Stilt gazelle
| Stilt gazelle | ||||||||||||
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Stilt gazelle ( Ammodorcas clarkei ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Ammodorcas | ||||||||||||
| Thomas , 1891 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Ammodorcas Clarkei | ||||||||||||
| ( Thomas , 1891) |
The stilt gazelle ( Ammodorcas clarkei ), also known as the lama gazelle or dibatag , is an African antelope belonging to the gazelle-like group . The name "Dibatag" comes from the Somali language and is composed of dabu ("tail") and tag ("upright"). It stems from the fact that the stilt gazelles keep their tails upright when they run.
External features
The stilt gazelle is named after its long, thin legs. Because of these characteristics, it was occasionally placed near the giraffe gazelle; a close relationship is no longer assumed today. It is gray-beige on the top and white on the underside. The legs are ocher and the forehead is reddish brown. Only the males have short horns, which are about 20 cm long, curled at the base and bent forward in a sharp arc. A stilt gazelle measures around 85 cm to the shoulder and weighs 22 to 31 kg. The head-trunk length is 152 to 168 cm.
distribution
As an endemic inhabitant of the Ogaden desert (in the border area between Ethiopia and Somalia ) and central Somalia, it is one of the rarest antelopes ever.
behavior
Like the giraffe gazelle, the stilt gazelle is also a leaf eater, which often stands on its hind legs to reach high branches. The bucks are territorial and renew their markings every day. The females form groups of up to five animals with their young and individual adult goats.
Danger
According to the IUCN list, its existence has been endangered since 1986 (vulnerable C1).
literature
- Bernhard Grzimek: Grzimeks animal life. Volume 13.
- Jonathan Kingdon: The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals.
Web link
- Ammodorcas clarkei inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Heckel, J.-O., Wilhelmi, F., Kaariye, XY & Amir, OG, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2013.