Sable antelope
| Sable antelope | |
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_adult_male.jpg) |
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| Adult male Hippotragus niger niger, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa | |
_female_crossing_the_road_(16635641913),_crop.jpg) |
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| H. n. niger cow in the southern Kruger National Park, South Africa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Hippotraginae |
| Genus: | Hippotragus |
| Species: | H. niger |
| Binomial name | |
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Hippotragus niger Harris, 1838 |
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| geographic range | |
The sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) is an antelope which inhabits wooded savannah in East Africa south of Kenya, and in Southern Africa.
The sable antelope shares the genus Hippotragus with the extinct bluebuck (H. leucophaeus) and the roan antelope (H. equinus), and is a member of the family Bovidae.
In 1996, an analysis of extracted from a mounted specimen of the bluebuck showed that it is outside the clade containing the roan and sable antelopes. The cladogram below shows the position of the sable antelope among its relatives, following the 1996 analysis:
Blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi)
Bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygarus)
Bluebuck (Hippotragus leucophaeus)
Roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus)
Sable antelope (Hippotragus niger)
Hipotrachus niger has four subspecies:
The sable antelope is sexually dimorphic, with the male heavier and about one-fifth taller than the female. The head-and-body length is typically between 190 and 255 cm (75 and 100 in). Males reach about 117–140 cm (46–55 in) at the shoulder, while females are slightly shorter. Males typically weigh 235 kg (518 lb) and females 220 kg (490 lb). The tail is 40–75 cm (16–30 in) long, with a tuft at the end.
The sable antelope has a compact and robust build, characterized by a thick neck and tough skin. It has a well-developed and often upright mane on its neck, as well as a short mane on the throat. Its general colouration is rich chestnut to black. Females and juveniles are chestnut to dark brown, while males begin darkening and turn black after three years. However, in southern populations, females have a brown to black coat. Calves less than two months old are a light tan and show faint markings. The underparts, cheek, and chin are all white, creating a great contrast with the dark back and flanks. Long, white hairs are present below the eyes, and a wide, black stripe runs over the nose.
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Wikipedia