Misplaced Pages

#710289

71-569: The addax ( Addax nasomaculatus ), also known as the white antelope and the screwhorn antelope , is an antelope native to the Sahara Desert. The only member of the genus Addax , it was first described scientifically by Henri de Blainville in 1816. As suggested by its alternative name, the pale antelope has long, twisted horns – typically 55 to 80 cm (22 to 31 in) in females and 70 to 85 cm (28 to 33 in) in males. Males stand from 105 to 115 cm (41 to 45 in) at

142-491: A grazer , its staple foods include Aristida , Panicum , and Stipagrostis , and it will only consume browse, such as leaves of Acacia trees in the absence of these grasses. It also eats perennials which turn green and sprout at the slightest bit of humidity or rain. The addax eats only certain parts of the plant and tends to crop the Aristida grasses neatly to the same height. By contrast, when feeding on Panicum grass,

213-491: A lion until it is closer than 200 m (650 ft)—lions hunt as a pride or by surprise, usually by stalking; one that can be seen clearly is unlikely to attack. However, sprint-dependent cheetahs will cause gazelles to flee at a range of over 800 metres ( 1 ⁄ 2 mile). If escape is not an option, antelope are capable of fighting back. Oryxes in particular have been known to stand sideways like many unrelated bovids to appear larger than they are, and may charge at

284-421: A 5000 BCE fossil from Gilf Kebir. Apart from these, fossils have also been excavated from Mittleres Wadi Howar (6300 BCE fossil), and Pleistocene fossils from Grotte Neandertaliens, Jebel Irhoud and Parc d'Hydra. The addax is a spiral-horned antelope. Male addaxes stand from 105 to 115 cm (41 to 45 in) at the shoulder, with females at 95 to 110 cm (37 to 43 in). They are sexually dimorphic , as

355-575: A fear response to perceived predators, such as humans, making them very difficult to herd or handle. Although antelope have diets and rapid growth rates highly suitable for domestication, this tendency to panic and their non hierarchical social structure explains why farm-raised antelope are uncommon. Ancient Egyptians kept herds of gazelles and addax for meat, and occasionally pets. It is unknown whether they were truly domesticated, but it seems unlikely, as no domesticated gazelles exist today. However, humans have had success taming certain species, such as

426-535: A forest environment with patchy resources, and a male is unable to monopolize more than one female due to this sparse distribution. Larger forest species often form very small herds of two to four females and one male. Some species, such as lechwes , pursue a lek breeding system, where the males gather on a lekking ground and compete for a small territory, while the females appraise males and choose one with which to mate. Large grazing antelope, such as impala or wildebeest , form large herds made up of many females and

497-445: A predator as a last resort. About 25 species are rated by the IUCN as endangered , such as the dama gazelle and mountain nyala . A number of subspecies are also endangered, including the giant sable antelope and the mhorr gazelle . The main causes for concern for these species are habitat loss, competition with cattle for grazing, and trophy hunting. The chiru or Tibetan antelope

568-622: A single breeding male, which excludes all other males, often by combat. Antelope pursue a number of defense strategies, often dictated by their morphology. Large antelope that gather in large herds, such as wildebeest, rely on numbers and running speed for protection. In some species, adults will encircle the offspring, protecting them from predators when threatened. Many forest antelope rely on cryptic coloring and good hearing to avoid predators. Forest antelope often have very large ears and dark or striped colorations. Small antelope, especially duikers , evade predation by jumping into dense bush where

639-438: A thick, persistent sheath of horny material , both of which distinguish them from antlers. Antelope horns are efficient weapons, and tend to be better developed in those species where males fight over females (large herd antelope) than in solitary or lekking species. With male-male competition for mates, horns are clashed in combat. Males more commonly use their horns against each other than against another species. The boss of

710-505: A wide range of habitats. Most live in the African savannahs . However, many species are more secluded, such as the forest antelope, as well as the extreme cold-living saiga , the desert-adapted Arabian oryx , the rocky koppie -living klipspringer , and semiaquatic sitatunga . Species living in forests, woodland, or bush tend to be sedentary, but many of the plains species undertake long migrations. These enable grass-eating species to follow

