Difference between revisions of "Antelope" - New World Encyclopedia

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Antelope

Blackbuck, Antilope cervicapra

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae

Antelopes are a diverse group of typically hollow-horned, slender-built, and swift bovids native to Africa and Asia. Antelope species do not form a taxonomic group but are spread throughout the subfamilies of the Bovidae family (bovids) of the order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates); many are more closely related to cattle or goats than to each other.

There are over 80 species of antelope, ranging in size from the royal antelope, which weighs about 3.5 kg (8 lbs), to the giant eland, up to 900 kg (2,000 lbs). Antelopes are generally characterized by a light, elegant figure, graceful limbs, small cloven hoofs, a short tail, and large and unbranched horns, which may be spiral-shaped. Some species have horns that are small.

Antelopes pay key roles in ecosystems as part of the food chain, consuming plant matter and in turn being prey for a variety of animals, including lions, pythons, crocodiles, baboons, and jackals. Their beauty, grace, speed, agility, and unique movements (bouncing up and down on all four outstretched legs when alarmed) make them attractive for viewing by humans, who also have historically hunted them for food and sport. However, various anthropogenic factors (overhunting, habitat removal, introduced diseases) have reduced some species to endangered statuses.

The pronghorn of North America is often called an antelope. Although it is very antelope-like, it is not a true antelope since it is not a member of the Bovidae family.

Range and Habitat

The greatest number of antelope species is found in Africa, where they live throughout the continent. A few are found in southwest Asia, in India, and in central Asia. Most species live in grasslands, or in savannas, mixed forest, and grassland. Some, mostly the smaller species, live in dense tropical forests and others live in deserts, marshlands, and mountainous areas (Bere 1970).

Physical Description

Springbok, Antidorcas marsupialis

All antelopes have long, slender legs and powerful muscles where the upper legs meet the body, providing leverage and increasing leg stride and speed. Antelopes are fast runners, although they are not the fastest animals in the world. They are good at quick, precise turns, and they can run very fast for extended periods of time. This gives them an advantage over many predators, such as the cheetah, which relies on sprinting and can be tired out by the antelope's greater stamina.

Antelopes bear a dense coat with short fur. Most antelopes have fawn or brown-colored fur, which makes them harder to see. There are some exceptions, including the rare zebra duiker, which has dark vertical stripes, and the gemsbok, which has gray and black fur and a vivid black-and-white face. A common feature of the gazelle is a white rump, which flashes a warning to others when it runs from danger. One species of gazelle, the springbok, also has a pouch of white brushlike hairs running along its back. When a springbok senses danger, its pouch opens up, and the hairs stand on end.

Dik-dik

Antelopes are ruminants. Like other ruminants, such as cattle, goats, and sheep, they have well-developed cheek teeth or molars, which grind cud into a pulp. They have no upper incisors or canines; in order to tear grass stems and leaves, their lower incisors press against a hard upper gum pad when they bite.

Antelopes rely on their keen senses to avoid predators. The word "antelope" comes from a Greek word meaning "brightness of eye." Their eyes are on the sides of their heads, and their pupils are elongated horizontally, giving them a broad view of danger from both the back and front. Their senses of smell and hearing are also acute, giving them the ability to perceive danger while out in the open where predators often prowl after dark.

Both sexes of most antelope species grow horns, with the males' horns generally larger. The dik-dik and klipspringer, two species where the male mates with only one female, have horns that are little more than spikes. However, in species where males compete to mate with several females, horns may grow as long as 1.5 m (5 ft).

Despite their large size, antelope horns are hollow and lightweight. Antelope horns are almost always slightly curved, although in some species, such as the blackbuck, they are spiraled.

In many species, the males are larger than the females. In several species, such as the blackbuck, males and females also differ in color.

Behavior

Impala, Aepyceros melampus

Almost all antelopes are social animals, living in groups called herds. They communicate with each other using a varied array of sounds. For example, dik-diks whistle when alarmed, warning animals of other species of the danger as well.

Generally, though, sight is a much more common form of communication than sound among antelopes. An antelope's mood is indicated by its posture and movement. When excited or alarmed, most medium-sized species of antelope bounce up and down on all four legs, keeping them stretched out straight. This behavior, known as pronking or stotting, acts as an alarming display. Some biologists theorize that stotting also sends a message to predators, showing that individual antelopes are fit and alert, and therefore not worth pursuing.

