18th century. The antelope got its name because of the slightly bluish tint of the skin, which “shone through” through the skin. The horns of the animal were medium in size, in the form of a curved saber. In appearance, the blue antelope was a typical representative horse antelope, only somewhat smaller and more elegant.

A rare animal began to be mercilessly killed for the sake of beautiful skin and just for fun. The meat was fed to dogs, as it was completely tasteless. The blue antelope constantly needed water, so it was vulnerable and could not escape.

The last representative of the species died in 1799 (or 1800). For local peoples, this loss was even more painful: the animal was presented as a protector from dark forces and evil spirits.

Now only four stuffed blue antelope and a few fragments of bones have survived.

red gazelle

Red gazelles lived in the highlands of the Atlas, rich in precipitation, in northern Africa. Unfortunately, little is known about these animals. Three stuffed animals have been preserved, which were bought at the Algerian market at the end of the 19th century. The last representative of the species was killed in 1894 while hunting. Officially, the red gazelle was recognized as extinct only a century later.

Enemies of antelopes in nature

In the wild, antelopes always have enough offenders. These graceful animals become a welcome meal for many predators. Most often, cubs, old, sick and young individuals who cannot fully defend themselves and run away die.

In the African savannas, bovids are hunted large predators. Lions, leopards, hyena dogs, cheetahs often attack antelopes helpless in the dark. In addition, many herbivores die in the teeth of crocodiles when crossing rivers. And miniature artiodactyls, for example, dik-diks, are periodically attacked by large birds of prey (falcons, vultures, eagles) and smaller carnivores (foxes, jackals).

living in high mountains chamois also hide from their enemies. High gorges are a good shelter, but when the animals go down, they are already in danger. , golden eagles, foxes, leopards, lynxes and eagles tirelessly attack dexterous chamois.

And at forest dwellers take away the enemies. Wolves, jaguars, tigers, wolverines are waiting for them in the thickets, preparing to attack. In danger are the cubs, which can not yet catch the approach of a predator.

In the dry steppes, corsac foxes, caracals, wolves, peregrine falcons, eagles and kites prey on antelopes. They attack old and young saigas, which are beaten off from the herd.

The main enemy of gazelles is man. People, violating the laws of nature, kill strong and healthy animals without any need for food. It is man who is guilty of the disappearance of several species of beautiful bovids and bringing others to a critical state.

Now they are trying to “rehabilitate” endangered artiodactyls in national parks and zoos. So, recently, the population of Sahara oryx, restored over several decades, was returned to nature.

Even in the Middle Ages, the antelope was rarely found on the arms of European kingdoms and cities. Although, if you see her image, you are unlikely to recognize in a creature with a tiger's head, on which terrible horns with jagged teeth, huge boar fangs, thick long hair on the neck and a lion's tail flaunt. From the antelope of this strange chimera, only the body remained. This creature flaunted on the emblem of King Henry V. In heraldry, such an image symbolizes grace, speed, spiritual ideal. Now antelopes (in the form familiar to humans) adorn the coats of arms of Uganda and Zimbabwe.

In 2009, paleontologists discovered an ancient antelope in Kenya. So far, the animal has only the scientific name "Rusingoryx atopocranion". The ancient herbivore lived approximately in the same place where the famous wildebeest now lives. The skeleton, which is already several thousand years old, is very well preserved. This made it possible for scientists to establish that the structure and appearance of the animal are almost the same as those of the wildebeest. Only one detail stands out: in the nose of an ancient mammal there are bone ridges that worked like pipes-vuvuzelas. Similar mechanisms that allow you to communicate on ultrasound, were found in some species of dinosaurs.

Not all antelopes have only two horns. In India, live small, about 60 cm in height, animals. Four-horned antelopes of all bovids can boast of having two pairs of bone growths. Now this species is under threat, because of the unusual head and tasty meat, the animal was actively hunted.

The pronghorn, an African antelope with long horns, has very good eyesight. Its large eyes, located on the sides of its head, work like powerful binoculars. Scientists have calculated that the pronghorn sees everything as clearly as a lens with an eightfold magnification.

A strand of hair grows on the head of a male canna all his life. These beams can be used to determine the age of the animal. In older antelopes, the strand is long and thick.

