sable antelope

A large African antelope (Hippotragus niger) having backward-curving horns and a usually dark coat.

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Hippotragus niger

TAXONOMY

Aigocerus niger (Harris, 1838), near Pretoria, South Africa.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

French: Hippotrague noir; German: Rappenantilope; Spanish: Antilope sable.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Body length 6.3–8.5 ft (190–255 cm); shoulder height 3.9–4.7 ft (117–143 cm); tail 1.3–2.5 ft (40–75 cm); 420–660 lb (190–300 kg), female smaller than male. Horns 2.6–5.5 ft (80–165 cm) in males, 2–3.3 ft (60–100 cm) in females.

DISTRIBUTION

H. n. roosevelti: extreme southeastern Kenya through Tanzania;H. n. kirkii: Zambia, presumably eastern Angola and southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, also probably Malawi and Mozambique; H. n. niger: southwestern Zambia, north and northeast Botswana, Zimbabwe, and extreme northeastern South Africa, limits not clear; H. n. variani (giant sable): Angola, between Cuanza and Loando rivers.

HABITAT

Dry open woodlands and medium-tall grass savannas.

BEHAVIOR

Herds of up to 30 females and young have home range 59–198 acres (24–80 ha). Herds of 200–300 recorded in dry season. Bulls hold territories of 62–99 acres (25–40 ha).

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Eats grasses; during the dry season will also browse on herbs, bushes, and trees. Drinks at least once a day.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Polygynous. Breeding seasonal, births occurring during rains. Gestation period about nine months; weaning at eight months; sexually mature at 2–3 years. Lifespan 17 years.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Race variani is Critically Endangered: only about 1,000 remain, and their future is unpredictable; none are held in captivity. The other races are Lower Risk/Conservation Dependent. The wild population was believed stable at around 54,000 individuals in 1998, 75% of these in protected natural habitat.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

Valued as a trophy species, also hunted for meat.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: large black east African antelope with sharp back-curving horns
  Synonym: Hippotragus niger

Sable Antelope
Sable Bull (Kafue, Zambia)
Conservation status
Conservation Dependent
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Subfamily: Hippotraginae Genus: Hippotragus Species: H. niger
Binomial name
Hippotragus niger Harris, 1838

The Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger) is an antelope which inhabits wooded savannah in East Africa south of Kenya, and in Southern Africa. There are three subspecies:

• H. n. niger which is considered low risk conservation dependent
• H. n. varani (Giant Sable Antelope) of central Angola which is classified as critically endangered
• H. n. kirkii (Zambian Sable Antelope) of central Angola and western Zambia and is classified as vulnerable

The Sable Antelope stands 120 to 140 centimetres at the shoulder and weigh 200 to 270 kilograms, males being larger than females. Female Sable Antelope are chestnut to dark brown darkening as they mature while males are very distinctively black. Both sexes have a white underbelly, white cheeks and a white chin. They have a shaggy mane on the back of their neck. Sable antelope have ringed horns which arch backward, in females these can reach a meter, but in males they can reach over one and a half meters.

Sable Antelope live in wooded savannah where they eat mid-length grass and leaves. They are diurnal but are less active during the heat of the day. Sable Antelope form herds of ten to thirty females and calves led by a single male. Sable Antelope males will fight among themselves; they drop to their knees and use their horns.

The sable antelope was one of the national emblems of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

The sable antelope was also introduced into Texas as game in private ranches.

Gallery

A female sable antelope at the San Diego Zoo

A Zambian Sable Antelope

References

• Antelope Specialist Group (1996). Hippotragus niger. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.

External links

• ARKive - images and movies of the sable antelope (Hippotragus niger)
• Sable Behavior[1]

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)