Antelopes also use scent signals to communicate; these signals can linger for many days. Antelopes that live in herds have glands in their hoofs that leave a scented record of their movement. If an antelope were to be accidentally separated from its herd, it would be able to follow the scent tracks back.

Species of forest, woodland, or bush tend to be sedentary, but many of the plains species undertake huge migrations. These migrations enable grass-eating species to follow the rains and therefore their food supply. The wildebeests (also called gnus) and gazelles of East Africa perform some of the most impressive mass migratory circuits of all mammals. Also impressive is the migration of the saigas over the steppes (grasslands) of Russia and the Ukraine. These antelope were hunted almost to extinction by the early twentieth century but have recovered and are now seen in herds numbering in the hundreds of thousands (Nowak 1983; Huffman 2007).

Antelopes and predators

Scimitar Oryx, Oryx dammah

Antelopes are preyed upon by a variety of predators; a study in Kenya listed lions, leopards, cheetahs, African wild dogs, pythons, crocodiles, baboons, jackals, and secretary birds. Newborn babies are the most common victims, followed by old, sick, or injured animals. Among adult antelope, males are the victims more often than females, partly because they sometimes stand to face the predator letting the females and young escape and partly because their horns slow them down and make them easier targets (Bere 1970).

The response of most antelopes is to run away as soon as the predator is detected inside of what is known as their "flight distance": this the distance that they would need to give them an advantage in outrunning the predator. It varies depending on the kind of predator; longer for a cheetah than a slower lion, for instance. Only a few antelope species are in the habit of fighting back against predators. Those that do are some of the larger species; including the oryxes, whose horns are very effective weapons (Voelker 1986).

Antelopes and humans

Tame gazelle in ancient Egypt

Giant Eland, Taurotragus derbianus

Saiga, Saiga tatarica

From earliest times, antelopes have been hunted by humans. In the Middle East, gazelles provided the most important source of meat at the time that sheep and goats were being domesticated, about 10,000 years ago (Clutton-Brook 1999). Antelope have also been hunted for sport. Antelope hunting scenes are often seen in ancient art.

Some species of antelope have become extinct and others have been driven out of parts of their past ranges due to overhunting. Today, a number of species are endangered, mainly because of hunting, introduced diseases, and loss of habitat (IUCN 2007).

Some species of antelopes have been tamed and kept as pets, including the gazelle in ancient Egypt and the blackbuck in India. This never resulted in them becoming truly domesticated; for one thing they did not breed well in captivity. In modern times the eland has been bred in captivity and seems to have potential as a domestic animal, providing both meat and milk (Clutton-Brook 1999).

Antelopes are also admired for their beauty and each year many tourists travel to Africa to view them.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Bere, Rene. 1970. Antelopes. New York: Arco Publishing Company.
Clutton-Brook, J. 1999. A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521634954
Huffman, B. 2007. The Ultimate Ungulate Page. Ultimate Ungulate Website. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
IUCN Species Survival Commission (IUCN). 2007. 2006 ICUN red list of threatened species. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
Nowak, R. M., and J. L. Paradiso. 1983. Walker's Mammals of the World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801825253
Voelker, W. 1986. The Natural History of Living Mammals. Medford, NJ: Plexus Publishing. ISBN 0937548081

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History of "Antelope"