GDF 14-11-2013 12:56

I am posting one of my materials from the book African Diaries

The nyala is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful antelopes in South Africa. She owes her name to the language of the Zulus, they call her inyala, after them the rest of the world began to call her nyala. beauty and unusual appearance it can compete with any other antelope of the so-called beautiful markhorn nine, which includes, besides it, its mountain cousin mountain nyala, eland, giant eland, greater and lesser kudu, bongo, sitatunga and bushbuck. This is a medium-sized animal weighing 100-120 kg with a very narrow body, as if special for moving in a dense bush. Nyala cannot be confused with any other animal. Males have a gray color with milky white thin stripes on the sides, a white chevron on the muzzle, light lips, beautifully curled horns with ivory tips. Males also have a mane all over their back and dewlap. Females are much smaller than males, they do not have horns, the color is reddish brown, they are also decorated with transverse stripes. Males keep separately, singly or in bachelor groups and join females only during the rut. It feeds on grass and young shoots of plants. Nyala is an inhabitant of the dense bush, in her habits she is very similar to the bushbuck. Like the bushbuck, the nyala prefers dense thickets near rivers. Of course, you can hunt nyala first of all in South Africa, as well as in certain areas of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Hunting is inexpensive, especially in comparison with such representatives of the markhorn nine as the giant eland, bongo, sitatunga and mountain nyala. In South Africa, on a ranch with a high density of animals, a well-developed network of roads in the lands and a beautiful nyala trophy is easy to get in one day, sometimes without leaving the car more than 100m. Nyala is often combined with a package of other antelopes. In Zimbabwe and Mozambique, in wilder conditions, hunting is more sporty and it can take several days to catch a nyala, where you can combine a nyala hunt with a buffalo, elephant or leopard hunt.

GDF 14-11-2013 12:58

The main way to hunt nyala is careful foot patrols of favorite habitats (although searches by car are possible on individual farms in South Africa). Early in the morning or an hour before sunset, nyala can be found feeding in open areas. During the day, she rests in a dense bush and can only be obtained by chance. Hunters in the morning or evening hours slowly and trying not to make a deprivation of noise move around the grounds in search of nyala. It is necessary to make frequent stops to carefully check the surroundings with binoculars. Often it is possible to first detect not the animal itself, but a brown-gray spot of the skin, a white chevron on the muzzle or the tip of a horn in the thickets. When planning a route, of course, you must take into account the direction of the wind. The most difficult is hunting at the beginning of the season, as rugged vegetation makes it difficult to detect animals. But hunting at this time also has certain advantages, the beginning of the season is the rut period, the bulls stay together with the females and become less careful. In addition, females are more bright color and they are easier to detect hunters, so if at this time you notice a female nyala, carefully look around and wait, it is likely that a male is nearby.
The hunter must be ready for a quick shot, very often from the hands. The distance with this method of hunting rarely exceeds 50-60m. A professional hunter is also required to immediately evaluate the trophy. Nyala will not let himself be looked at and aims for a long time. In truth, to determine the value of a potential nyala trophy in field conditions pretty simple. The shaped horns of an adult male nyala resemble a bell when viewed from the front. So, if with this form the light tips of the horns look up, then we see a good trophy in front of us somewhere at 22 ", if the tips are turned outward, then we are talking about a good 24-25" long trophy. If not the tips themselves, but their longer part diverges to the sides, then this is a 26-27" class trophy. When in front of us is a male with horns with a thick base, whose long ends diverge to the sides at a very noticeable angle, then we are dealing with an exceptional trophy of 30" and more.

GDF 14-11-2013 14:08

The choice of weapons and optics is determined by the method of hunting, weapons for specialized hunting for nyala should be short and reversible, convenient for a quick shot from hand. Nyala is not a very strong animal and caliber 30-06 is quite enough, but if hunting implies, in addition to nyala, the opportunity to get a representative of the big five, you should pay attention to 375НН. The optics should be of low magnification and necessarily with illumination, which sometimes helps to make a quick shot through dense thickets.
I want to tell you about my hunt for this beautiful antelope. I have been eyeing the nyala for several years, on the one hand it is a very beautiful animal, it is one of the nine markhorned antelopes of Africa. On the other hand, all my many acquaintances from those who have already obtained nyala did so in South Africa on a ranch. I wanted to get nyala only in the wild, without fences, and it is desirable to combine hunting for it with hunting for one of the Big Five.