781-745: Is derived from the Old French antelop , itself derived from Medieval Latin ant(h)alopus , which in turn comes from the Byzantine Greek word ἀνθόλοψ, anthólops , first attested in Eustathius of Antioch ( c.  336 ), according to whom it was a fabulous animal "haunting the banks of the Euphrates, very savage, hard to catch and having long, saw-like horns capable of cutting down trees". It perhaps derives from Greek ἀνθος, anthos (flower) and ώψ, ops (eye), perhaps meaning "beautiful eye" or alluding to

SECTION 10

#1732851070711

852-606: Is found on the continent—the Barbary red deer of Northern Africa. By comparison, numerous deer species are usually found in regions of the world with fewer or no antelope species present, such as throughout Southeast Asia , Europe and all of the Americas . This is likely due to competition over shared resources, as deer and antelope fill a virtually identical ecological niche in their respective habitats. Countries like India, however, have large populations of endemic deer and antelope, with

923-425: Is hunted for its pelt, which is used in making shahtoosh wool, used in shawls. Since the fur can only be removed from dead animals, and each animal yields very little of the downy fur, several antelope must be killed to make a single shawl. This unsustainable demand has led to enormous declines in the chiru population. The saiga is hunted for its horns, which are considered an aphrodisiac by some cultures. Only

994-498: Is normally not aggressive, though individuals may charge if they are disturbed. The addax is amply suited to live in the deep desert under extreme conditions. It can survive without free water almost indefinitely, because it gets moisture from its food and dew that condenses on plants. Scientists think the addax has a special lining in its stomach that stores water in pouches to use in times of dehydration . It also produces highly concentrated urine to conserve water. The pale colour of

1065-586: Is placed in the monotypic genus Addax and the family Bovidae . Henri Blainville observed syntypes in Bullock's Pantherion and the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons. English naturalist Richard Lydekker stated their type locality to be probably Senegambia , though he did not have anything to support the claim. Finally, from a discussion in 1898, it became more probable that British hunters or collectors obtained

1136-594: Is prized for supposed medicinal and magical powers in many places. The horn of the male saiga, in Eastern practice, is ground as an aphrodisiac, for which it has been hunted nearly to extinction. In the Congo , it is thought to confine spirits. The antelope's ability to run swiftly has also led to their association with the wind , such as in the Rig Veda , as the steeds of the Maruts and

1207-486: Is quite common in captivity. The addax was once abundant in North Africa ; however it is currently only native to Chad, Mauritania, and Niger. It is extirpated from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and Western Sahara , but has been reintroduced into Morocco and Tunisia. The scientific name of the addax is Addax nasomaculatus . This antelope was first described by French zoologist and anatomist Henri Blainville in 1816. It

1278-417: Is some variation of a brown colour (or several shades of brown), often with white or pale underbodies. Exceptions include the zebra-marked zebra duiker , the grey, black, and white Jentink's duiker , and the black lechwe . Most of the "spiral-horned" antelope have pale, vertical stripes on their backs. Many desert and semidesert species are particularly pale, some almost silvery or whitish (e.g. Arabian oryx);

1349-453: Is still a matter of debate, with several alternative systems proposed. Antelope are not a cladistic or taxonomically defined group. The term is used to describe all members of the family Bovidae that do not fall under the category of sheep , cattle , or goats . Usually, all species of the Antilopinae , Hippotraginae , Reduncinae , Cephalophinae , many Bovinae , the grey rhebok , and

1420-566: The Americas , though the nominate saiga subspecies occurred in North America during the Pleistocene. North America is currently home to the native pronghorn , which taxonomists do not consider a member of the antelope group, but which is often locally referred to as such (e.g., "American antelope"). In Europe , several extinct species occur in the fossil record, and the saiga was found widely during