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-:''This article deals with the African herbivorous mammals. For other uses, see [[Antelope (disambiguation)]]''
+{{Copyedited}}{{Paid}}{{Approved}}{{Images OK}}{{Submitted}}
+{{Taxobox_begin | color = pink | name = Antelope}}
+{{Taxobox_image | image = [[Image:Blackbuck male female.jpg|250px]] | caption = Blackbuck, ''Antilope cervicapra''}}
+{{Taxobox_begin_placement | color = pink}}
+{{Taxobox_regnum_entry | taxon = [[Animal]]ia}}
+{{Taxobox_phylum_entry | taxon = [[Chordata]]}}
+{{Taxobox_classis_entry | taxon = [[Mammal]]ia}}
+{{Taxobox_ordo_entry | taxon = [[Ungulate#Artiodactyla: Even-toed ungulates|Artiodactyla]]}}
+{{Taxobox_familia_entry | taxon = [[Bovidae]]}}
+{{Taxobox_end_placement}}
+{{Taxobox_end}}
-{{Taxobox
+'''Antelopes''' are a diverse group of typically hollow-horned, slender-built, and swift [[bovid]]s native to [[Africa]] and [[Asia]]. Antelope species do not form a taxonomic group but are spread throughout the subfamilies of the [[Bovidae]] family (bovids) of the order [[Ungulate#Artiodactyla: Even-toed ungulates|Artiodactyla]] (even-toed [[ungulate]]s); many are more closely related to [[cattle]] or [[goat]]s than to each other.
-| color = pink
-| name = Antelope
-| image = impala.JPG
-| image_width = 250px
-| image_caption = [[impala]]
-| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
-| phylum = [[Chordata]]
-| classis = [[Mammal]]ia
-| ordo = [[Artiodactyla]]
-| familia = [[Bovidae]]
-| subdivision_ranks = [[Genus|Genera]]
-| subdivision =
-''[[Aepyceros]]''<br>
-''[[Alcelaphus]]''<br>
-''[[Antidorcas]]''<br>
-''[[Antilope]]''<br>
-''[[Cephalophus]]''<br>
-''[[Connochaetes]]''<br>
-''[[Damaliscus]]''<br>
-''[[Gazella]]''<br>
-''[[Grazing antelope|Hippotragus]]''<br>
-''[[Kobus]]''<br>
-''[[Madoqua]]''<br>
-''[[Neotragus]]''<br>
-''[[Oreotragus]]''<br>
-''[[Oryx]]''<br>
-''[[Ourebia]]''<br>
-''[[Pantholops]]''<br>
-''[[Procapra]]''<br>
-''[[Sylvicapra]]''<br>
-''[[Taurotragus]]''<br>
-''[[Tragelaphus]]''<br>
-and others
-}}
-'''Antelopes''' are a [[polyphyly|polyphyletic]] group of herbivorous [[Africa]]n and Asian animals of the family [[Bovidae]], distinguished by a pair of hollow horns on their heads. These animals are spread relatively evenly throughout the various subfamilies of Bovidae; many are more closely related to cows or goats than to each other. There are many different species of antelope, ranging in size from the tiny [[royal antelope]] to the [[Giant Eland|giant eland]]. They typically have a light, elegant figure, are slender, have graceful limbs, small [[Cloven-hoof|cloven hoofs]] and a short tail.  Antelopes have powerful hindquarters and, when startled, run with a peculiar bounding stride that makes them look as though they are bouncing over the terrain like a giant rabbit. Some species of antelope can reach speeds of 60 miles (100 kilometers) per hour, making them among the fastest of land animals.
+There are over 80 species of antelope, ranging in size from the royal antelope, which weighs about 3.5 kg (8 lbs), to the giant eland, up to 900 kg (2,000 lbs). Antelopes are generally characterized by a light, elegant figure, graceful limbs, small cloven hoofs, a short tail, and large and unbranched horns, which may be spiral-shaped. Some species have horns that are small.
-==Physical Description==
+Antelopes pay key roles in [[ecosystem]]s as part of the [[food chain]], consuming [[plant]] matter and in turn being prey for a variety of animals, including [[lion]]s, [[python]]s, [[crocodile]]s, [[baboon]]s, and [[jackal]]s. Their beauty, grace, speed, agility, and unique movements (bouncing up and down on all four outstretched legs when alarmed) make them attractive for viewing by [[human]]s, who also have historically hunted them for food and sport. However, various anthropogenic factors (overhunting, habitat removal, introduced diseases) have reduced some [[species]] to [[endanged species|endangered]] statuses.
-Apart from basic characteristics, antelopes differ from each other in appearance and physiology almost as much as they differ from other members of the cattle, goat, and sheep family. For example, the common eland towers over most breeds of domestic cattle and can be 300 times heavier than the tiny royal antelope.
+The pronghorn of [[North America]] is often called an antelope. Although it is very antelope-like, it is not a true antelope since it is not a member of the Bovidae family.