GDF 14-11-2013 14:09

Such an opportunity presented itself, the place was called Malapati, it was located in close proximity to national park Gonarez famous for its magnificent trophies of elephants. This is the southeast of Zimbabwe, just a few kilometers from the border with South Africa in the south and Mozambique in the east.
In the morning and in the afternoon we searched for the elephant, and in the evening we completely dedicated the nyala, an hour and a half before sunset, we carefully walked around the coastal thickets in search of a suitable trophy. It was the seventh day of hunting, before that we only saw small males or mated nyals in dense vegetation. It was the beginning of the season, the visibility was very limited and it was very difficult to find the beast before it did. The hunting that evening did not start to develop very well, the wind often changing direction, which is unusual for this time of day, pushed several nyalas away from us. We did not see them, but only heard the noise from the receding animals in the dense vegetation. We did not lose heart, we continued to move slowly and carefully along our route, constantly checking the wind with the help of a bottle of ash. With an unfavorable wind, we slowed down the movement and waited. Everything happened quickly in just two or three seconds. During the movement, the first launch vehicle stopped something, noticing a small group of trees a couple of tens of meters ahead, it immediately fell on its elbows to examine the animals under the trees. Instantly appreciating he called out to me Rear! Right! Without hesitation, I rushed forward through the wall of bushes and saw two male nyalas running away from a small clearing into a thicket about 40 meters from me. I shot offhand at a rear antelope with what seemed to me large horns already through the vegetation. I was sure that I got it, the question is how. There was very little blood, judging by its appearance and other secretions, it hit the belly. Tracking was greatly complicated by many traces of different freshness of other nyalas around, as well as by the fact that 15 minutes remained until complete darkness. After walking a hundred meters, we decided not to push the wounded animal far, but to continue the search in the morning. I was very worried about the form in which we would find our nyala in the morning, there were a lot of hyenas in this place. But there was no choice, the situation did not allow to shoot better, if I had hesitated for a moment, then I would not even have seen anything at all. Remembering on the GPS the place where we left traces, we went to the car. In the morning, instead of looking for an elephant, we went there in the dark to get to the place with the first rays of the sun, while walking from the car I was overcome by sad thoughts. Hyenas were singing from two different ends, and a lion was hooting from a park that was several kilometers away. As soon as visibility allowed, the trekkers continued tracking. There was very little blood and the night traces of other nyalas were added, so it was not surprising that after 150-200 meters we lost the trail. More precisely, we could not identify the trace of a wounded animal in the labyrinth of traces. Attempts by trackers to leave in a circle from the place where they found the last blood also did not lead to anything. In the end, the nyala is not a strong animal, having received a bullet in the stomach from 375 NN, she should not go far, she huddled in some kind of thick bush and reached. So judging, we returned to the place where the last drop of blood was found. After that, we parted from it in all directions, checking all the supports within a radius of 300m. This tactic helped us out, about an hour and a half later, one of the trackers found an already stiff nyala in the next thickets he was checking. The animal arrived in the evening, and it was very difficult to take photographs. But the hyenas did not find him, and the cold night of the beginning of the season also made it possible to obtain an unspoiled skin.
As for taxidermy, the nyala trophy is just the case when it is worth ordering a whole stuffed animal if the size of the trophy room allows. A chest-deep stuffed nyala also looks great, but unfortunately it won’t show all its splendor appearance and the color of this amazing beast.

Detachment - artiodactyls

Family - bovids

Genus/Species - Tragelaphus buxtoni. mountain nyala

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Height: 90-120 cm.

Length: 190-260 cm.

Horns length: 1.18m.

Weight: male - 180-300 kg, female - 150-200 kg.

BREEDING

Puberty: female, male - at 18 months.

Mating period: October December.

Pregnancy: 7-9 months.

Number of cubs: 1.

LIFESTYLE

Habits: mountain nyals (see photo of the animal) are active at dusk; females with cubs stay in herds, males - alone.

Food: leaves, grass, shoots.

Lifespan: up to 16 years old.

RELATED SPECIES

Nyala and sitatunga. The mountain nyala looks very similar to the great kudu.