1491-828: The Pleistocene but did not persist into the later Holocene , except in Russian Kalmykia and Astrakhan Oblast . Many species of antelope have been imported to other parts of the world, especially the United States, for exotic game hunting. With some species possessing spectacular leaping and evasive skills, individuals may escape. Texas in particular has many game ranches, as well as habitats and climates that are very hospitable to African and Asian plains antelope species. Accordingly, wild populations of blackbuck antelope, gemsbok , and nilgai may be found in Texas. Antelope live in

SECTION 20

#1732851070711

1562-399: The beisa and southern oryxes have gray and black pelages with vivid black-and-white faces. Common features of various gazelles are white rumps, which flash a warning to others when they run from danger, and dark stripes midbody (the latter feature is also shared by the springbok and beira). The springbok also has a pouch of white, brushlike hairs running along its back, which opens up when

1633-428: The elands . These antelope sometimes jump over each other's backs when alarmed, but this incongruous talent seems to be exploited only by wild members of the species; tame elands do not take advantage of it and can be enclosed within a very low fence. Their meat, milk, and hides are all of excellent quality, and experimental eland husbandry has been going on for some years in both Ukraine and Zimbabwe. In both locations,

1704-499: The impala are called antelope. More species of antelope are native to Africa than to any other continent, almost exclusively in savannahs , with 25-40 species co-occurring over much of East Africa. Because savannah habitat in Africa has expanded and contracted five times over the last three million years, and the fossil record indicates this is when most extant species evolved, it is believed that isolation in refugia during contractions

1775-401: The ovarian follicle and the corpus luteum were 15 mm (0.59 in) and 27 mm (1.1 in). Each female underwent an anovulatory period lasting 39 to 131 days, during which there was no ovulation . Anovulation was rare in winter, which suggested the effect of seasons on the estrous cycle. Gestation period lasts 257–270 days (about nine months). Females may lie or stand during

1846-680: The "true antelopes", includes only the genera Gazella , Nanger , Eudorcas , and Antilope . One North American mammal, the pronghorn or "pronghorn antelope", is colloquially referred to as the "American antelope", despite the fact that it belongs to a completely different family ( Antilocapridae ) than the true Old-World antelopes; pronghorn are the sole extant member of an extinct prehistoric lineage that once included many unique species. Although antelope are sometimes referred to, and easily misidentified as, "deer" ( cervids ), true deer are only distantly related to antelope. While antelope are found in abundance in Africa, only one deer species

1917-930: The United States and the Middle East. Addaxes are legally protected in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria; hunting of all gazelles is forbidden in Libya and Egypt. Although enormous reserves, such as the Hoggar Mountains and Tasilli in Algeria, the Ténéré in Niger, the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve in Chad, and the newly established Wadi Howar National Park in Sudan, cover areas where

1988-564: The addax from the part of the Sahara in Tunisia . The generic name Addax is thought to be obtained from an Arabic word meaning a wild animal with crooked horns. It is also thought to have originated from a Latin word. The name was first used in 1693. The specific name nasomaculatus comes from the Latin words nasus (or the prefix naso- ) meaning nose, and maculatus meaning spotted, referring to

2059-436: The addax is an easy target for its predators: humans , lions , leopards , cheetahs and African wild dogs . Breeding season is at its peak during winter and early spring. The natural habitat of the addax are arid regions, semideserts and sandy and stony deserts. The addax is a critically endangered species of antelope, as classified by the IUCN . Although extremely rare in its native habitat due to unregulated hunting, it

2130-567: The addax is rumoured to be present along the Mali/Mauritania border, though there have been no confirmed sightings. The addax was once abundant in North Africa , native to Chad , Mauritania and Niger . It is extinct in Algeria , Egypt, Libya , Sudan and the Western Sahara . It has been reintroduced into Morocco and Tunisia. Declines in the population of the addax have been ongoing since

2201-540: The addax previously occurred, some do not keep addaxes at the present time because they lack the resources. The addax has been reintroduced into Bou-Hedma National Park (Tunisia) and Souss-Massa National Park (Morocco). Reintroductions in the wild are ongoing in Jebil National Park (Tunisia) and Grand Erg Oriental (the Sahara), and another is planned for Morocco. Antelope A better definition, also known as