-All antelopes have long, slender legs and powerful muscles where the upper legs meet the body, providing leverage and increasing leg stride and speed. Though antelopes are good jumpers, they are not particularly good climbers. A few do display good balance, such as the [[klipspringer]], which stands on the tips of its hooves. The gerenuk, another African species, is one of the few antelopes that habitually stands on its back legs.
+==Range and Habitat==
-Antelopes bear a dense coat with short fur. Most antelopes have fawn or brown-colored fur so they can camouflage themselves while eating. There are some exceptions, including the rare [[zebra duiker]] which has dark vertical stripes, and the [[gemsbok]] which has gray and black fur and a vivid black-and-white face. A common feature of the [[gazelle]] is a white rump, which flashes a warning to others when it runs from danger. One species of gazelle, the springbok, also has a pouch of white brushlike hairs running along its back. When a springbok senses danger, its pouch opens up, and the hairs stand on end.
+The greatest number of antelope species is found in [[Africa]], where they live throughout the continent. A few are found in southwest [[Asia]], in [[India]], and in central [[Asia]]. Most species live in [[grass|grasslands]], or in savannas, mixed forest, and grassland. Some, mostly the smaller species, live in dense tropical [[forest]]s and others live in [[desert]]s, marshlands, and mountainous areas (Bere 1970).
-Antelopes are [[ruminant]]s. Like other ruminants, such as cattle and sheep, they have well-developed cheek teeth or molars, which grind [[cud]] into a pulp. They have no upper incisors; in order to tear grass stems and leaves, their lower incisors press against a hard upper gum pad when they bite.
+==Physical Description==
+[[Image:Springbok Namibia.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Springbok, ''Antidorcas marsupialis'']]
+All antelopes have long, slender legs and powerful [[muscle]]s where the upper legs meet the body, providing leverage and increasing leg stride and speed. Antelopes are fast runners, although they are not the fastest animals in the world. They are good at quick, precise turns, and they can run very fast for extended periods of time. This gives them an advantage over many predators, such as the [[cheetah]], which relies on sprinting and can be tired out by the antelope's greater stamina.
-Antelopes rely on their keen senses to avoid predators. Their eyes are on the sides of their heads, and their pupils are elongated horizontally, giving them a broad view of danger from both the back and front. Their senses of smell and hearing are also acute, giving them the ability to perceive danger while out in the open where predators often prowl after dark.
+Antelopes bear a dense coat with short [[fur]]. Most antelopes have fawn or brown-colored fur, which makes them harder to see. There are some exceptions, including the rare zebra duiker, which has dark vertical stripes, and the gemsbok, which has gray and black fur and a vivid black-and-white face. A common feature of the gazelle is a white rump, which flashes a warning to others when it runs from danger. One species of gazelle, the springbok, also has a pouch of white brushlike hairs running along its back. When a springbok senses danger, its pouch opens up, and the hairs stand on end.
+[[Image:Dik-dik.jpg|thumb|Dik-dik]]
+Antelopes are [[ruminant]]s. Like other ruminants, such as [[cattle]], [[goat]]s, and [[sheep]], they have well-developed cheek teeth or molars, which grind cud into a pulp. They have no upper incisors or canines; in order to tear grass stems and [[leaf|leaves]], their lower incisors press against a hard upper gum pad when they bite.
-Both sexes of most antelope species grow horns, though the males' horns are generally larger. The [[dik-dik]] and klipspringer, two species where the male mates with only one female, have horns that are little more than spikes. However, in species where males compete to mate with several females, horns may grow as long as 1.5 m (5 ft.). Despite their large size, antelope horns are hollow and lightweight. Antelope horns are almost always slightly curved, although in some species such as the [[blackbuck]], they are shaped like a pair of corkscrews spiraling out in opposite directions.
+Antelopes rely on their keen senses to avoid predators. The word "antelope" comes from a Greek word meaning "brightness of eye." Their eyes are on the sides of their heads, and their pupils are elongated horizontally, giving them a broad view of danger from both the back and front. Their senses of [[olfaction|smell]] and hearing are also acute, giving them the ability to perceive danger while out in the open where predators often prowl after dark.