Mountain nyala. Video (00:06:58)

It is believed that no more than 12,000 mountain nyals live in nature. These animals are found in an area of ​​​​about 150 km2, so any intervention in the habitat of mountain nyals can lead to their extinction.

LIFESTYLE

The homeland of the mountain nyala is the cold and humid regions of Ethiopia, located at an altitude of up to about 4,200 meters above sea level. Mountain forests and moorlands predominate in these regions, in the middle of which small marshes can be seen in some places. With the onset of the rainy season, herds of livestock come to the foot of the mountains. Then the mountain nyals go to dense forests located at an altitude of 3000 meters above sea level. Nyala females, along with their cubs, are in small herds of 4 to 6 individuals. The largest groups consist of 16 individuals.

Young males are kept separately, in small bachelor herds. Adult male nyalas always live alone, and only with the onset of the mating period move closer to the females. Animals try not to leave thickets and very rarely decide to go out into the open.

Mountain nyals are peaceful and shy ungulates, most often nocturnal. It is easiest to see them at dusk, when the nyals come out in search of food. These animals have rather poor eyesight, but their hearing and sense of smell are surprisingly well developed. If the nyala smells the enemy, then it either freezes or hides in the nearest thickets. Apart from the leopard, which usually preys on young, old or diseased animals, mountain nyalas have few natural enemies.

BREEDING

During the breeding season, from about October to December, rare adult males join herds of females with cubs. Usually one male comes to each herd. The male bows his head, crowned with magnificent horns, and slowly, with a special step, as if on the tips of his hooves, approaches the female. Nyala pregnancy lasts approximately 7-9 months. The only cub is usually born in summer, in June or July. It has a yellowish-brown protective coat color that blends in with the surrounding vegetation, making it hard to spot.

The mother keeps away from the herd with the baby. When he grows up, the female brings the cub into the herd. Leopards prey on the cubs of the mountain nyala. Often the male stands up for his baby, he drives away the predator, threatening him with his long horns. The mother feeds the baby with milk for 6 months. Young females reach sexual maturity in their first year of life.

WHAT DOES IT FEED

In the homeland of the mountain nyala, in Ethiopia, low trees, junipers, bushes and countless perennials grow. Nyala feed mainly on leaves, twigs, fallen fruits and young shoots. Especially animals prefer leaves and pods of acacias. Mountain nyals willingly eat grass, but grass is very rare in mountainous areas. Only occasionally do mountain nyals manage to find small islands overgrown with grassy vegetation, because real meadows are located at the foot of the mountains.

With the onset of the rainy season, mountain nyals carry out minor migrations, settling in valleys overgrown with fresh grass or in abandoned pastures of livestock located at an altitude of 3000 m above sea level. The mountain nyala's biggest competitors are the numerous herds with which they compete for grazing land.

INTERESTING INFORMATION. DO YOU KNOW WHAT...

• The effigy of the first nyala discovered by European researchers is one of the most valuable exhibits of the London Museum of Natural History to this day.
• Until the cub becomes independent enough to join the herd, the mother eats its excrement so that predators do not find its shelter.
• The mountain nyala is so similar to the great kudu that it is sometimes referred to as the "medium kudu".
• Nyala can jump over an obstacle 2.5 m high.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF MOUNTAIN NYALA. DESCRIPTION

Horns: only the male has. They are twisted in a spiral, each horn grows to the side. The ends of the horns are white.

Head: white stripes pass between the eyes. Large ears are located on the sides of the head. The mountain nyala has excellent hearing.

Male: coat color is grayish brown to dark brown, with 6-10 white spots and 4 white transverse stripes on the back of the body. The coat on the neck and back is long and harsh. A long mane stretches from neck to tail.

Female: it is similar in color to the male, but its coat is shorter and smoother than that of the male. The female is smaller than the male. She has no horns.

- Habitat of mountain nyala

WHERE Dwells

Mountain nyala is found in a limited area of ​​​​Southern Ethiopia (its area is only 150 km2) at an altitude of 3000 to 4200 m above sea level.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

The fecundity of the mountain nyala is very low. In addition, the habitats of these animals are being destroyed. According to the latest estimates, the number of animals living in the wild is between 4,000 and 12,000 individuals.