Addax - Misplaced Pages Continue

2272-643: The addax was widespread in the Sahelo-Saharan region of Africa, west of the Nile Valley and all countries sharing the Sahara Desert; but today the only known self-sustaining population is present in the Termit Massif Reserve (Niger). However, there are reports of sightings from the eastern Air Mountains (Niger) and Bodélé (Chad). Rare nomads may be seen in northern Niger, southern Algeria and Libya; and

2343-471: The animal has proved wholly amenable to domestication. Similarly, European visitors to Arabia reported "tame gazelles are very common in the Asiatic countries of which the species is a native; and the poetry of these countries abounds in allusions both to the beauty and the gentleness of the gazelle." Other antelope that have been tamed successfully include the gemsbok , the kudu , and the springbok . Nor are

2414-503: The animal senses danger, causing the dorsal hairs to stand on end. Many antelope are sexually dimorphic. In most species, both sexes have horns, but those of males tend to be larger. Males tend to be larger than the females, but exceptions in which the females tend to be heavier than the males include the bush duiker , dwarf antelope , Cape grysbok , and oribi , all rather small species. A number of species have hornless females (e.g., sitatunga , red lechwe , and suni ). In some species,

2485-421: The animal that antelope do not typically display. Most species are difficult to contain in any density, due to the territoriality of the males, or in the case of oryxes (which have a relatively hierarchical social structure), an aggressive disposition; they can easily kill a human. Because many have extremely good jumping abilities, providing adequate fencing is a challenge. Also, antelope will consistently display

2556-496: The animals' long eyelashes. This, however, may be a folk etymology in Greek based on some earlier root. The word talopus and calopus , from Latin, came to be used in heraldry . In 1607, it was first used for living, cervine animals . There are 91 antelope species, most of which are native to Africa, occur in about 30 genera. The classification of tribes or subfamilies within Bovoidea

2627-429: The beginning of spring; in the southern Sahara, breeding peaks from September to October and from January to mid-April. Each estrus bout lasts for one or two days. In a study, the blood serum of female addaxes was analyzed through immunoassay to know about their luteal phase . Estrous cycle duration was of about 33 days. During pregnancy, ultrasonography showed the uterine horns as coiled. The maximum diameters of

2698-540: The characteristics described above necessarily barriers to domestication; for further information, see animal domestication . A wide variety of antelope hybrids have been recorded in zoos, game parks, and wildlife ranches, due to either a lack of more appropriate mates in enclosures shared with other species or a misidentification of species. The ease of hybridization shows how closely related some antelope species are. With few exceptions, most hybrid antelope occur only in captivity. Most hybrids occur between species within

2769-401: The coat reflects radiant heat, and the length and density of the coat helps in thermoregulation . In the day the addax huddles together in shaded areas, and on cool nights rests in sand hollows. These practices help in dissipation of body heat and saving water by cooling the body through evaporation. In a study, eight addaxes on a diet of grass hay ( Chloris gayana ) were studied to determine

2840-465: The delivery, during which one calf is born. A postpartum estrus occurs after two or three days. The calf weighs 5 kg (11 lb) at birth and is weaned at 23–29 weeks old. The addax inhabits arid regions, semideserts and sandy and stony deserts . They can live in extremely arid areas, with less than 100 mm annual rainfall. It also inhabits deserts with tussock grasses ( Stipagrostis species) and succulent thorn scrub Cornulaca . Formerly,

2911-795: The deserts, habitat destruction due to more human settlements and agriculture . Fewer than 500 individuals are thought to exist in the wild today, most of the animals being found between the Termit area of Niger, the Bodélé region of western Chad, and the Aoukar in Mauritania. Today there are over 600 addaxes in Europe, Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve (Israel), Sabratha (Libya), Giza Zoo (Egypt), North America, Japan and Australia under captive breeding programmes. There are thousands more in private collections and ranches in