-In many species, the males are larger than the females. In several species, such as the Asian [[blackbuck]], males and females also differ in color.
+Both sexes of most antelope species grow horns, with the males' horns generally larger. The dik-dik and klipspringer, two species where the male mates with only one female, have horns that are little more than spikes. However, in species where males compete to mate with several females, horns may grow as long as 1.5 m (5 ft).
-Antelope life spans are hard to determine, and most known figures relate only to those in captivity. Captive gnus have lived to be over 20 years old, and captive impalas have lived into their late teens. In the wild, antelopes rarely live to their teens, as they are often preyed upon.
+Despite their large size, antelope horns are hollow and lightweight. Antelope horns are almost always slightly curved, although in some species, such as the blackbuck, they are spiraled.
-==Behaviour==
+In many species, the males are larger than the females. In several species, such as the blackbuck, males and females also differ in color.
-Unlike [[carnivore]]s and [[primate]]s, [[herbivore]]s such as the antelope are not noted for high intelligence. Since their food cannot run, antelopes do not have to be quick-thinking. However, they can be very clever in escaping from their enemies. Antelopes are fast runners, although they are not the fastest animals in the world. They are good at quick, precise turns, and they can run very fast for extended periods of time. This gives them an advantage over many predators such as the [[cheetah]], which relies on sprinting and can be tired out by the antelope's greater stamina.
-The antelope's choice to flee is based largely on the type of predator and its distance from the herd. Usually, gazelles will permit lions to come within 200 m (650 ft.) before fleeing. They likely recognise that a hunting lion prefers to hide while stalking its prey, meaning a visible lion is unlikely to attack. Cheetahs, who are superb sprinters, pose a more dangerous threat. Gazelles will flee from cheetahs when they are over 800 m (0.5 mi.) away.
+==Behavior==
+[[Image:impala.JPG|thumb|250px|Impala, ''Aepyceros melampus'']]
+Almost all antelopes are social animals, living in groups called herds. They communicate with each other using a varied array of sounds. For example, dik-diks whistle when alarmed, warning animals of other species of the danger as well.
-Antelopes communicate with each other using a varied array of sounds. For example, [[dik-dik]]s whistle when alarmed, warning other animals of danger as well.  This characteristic makes dik-diks less favorable prey for hunters. Generally, though, sight is a much more common form of communication than sound among antelopes. An antelope's mood is indicated by its posture and movement. When excited or alarmed, most medium-sized species of antelope bounce up and down on all four legs, keeping them stretched out straight. This behaviour, known as ''pronking'' or ''stotting'', acts as an alarming display. Some biologists theorize that stotting also sends a message to predators, showing that individual antelopes are fit and alert, and therefore not worth pursuing.
+Generally, though, [[sight]] is a much more common form of communication than sound among antelopes. An antelope's mood is indicated by its posture and movement. When excited or alarmed, most medium-sized species of antelope bounce up and down on all four legs, keeping them stretched out straight. This behavior, known as ''pronking'' or ''stotting,'' acts as an alarming display. Some biologists theorize that stotting also sends a message to predators, showing that individual antelopes are fit and alert, and therefore not worth pursuing.
-Antelopes also use scent signals to communicate; these signals can linger for many days. Antelopes that live in herds have special glands in their hooves that leave a scented record of their movement. If an antelope were accidentally separated from its herd, it would be able to follow the scent tracks back.
+Antelopes also use scent signals to communicate; these signals can linger for many days. Antelopes that live in herds have glands in their hoofs that leave a scented record of their movement. If an antelope were to be accidentally separated from its herd, it would be able to follow the scent tracks back.
