The black antelope, also known as the African antelope, belongs to the subfamily of the saber-horned antelope. This beautiful and graceful animal has a number of distinctive features that are not characteristic of other types of antelopes. We will tell about these amazing animals, their habitat and unusual facts in this article.
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Hippotragus niger - this is how the name of this antelope sounds in Latin. It has a blue-black coat color and a patch of white on the belly, which contrasts strongly with the main color. Both males and females have horns on these antelopes. They consist of a large number of rings and have a semicircular, backward-curved shape. The horns of the black antelope reach about 160 cm in length, and their ends are incredibly sharp.
At the withers and on the neck, the antelope has a very hard coat, which reaches a length of about 12 cm. Surprisingly, unlike other species of antelopes, males in black are slightly larger than females. The weight of an adult male reaches about 280 kg, and females - no more than 240kg.
The body length of these animals ranges from 190 to 210 cm, at the withers - from 120 to 140 cm, and the withers significantly exceed the back of the body in height. On the tail of this animal there is a long brush of wool, which helps them drive away insects. The life expectancy of these representatives of the fauna reaches 20 years. In nature, there are five types of black antelope, these are ordinary, southern, Zambian, Roosevelty and giant.
Features
The peculiarity of black antelopes is the difference in the color of individuals. So, for example, young bulls and adult females are colored dark brown, and adult males are black. In young bulls, as they grow older, the coat color becomes darker, and when they reach puberty, they turn into a rich black color.
Also, young individuals have a uniform color throughout the body, and only upon reaching adulthood, their belly turns white, and the color of the muzzle also changes. In representatives of both sexes, a complex pattern appears on the muzzle, which has a white color. Why nature has awarded the black antelope with such an unusual contrasting color, scientists have no consensus.
Habitat
This species of antelope lives in southeast Africa. From the northern part of the mainland, its habitat is limited by forests growing near the Congo River basin. Surprisingly, this antelope is not found in the southern part of the mainland, despite the fact that the flora there is the same as in southeast Africa.
The black antelope is mainly found in the woodlands of the savannah, as well as in those areas where cereals, shrubs, and trees grow mixed. Despite the fact that these animals do not belong to the so-called near-water species, they never go far from those places where there are water sources. These antelopes mainly graze in difficult areas: in ravines, on hills and steep slopes that are found in river deltas.
Food
Antelope's diet is mostly herbaceous, mostly cereals. These animals eagerly feed on young shoots of various trees and shrubs. Most often, they prefer this type of food during dry periods. Black antelopes tolerate the lack of water quite well.
So, for example, in her absence, they can feel good enough for three days. It is worth noting that, being near a reservoir, they drink water several times during the day. While a group of animals is grazing, it can spread out quite a lot, but they never go out of sight of each other.
Lifestyle
Young and adult female black antelope live in small groups - from 10 to 30 individuals. With the necessary amount of food and water on pastures, the herd is located on the territory of a single male, who leads the entire group. Adult males constantly mark the boundaries of their territory with the help of a special secret and manure, constantly patrolling and checking marks. All territories divided betweenmales are strictly guarded by their owners.
Young bulls stay with females for two to three years, then leave the group on their own, if this does not happen, an adult male drives them away. Young males huddle in groups and move around the territories of various dominant males. After reaching the age of five, the group breaks up, and each male becomes a loner.
They begin to make attempts to seize any territory, driving away the previous owner from it. There are numerous fights between males, where their long horns play a major role. New applicants for the territory and females appear regularly, so one male can keep her for two to three years.
Behavior in groups
Males who have been expelled from their territory begin to live alone, but there are times when they join a group. Young females of the black antelope most often remain in the parent group for life, but they can change it during the redistribution of territories by males. Studying the life of these antelopes in the wild is very difficult, so all the data was obtained as a result of observing them in zoos and nurseries.
In groups of antelopes, there is a very strict hierarchy between females, which is followed by absolutely all individuals. Females, just like males, quite often sort things out with each other in fierce fights, in which they can inflict serious lacerations with their sharp horns.
At the same time, adults are alwaystake care of and protect young animals from aggressive actions by strangers. Adult females may be absent for a short time, leaving the group and leaving their young to other adult females. Females even protect their babies from lions, often coming out victorious from such situations, which is quite surprising.
True beauty
Black antelopes have excellent hearing, an excellent sense of smell and sharp eyesight, which helps them quickly sense danger. They have a very high speed, which makes them difficult to hunt for numerous predators.
The black antelope looks very impressive in the photo. To appreciate the true beauty of these unique animals, you have to go to the zoo. This species is listed in the International Red Book and hunting for it is prohibited. Today, environmental organizations are doing everything to protect and preserve it.