Addax - Misplaced Pages Continue

2982-421: The different species generally keeping to their own "niches" with minimal overlap. Unlike deer, in which the males sport elaborate head antlers that are shed and regrown annually, antelope horns are bone and grow steadily, never falling off. If a horn is broken, it will either remain broken or take years to partially regenerate, depending on the species. The English word "antelope" first appeared in 1417 and

3053-403: The drier outer leaves are left alone while it eats the tender inner shoots and seeds. These seeds are important part of the addax's diet, being its main source of protein. Females are sexually mature at 2 to 3 years of age and males at about 2 years. Breeding occurs throughout the year, but it peaks during winter and early spring. In the northern Sahara, breeding peaks at the end of winter and

3124-448: The duikers and dwarf antelope tend to be simple "spikes", but differ in the angle to the head from backward curved and backward pointing (e.g. yellow-backed duiker ) to straight and upright (e.g. steenbok ). Other groups have twisted (e.g. common eland ), spiral (e.g. greater kudu ), "recurved" (e.g. the reedbucks ), lyrate (e.g. impala ), or long, curved (e.g. the oryxes ) horns. Horns are not shed and their bony cores are covered with

3195-513: The end of its snout. This bizarre and inaccurate form was invented by European heralds in the Middle Ages, who knew little of foreign animals and made up the rest. The antelope was mistakenly imagined to be a monstrous beast of prey; the 16th century poet Edmund Spenser referred to it as being "as fierce and fell as a wolf ." Antelope can all also occur in their natural form, in which case they are termed "natural antelope" to distinguish them from

3266-467: The females are smaller than the males. The head and body length in both sexes is 120 to 130 cm (47 to 51 in), with a 25 to 35 cm (9.8 to 13.8 in) long tail. The weight of males varies from 100 to 125 kg (220 to 276 lb), and that of females from 60 to 90 kg (130 to 200 lb). The coloring of the addax's coat varies with the season. In the winter, it is greyish-brown with white hindquarters and legs, and long, brown hair on

3337-419: The first pair of autosomes , which are submetacentric . The X chromosome is the largest of the acrocentric chromosomes, and the Y chromosome is medium-sized. The short and long arms of the pair of submetacentric autosomes correspond respectively to the 27th and 1st chromosomes in cattle and goats. In a study, the banding patterns of chromosomes in addax were found to be similar to those in four other species of

3408-553: The head, neck, and shoulders. In the summer, the coat turns almost completely white or sandy blonde. Their head is marked with brown or black patches that form an 'X' over their noses. They have scraggly beards and prominent red nostrils. Long, black hairs stick out between their curved and spiralling horns, ending in a short mane on the neck. The horns , which are found on both males and females, have two to three twists and are typically 55 to 80 cm (22 to 31 in) in females and 70 to 85 cm (28 to 33 in) in males, although

3479-465: The horns is typically arranged in such a way that two antelope striking at each other's horns cannot crack each other's skulls, making a fight via horn more ritualized than dangerous. Many species have ridges in their horns for at least two-thirds the length of their horns, but these ridges are not a direct indicator of age. Antelope are often classified by their reproductive behavior. Small antelope, such as dik-diks , tend to be monogamous. They live in

3550-486: The males and females have differently coloured pelages (e.g. blackbuck and nyala ). Antelope are ruminants , so they have well-developed molar teeth , which grind cud (food balls stored in the stomach) into a pulp for further digestion. They have no upper incisors, but rather a hard upper gum pad, against which their lower incisors bite to tear grass stems and leaves. Like many other herbivores , antelope rely on keen senses to avoid predators. Their eyes are placed on

3621-542: The males have horns, and have been so heavily hunted that some herds contain up to 800 females to one male. The species has shown a steep decline and is critically endangered. It is difficult to determine how long antelope live in the wild. With the preference of predators towards old and infirm individuals, which can no longer sustain peak speeds, few wild prey-animals live as long as their biological potential. In captivity, wildebeest have lived beyond 20 years old, and impalas have reached their late teens. The antelope's horn

