Antelope Cannes (Lat. Taurotragus Oryx) – The largest African herbivore antelope in the world belong to the genus of the greenhouses and belong to the family of sex. Quite close in terms of their signs with Kudu, Bongo and Nyalo – Paint antelopes.
Types of Cannes antelopes
In any classification, only two types of Cannes are distinguished:
Western and ordinary antelopes, which are practically indistinguishable in their appearance, body structure and size. Western surpasses ordinary only with the length of its horns.
How it looks
Very often the view is compared with deer, bulls or small moose, therefore these animals are considered the largest antelopes in the world. Males on average at the withers reach one and a half to two meters in height, females are slightly smaller, about 1.4-1.6 meters. The weight of males can reach one ton, the females are more light and rarely exceed 600 kilograms.
They are clumsy, like cows, have a heavy head, thick skin, a tail with a brush and a larger torso, like bulls, but with all this they retain their grace, which consists in long horns, slender legs and a long neck. Translated from Latin, this species is called «goats similar to bulls».
The length of the horn of an ordinary look on average reaches 50-60 centimeters, while in Western Cannes they are much larger and vary from 80 centimeters to a meter. The form of the horns themselves is also considered the main feature of the species: they are twisted at the base, look like a screw, but starting from the middle become straight. This structure allows males to apply more severe injuries during skirmishes due to the female. The wool is short, there is a small mane on the crest and withers, about 10-12 centimeters. The color is mostly brownish-white, but it can have different shades depending on the environment of the animal.
The shape of the head is the most standard and does not differ from other antelopes, the color of the eyes of brows. The ears are small, grow with thick wool inside and out. The tail length is 45-50 centimeters, at the end there is a brush consisting of hard hairs.
Where it lives
This species live throughout Africa, from the south to sugar. The best landscape, deserts and semideserts, as well as plains and savannahs are considered the best landscape. Several thousand animals can be found in the area of the Serengeti desert. If possible, the individuals of both sexes try to avoid moist forests due to the unpleasant climate and the presence of predators.
What eats
Antelopes give their preference to the foliage of trees and shrubs, in which there are many useful vitamins and water, so as not to go to a watering. With a lack of food, they begin with hooves, the strength of which is actually transcendental, to dig wild melons and other fruits of plants. Can also eat grass if the body requires it. As a time for pasture, they choose night and twilight, and rest the rest of the day, because they do not like heat and are afraid of predators hunting during the day. The drought is tolerated due to the amazing ability of the kidneys – highlighting concentrated urine, contributing to accelerated sweating. The water balance is replenished for a greater extent thanks to small streams, which are often found in areas where these animals live.
Natural enemies
The key natural enemies that give Cannes many inconvenience are considered lions, hyenas and cheetahs. These predators are afraid to attack adult animals, because they know how to deal with them, as a result of which they pose a danger exclusively for young individuals. Antilopian population also began to decline due to the arrival of colonialists who hunted Cannes. Yes, the Aboriginal tribes were sometimes killed by animals to make clothes or eat out of them, but it was the Europeans who came with firearms and began to capture the territories, undermined the number of antelopes.
At the moment, the position of this species is regarded as satisfactory, but it still suffers due to a lack of pastures, as well as poachers.
Features and lifestyle
Basically live in groups of ten to twenty individuals, herds in females and males are built separately. During a watering and on huge pastures, they are combined into herds with a large number, sometimes the number of animals can reach up to a thousand individuals in them.
Every year, Cannes arrange migration: at the beginning of the season of heavy rains, they go to the regions of the foothills, where many young grass germinates during this period, and during the drought they descend to the river channels in the valleys and steppes. They can change their place of residence in the area, trying to find the best pasture. In comparison with other types of antilopes, as well as zebra, they are not particularly massive migration.
The character of these animals is very fearful, despite their large size. They try not to allow predators to a distance of more than five hundred meters, but if they notice the enemy – try to run away and begin to publish a characteristic barking. The unhurried step that Cannes usually move is replaced by a trot, and after a heavy gallop, if the situation is very serious and the predator is already quite close. During a short distance race, they can reach 70-80 kilometers per hour in speed, but if you have to run for a long time, the speed decreases to fifty.
The height of adults can reach three meters, and young animals are able to jump even higher. Sometimes they can stop and jump up in place, scientists have not yet been able to find out why they are doing this.
At the head of the herd, it is mainly an experienced and old leader who already knows the area surrounding them, survived more than one attack from predators and defeated more than one battle. Also, in view of his age and wisdom, the leader refers to females who recently gave birth to babies, as well as young animals, who has not yet gained experience and may suffer due to his own stupidity. Sometimes, when the time of migration comes, males arrange a duel to find out their strength, but the leader often stops it, because the group is not needed in the group.
Thanks to their hooves, juicy fruits and roots of plants are often dug up to enjoy delicious food.
The body of the antelopes during evolution has fully adapted to any weather conditions, from rains to long-term drought, due to which a protective reaction is included in their body, which increases the temperature of the animal by 6-8 degrees. Due to this, the probability of a large loss of fluid in the body is less.
Reproduction
Propagation takes place once a year, depending on the group, the season can change, whether it is autumn, spring, winter or summer. Males marry the places that they want to make them, using small shirts of wool on the forehead. They lower it into the ground, having previously wetted it, and then begin to spread their smell in trees and shrubs, which they smell the resulting mixture.
Each time, strong males are trying to show which of them is a dominant, so they arrange ritual battles. First of all, rivalry is manifested in threats, antelopes become a halfbellshaped opposite each other and look intently, burning with a look. After that, they are in contact with horns and wait until their pressure power becomes approximately equal – This means that both rivals are ready for the competition. If during the pushing none of the males is inferior to another, they begin to butt with horns and try to tie the enemy to the land, while without inflicting deaths on the sides.
The gestational age of females varies from eight to ten months, most often they give birth during heavy rains. At the last moment, the female leaves the herd in front of the birth. The kid who is born can follow after a couple of hours to follow his mother. It is guarded by all members of the group, especially the leader who is scrupulous towards young. There are quite a lot of protein and fat in the milk of Cannes, in comparison with the cows, there are more twice aside, so the cubs are very quickly gained in weight and grow.
In two or three years, babies are considered to be full-fledged animals that do not need to be protected, so they can leave the herd and join another. The ripening of females occurs by three years, while males develop a little longer, about 4-5 years old.
The age of Cannes in captivity reaches 25-30 years, and in the wild they rarely live up to twenty.
