Beira (antelope)
| Beira | ||||||||||||
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Beira ( Dorcatragus megalotis ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Dorcatragus | ||||||||||||
| Noack , 1894 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Dorcatragus megalotis | ||||||||||||
| ( Menges , 1894) |
The Beira ( Dorcatragus megalotis ) is a dwarf antelope that only lives in a relatively small area that includes northern Somalia and parts of Djibouti . Occasionally individual animals also migrate to the territory of Ethiopia .
features
With a head body length of 80 cm, a shoulder height of 65 cm and a weight of 10 kg, it is quite large for a dwarf antelope. It is colored red-brown on the top and white on the underside. The head appears yellowish. The ears are exceptionally large. The face has a white eye ring. Only the males have horns that are about 9 cm long and straight. The hooves have a wide and thick sole pad.
The habitat of the Beira are stony semi-deserts in the Horn of Africa . In mountainous areas she jumps from rock to rock like the ibex does . She looks for grasses and leaves from which she meets all her fluid needs. The Beira does not need any further water intake. Beiras live in small herds of a maximum of seven animals, which are grouped around a male.
The IUCN classifies the Beira as endangered. Due to the extremely unstable political situation in Somalia, the current status of this antelope is completely unknown.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Web links
- Dorcatragus megalotis inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Heckel, J.-O., Rayaleh, HA, Wilhelmi, F. & Hammer, S., 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2013.