SECTION 50

#1732851070711

3692-404: The maximum recorded length is 109.2 cm (43.0 in). The lower and middle portions of the horns are marked with a series of 30 to 35 ring-shaped ridges. The tail is short and slender, ending in a puff of black hair. The hooves are broad with flat soles and strong dewclaws to help them walk on soft sand. All four feet possess scent glands . The life span of the addax is up to 19 years in

3763-449: The mid-1800s. More recently, addaxes were found from Algeria to Sudan, but due mainly to overhunting, they have become much more restricted and rare. Addaxes are easy to hunt due to their slow movements. Roadkill , firearms for easy hunting and nomadic settlements near waterholes (their dry-season feeding places) have also decreased their numbers. Moreover, their meat and leather are highly prized. Other threats include chronic droughts in

3834-553: The middle of the cheek. On the other hand, the scimitar oryx has a white forehead with only a notable brown marking: a brown lateral stripe across its eyes. It differs from other antelopes by having large, square teeth like cattle and lacking the typical facial glands. The addax is most prone to parasites in moist climatic conditions. Addaxes have always been infected with nematodes in the Trichostrongyloidea and Strongyloidea superfamilies. In an exotic ranch in Texas, an addax

3905-509: The more usual heraldic antelope. The arms previously used by the Republic of South Africa featured a natural antelope, along with an oryx . Hippotraginae A grazing antelope is any of the species of antelope that make up the subfamily Hippotraginae or tribe Hippotragini of the family Bovidae . As grazers, rather than browsers, the "Hippo" in Hippotraginae refers to

3976-504: The northern edge of the tropical rain system during the summer and move north as winter falls. They are able to track rainfall and will head for these areas where vegetation is more plentiful. Males are territorial and guard females, while the females establish their own dominance hierarchies. Due to its slow movements, the addax is an easy target for predators such as humans , lions , leopards , cheetahs and African wild dogs . Caracals , servals and hyenas attack calves. The addax

4047-476: The predator cannot pursue. Springboks use a behavior known as stotting to confuse predators. Open grassland species have nowhere to hide from predators, so they tend to be fast runners. They are agile and have good endurance —these are advantages when pursued by sprint-dependent predators such as cheetahs , which are the fastest of land animals, but tire quickly. Reaction distances vary with predator species and behaviour. For example, gazelles may not flee from

4118-431: The rains and thereby their food supply. The gnus and gazelles of East Africa perform some of the most impressive mass migratory circuits of all mammals. Antelope vary greatly in size. For example, a male common eland can measure 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) at the shoulder and weigh almost 950 kg (2,100 lb), whereas an adult royal antelope may stand only 24 cm ( 9 + 1 ⁄ 2  in) at

4189-468: The retention time of food from the digestive tract. It was found that food retention time was long, taken as an adaptation to a diet including a high proportion of slow fermenting grasses; while the long fluid retention time could be interpreted to be due to water-saving mechanisms with low water turnover and a roomy rumen. The addax lives in desert terrain where it eats grasses and leaves of what shrubs , leguminous herbs and bushes are available. Primarily

4260-403: The same genus. All reported examples occur within the same subfamily. As with most mammal hybrids, the less closely related the parents, the more likely the offspring will be sterile. Antelope are a common symbol in heraldry , though they occur in a highly distorted form from nature. The heraldic antelope has the body of a stag and the tail of a lion , with serrated horns, and a small tusk at

4331-415: The shadows rapidly. Gazelle and springbok are known for their speed and leaping abilities. Even larger antelope, such as nilgai, elands , and kudus , are capable of jumping 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) or greater, although their running speed is restricted by their greater mass. Antelope have a wide variety of coverings, though most have a dense coat of short fur. In most species, the coat (pelage)

SECTION 60

#1732851070711

4402-552: The shoulder and weigh a mere 1.5 kg ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 4  lb). Not surprisingly for animals with long, slender yet powerful legs, many antelope have long strides and can run fast. Some (e.g. klipspringer) are also adapted to inhabiting rock koppies and crags. Both dibatags and gerenuks habitually stand on their two hind legs to reach acacia and other tree foliage. Different antelope have different body types, which can affect movement. Duikers are short, bush-dwelling antelope that can pick through dense foliage and dive into