-Antelope species common to forests tend to stay in the same place all their lives, but species that live out in the open often [[migration|migrate]] to feed and breed. The [[gnus]] carry out the most famous of these migrations through the plains and open [[woodland]]s of eastern and southern [[Africa]]. Gnus are sedentary in some places, but in others, such as [[Serengeti National Park]], gnus travel between two different home ranges. One of these ranges is used during the dry season, while another is used during the wet season. Migration can be very risky; the dangers include crossing [[crocodile]]-infested rivers, but migration also supplies the gnus with food at different times of the year.
+Species of forest, woodland, or bush tend to be sedentary, but many of the plains species undertake huge migrations. These migrations enable grass-eating species to follow the rains and therefore their food supply. The wildebeests (also called gnus) and gazelles of East Africa perform some of the most impressive mass migratory circuits of all [[mammal]]s. Also impressive is the migration of the saigas over the steppes (grasslands) of [[Russia]] and the [[Ukraine]]. These antelope were hunted almost to extinction by the early twentieth century but have recovered and are now seen in herds numbering in the hundreds of thousands (Nowak 1983; Huffman 2007).
-==Species==
+==Antelopes and predators==
+[[Image:Oryx Dammah.jpg|thumb|Scimitar Oryx, ''Oryx dammah'']]
+Antelopes are preyed upon by a variety of predators; a study in [[Kenya]] listed [[lion]]s, [[leopard]]s, [[cheetah]]s, African wild [[dog]]s, [[python]]s, [[crocodile]]s, [[baboon]]s, [[jackal]]s, and secretary [[bird]]s. Newborn babies are the most common victims, followed by old, sick, or injured animals. Among adult antelope, males are the victims more often than females, partly because they sometimes stand to face the predator letting the females and young escape and partly because their horns slow them down and make them easier targets (Bere 1970).
-There are about 90 species of antelope in about 30 genera, of which about 15 species are endangered. These include:
+The response of most antelopes is to run away as soon as the predator is detected inside of what is known as their "flight distance": this the distance that they would need to give them an advantage in outrunning the predator. It varies depending on the kind of predator; longer for a cheetah than a slower lion, for instance. Only a few antelope species are in the habit of fighting back against predators. Those that do are some of the larger species; including the oryxes, whose horns are very effective weapons (Voelker 1986).
-{|
-|valign|
-* [[addax]]
-* [[bluebuck]]
-* [[Bongo (antelope)|bongo]]
-* [[bontebok]]
-* [[Common Eland|common eland]]
-* [[dik-dik]]
-* [[duiker]]
-|valign|
-* [[gazelle]]
-* [[gemsbok]]
-* [[hartebeest]]
-* [[impala]]
-* [[klipspringer]]
-* [[kudu]]
-* [[nyala]]
-|valign|
-* [[oribi]]
-* [[oryx]]
-* [[Grey Rhebok]]
-* [[roan antelope]]
-* [[royal antelope]]
-* [[sable antelope]]
-* [[Springbok Antelope|springbok]]
-|valign|
-* [[suni]]
-* [[tibetan antelope]]
-* [[topi]]
-* [[waterbuck]]
-* [[wildebeest]]
-|}
-[[Blackbuck|Blackbuck antelope]] have been imported into the [[United States]], primarily for the purpose of "exotic game hunts," common and popular in [[Texas]]. There are no true antelope native to the Americas. The [[pronghorn antelope]] of the Great Plains belongs to the family [[Antilocapridae]]. The [[Mongolian gazelle]] (''Procapra gutturosa''), sometimes classified as an antelope, can run with a speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). [[Suni]] are small antelope that live in south-eastern Africa. They stand between 12-17 inches high at the shoulder and are very similar to the dik-dik in size, shape and color, but have many smaller differences.
-Antelope are not a cladistic group in and of themselves, but rather are considered a miscellaneous group. The term is used loosely to describe all members of the family ''Bovidae'' who do not fall under the category of [[sheep]], [[cattle]] or [[goat]]s. Native antelope can be found in Asia, India, and Africa.
+==Antelopes and humans==
+[[Image:Maler der Grabkammer des Amenemhêt 003.jpg|thumb|left|Tame gazelle in [[ancient Egypt]]]]
+[[Image:Houston Giant Eland.jpg|thumb|Giant Eland, ''Taurotragus derbianus'']]
+[[Image:Saiga.jpg|thumb|Saiga, ''Saiga tatarica'']]
+From earliest times, antelopes have been hunted by [[human]]s. In the [[Middle East]], gazelles provided the most important source of meat at the time that [[sheep]] and [[goat]]s were being domesticated, about 10,000 years ago (Clutton-Brook 1999). Antelope have also been hunted for sport. Antelope hunting scenes are often seen in ancient art.
