Antelope | The antelope is a deer-like mammal found in Africa, Asia and parts of the Americas. There are many different species of antelope including the tiny Royal antelope that stands at the height of a rabbit! Unlike deer that renew their horns annually, the antelope has strong permanent horns, that antelope mainly use to defend their herd or to fight other antelopes. An antelope tends
to get to between 8 and 10 years old in the wild although they have
been known to live for longer when kept in captivity. Many antelope individuals however,
wouldn't last into old age in the wild as antelope are a key target for
many large carnivorous mammals. If the antelope was old then the
antelope would naturally be slower at running from danger.
The antelope is one of the many medium-sized mammals holding the African food chain together. The antelope may
only graze on grasses but it is a stable food source for many of
Africa\s large carnivorous predators, such as lions, hyenas and
crocodiles. Antelope display different defensive behaviours based on
their size, habitat, number and species. The smaller solitary antelope
tend to live in dense forested areas and these species of antelope
defend themselves by hiding. The duiker antelopes get their name from
this specie\'s ability to dive into the vegetation. Gazelle-sized antelope run and leap, and some species of antelope exhibit
their unique behaviour of pronking or stotting. Large antelope
congregate in larger herds and can depend on running as group defence.
The antelope is found in a wide range of habitats, typically woodland, forest, savannah, grassland plains, and marshes.
Several species of antelope have adapted to living in the mountains and
rocky outcrops, a few species of antelope have adapted to deserts (both hot and cold), and a couple of species of antelope are even semi-aquatic and these antelope live in swamps.
After mating, female antelopes give birth to a single calf or, more rarely, twins, after a gestation period that can last up to eight months. A mother and her newborn calf are vulnerable to
predators, and antelopes have had to evolve different strategies for
surviving this period. For most antelope species, the female gives birth
in dense cover and leaves the calf while she feeds. The calf comes
to its mother when she calls it, and once fed, the calf will hide away
again. Once in its hiding place, the calf remains completely still and
will run away only if it is on the verge of being discovered.
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