4473-741: The shoulder, with females at 95 to 110 cm (37 to 43 in). They are sexually dimorphic , as the females are smaller than the males. The colour of the coat depends on the season – in the winter, it is greyish-brown with white hindquarters and legs, and long, brown hair on the head, neck, and shoulders; in the summer, the coat turns almost completely white or sandy blonde. The addax mainly eats grasses and leaves of any available shrubs, leguminous herbs and bushes. They are well-adapted to exist in their desert habitat, as they can live without water for long periods of time. Addax form herds of five to 20 members, consisting of both males and females. The herd usually led by one dominant male. Due to its slow movements,

4544-806: The sides of their heads, giving them a broad radius of vision with minimal binocular vision. Their horizontally elongated pupils also help in this respect. Acute senses of smell and hearing give antelope the ability to perceive danger at night out in the open (when predators are often on the prowl). These same senses play an important role in contact between individuals of the same species; markings on their heads, ears, legs, and rumps are used in such communication. Many species "flash" such markings, as well as their tails; vocal communications include loud barks, whistles, "moos", and trumpeting; many species also use scent marking to define their territories or simply to maintain contact with their relatives and neighbors. The size and shape of antelope horns varies greatly. Those of

4615-597: The society. The pygarg ("white-buttocked") beast mentioned in Deuteronomy 14:5 is believed by Henry Baker Tristram to have been an addax. But today, excess poaching has resulted in the extinction of this species in Egypt since the 1960s. Addax fossils have been found in four sites of Egypt – a 7000 BCE fossil from the Great Sand Sea , a 5000–6000 BCE fossil from Djara, a 4000–7000 BCE fossil from Abu Ballas Stufenmland and

4686-448: The spots and facial markings of the species. Bedouins use another name for the addax, the Arabic bakr (or bagr ) al wahsh , which literally means "the cow of the wild". That name can be used to refer to other ungulates as well. The other common names of addax are "white antelope" and "screwhorn antelope". The addax has 29 pairs of chromosomes. All chromosomes are acrocentric except for

4757-489: The subfamily Hippotraginae . In ancient times, the addax occurred from northern Africa through Arabia and the Levant . Pictures in a tomb, dating back to 2500 BCE, show at least the partial domestication of the addax by the ancient Egyptians. These pictures show addax and some other antelopes tied with ropes to stakes. The number of addax captured by a person were considered an indicator of his high social and economic position in

4828-423: The wild, which can be extended to 25 years under captivity. The addax closely resembles the scimitar oryx , but can be distinguished by its horns and facial markings. While the addax is spiral-horned, the scimitar oryx has decurved 127 cm (50 in) long horns. The addax has a brown hair tuft extending from the base of its horns to between its eyes. A white patch, continuing from the brown hair, extends until

4899-413: The wind god Vayu . There is, however, no scientific evidence that the horns of any antelope have any change on a human's physiology or characteristics. In Mali, antelope were believed to have brought the skills of agriculture to mankind. Humans have also used the term "Antelope" to refer to a tradition usually found in the sport of track and field. Domestication of animals requires certain traits in

4970-633: Was a major driver of this diversification. Other species occur in Asia: the Arabian Peninsula is home to the Arabian oryx and Dorcas gazelle . South Asia is home to the nilgai , chinkara , blackbuck , Tibetan antelope , and four-horned antelope , while Russia and Central Asia have the Tibetan antelope and saiga . No antelope species is native to Australasia or Antarctica , nor do any extant species occur in

5041-565: Was found host to the nematodes Haemonchus contortus and Longistrongylus curvispiculum in its abomasum , of which the former was dominant. Addax herds contain both males and females, and have from five to 20 members. They will generally stay in one place and only wander widely in search of food. The herd is usually formed around one dominant male. In captivity, males show signs of territoriality and mate guarding while captive females establish dominance hierarchies, with oldest females holding highest rank Herds are more likely to be found along

#710289