-==Hybrid antelope==
+Some species of antelope have become [[extinct]] and others have been driven out of parts of their past ranges due to overhunting. Today, a number of species are [[endangered species|endangered]], mainly because of hunting, introduced [[disease]]s, and loss of habitat (IUCN 2007).
-A wide variety of antelope hybrids have been recorded in zoos. This may be due to a lack of more appropriate mates in enclosures shared with other species, or misidentification of species. The ease of hybridization shows how closely related some antelope species are. It is likely that some so-called species are actually variant populations of the same species, and are prevented from hybridization in the wild by behavioural or geographical differences.
-* A mating between a male eland and a female kudu produced a sterile male hybrid that resembled the eland.
+Some species of antelopes have been tamed and kept as pets, including the gazelle in [[ancient Egypt]] and the blackbuck in [[India]]. This never resulted in them becoming truly domesticated; for one thing they did not breed well in captivity. In modern times the eland has been bred in captivity and seems to have potential as a domestic animal, providing both meat and milk (Clutton-Brook 1999).
-* Blue wildebeest produce fertile hybrids with the smaller black wildebeest.  This led to an entire herd of 180 "genetically contaminated" black wildebeest being destroyed in a wildlife conservation park in an attempt to preserve species purity.
-* In the early 1900s, the London Zoological Society hybridized several antelope species, including the water-bucks ''Kobus ellipsiprymnus'' and ''Kobus unctuosus'', and the selouss antelope ''Limnotragus seloussi'' with ''Limnotragus gratus''.
-Listed antelope hybrids include:
+Antelopes are also admired for their beauty and each year many tourists travel to Africa to view them.
-* Bongo/Sitatunga
+==References==
-* Lesser kudu/Sitatunga
+*Bere, Rene. 1970. ''Antelopes.'' New York: Arco Publishing Company.
-* Eland/Greater kudu
+*Clutton-Brook, J. 1999. ''A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals.'' Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521634954
-* Blue duiker/Maxwell's duiker
+*Huffman, B. 2007. [http://www.ultimateungulate.com The Ultimate Ungulate Page.] Ultimate Ungulate Website. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
-* Bay duiker/Red-flanked duiker
+*IUCN Species Survival Commission (IUCN). 2007. [http://www.iucnredlist.org 2006 ICUN red list of threatened species.] International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
-* Bay duiker/Zebra duiker
+*Nowak, R. M., and J. L. Paradiso. 1983. ''Walker's Mammals of the World.'' Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801825253
-* Black duiker/Kaffir duiker
+*Voelker, W. 1986. ''The Natural History of Living Mammals.'' Medford, NJ: Plexus Publishing. ISBN 0937548081
-* Cape hartebeest/Blesbok
-* Bontebok/Blesbok
-* Black wildebeest/Blue wildebeest
-* Common waterbuck/Defassa waterbuck
-* Defassa waterbuck/Nile lechwe
-* Defassa waterbuck/Kob
-* Nile lechwe/Kob
-* Kafue lechwe/Ellipsen waterbuck
-* Red-fronted gazelle/Thomson's gazelle
-* Beisa oryx/Fringe-eared oryx
-* Grant's gazelle/Thomson's gazelle
-* Beisa oryx/Gemsbok
-* Arabian oryx/Scimitar-horned oryx
-* Thomson's gazelle/Roosevelt's gazelle
-* Slender-horned gazelle/Persian goitered gazelle
-* Persian gazelle/Blackbuck
-* Cuvier's gazelle/Slender-horned gazelle
-==Cultural aspects==
-The antelope's horn is prized for its medicinal and magical powers in many places.  In the [[Republic of the Congo|Congo]], it is thought to confine spirits.  Christian iconography sometimes uses the antelope's two horns as a symbol of the two spiritual weapons that Christians possess: the [[Old Testament]] and the [[New Testament]].  The antelope's ability to run swiftly has also led to its association with the [[wind]], such as in the ''[[Rig Veda]]'' where antelopes are the steeds of the [[Maruts]] and the wind god [[Vaya]].
-==External links==
-* [http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-antelope.html San Diego Zoo]. Includes pictures.
-* [http://www.sa-venues.com/wildlife/wildlife_eland.htm Eland]. Includes pictures.
-* [http://www.awf.org/wildlives/121 African Wildlife Foundation]'s Hartebeest page. Includes a dropdown menu of other antelope pages.
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 [[Category:Life sciences]]
+[[Category:Animals]]
+[[Category:Mammals]][[Category:Ungulates]]