Vilogogaya antelope (lat. Antilocapra americana) the only living representative of the Vilorogov family, belongs to the detachment of whaleporchanes, the genus of Vilorogs. A chewing animal that is considered the most ancient ungulates of North America.
How it looks
This animal has a rather slender and beautiful body, it is not far from roe deer in size: body length is 100-150 centimeters, in the shoulders the height reaches a meter and mass of a forklorog on an average of 40-60 kilograms.
Horns, as the name implies, branch to the sides, forming peculiar “pitchfork”. In males, they are thick and short, no more than 30 centimeters in height, in females the horns is much smaller and do not have a characteristic form, which is why it can be confused with any other antelopia without any problems. In all the sexually, with whom the body is very similar in their structure, the horns are massive bone rods, which are subsequently covered with the socalled “horny covers”. However, it is this type that is the only existing copy that can drop its covers annually, and then grow them again. The change of horns occurs due to the end of the reproduction season, and can occupy about six months in terms of duration. Thus, the vilogo antelope is a certain intermediate stage between sexually and deer.
The color is unstable, mainly brown, becoming lighter at the legs. A white spot in the form of a crescent may be present on the throat, and in males a small blackshell of black color. The hair is thick, rather wavy, it forms a lush and noticeable mane on the neck. Also, this species has very developed odorous glands that contribute to accelerated heat transfer and can knock down predators from the trace, spreading many different odors. With the help of them, by the way, they die during the rut.
Has large and keen eyes, deeply planted in the skull. This structure provides the beast with the opportunity to survey the surrounding space by 360 degrees.
A large heart, processing a lot of blood liters, voluminous lungs, providing the animal with great endurance, as well as a thick trachea through which a plentiful amount of oxygen passes the main features of the internal structure of the vilorals, thanks to which they can move very quickly over long distances.
On average, their maximum speed reaches more than 80 kilometers per hour, which is why the viloral antelope is considered the fastest representative of the family. This animal also takes the second place in speed all over the world, giving way to cheetah
Where it lives
At the moment, it is mainly inhabiting the whole of North America, starting the north of Mexico and the Rocky Mountains, ending with Canada and the Missouri River. For life, they try to set about water sources, as well as in places with the largest amount of vegetation, for example, on plains and elevations.
What eats
This species is considered herbivore, so it is enough for them to eat food without being distracted by a long water. Eating from them occupies almost all the time, with small breaks for sleep, which rarely lasts more than three hours.
The stomach of the antilopus consists of four chambers, so that they can easily digest cellulose, which means they can eat leaves of low trees along with branches without worrying about the body.
The main food for these animals are wild fruits that they produce with their hooves, herbal vegetation, which quite a lot on the flat terrain, cacti that they come across in the way, as well as shrubs to make up for the supply of vitamins useful for the body. Mineral balance is restored, eating a small amount of land.
Graze mainly during twilight or early in the morning, because they are not able to endure too hot temperatures. Almost all their lives have been spent in motion and search for food.
Natural enemies
Vylorogs, like other any antelopes, have a lot of enemies in the animal world: they are one of the most beloved delicacies of tigers, hyenas, leopards and lions. But it is precisely this species that the most opportunities are to be saved, because due to speed they can be caught up with only cheetahs that are not found in the habitats of the vilorists.
The main creature, which causes the largest damage to the population, is undoubtedly a person. It is people who love to eat antelopes, because it is considered very tasty, and in many peoples even delicious.
In the wild, they rarely live up to ten years because of a weak, albeit very hardy, body. In national parks, the middle age of life is about fifteen to twenty years.
Features and lifestyle
Many centuries ago, there were many huge herds of Wylorogs throughout the American continent, but now, mainly because of humans and his activities, the number of animals has been reduced several times. During the cold, antelopes gather in herds, the number of which varies from fifty to several hundred individuals. When the food ends, the animals begin to migrate massively, while overcoming huge distances in a short period of time, which is facilitated by their speed and endurance.
By their nature, the viloenes are not aggressive and arrange battles only during the Gon period, when they need to prove their strength and show dominance in order to interest the female. They have food throughout the entire time, so they graze around the clock. The stern, which is grass, contains a huge amount of moisture, thanks to which for several weeks the animal may not go down to a watering.
A white spot in the abdomen, which is very noticeable from afar, serves not only an external decoration, but also a way to warn about danger. When the beast notices the predator, the wool is mechanically protruded in this part of the body, showing the rest that it is time to run.
Unlike most other animals, a herd in this species is leaded by a female, and the male drives everyone from the back and fulfills the role of an observer, the purpose of which is to find food and detect the enemy nearby. The elderly generally tries to weed out, because they no longer have a former maneuverability, which means they will only interfere with the young herd.
Although these animals are fast, the height of the jump is unlikely to reach 0.5 meters. Because of this lack of cold and hunger, when the antelopes begin to migrate, many individuals cannot reach food, not having the opportunity to jump over high obstacles, as a result of which they die, breaking their legs.
Have a large range of sounds that they can pronounce, but mainly communicate with each other with the help of a bleating.
Reproduction
The reproduction season begins in the summer and lasts about two to three weeks. Females and males begin to be divided into separate groups, after which they are looking for a territory on which they will live. They are strictly and aggressively protecting her, not letting anyone close.
Males often arrange painful for the loser of a fraud, the purpose of which is to demonstrate their own strength and obtain a female. During the battles, these animals hide each other with horns, often tattering each other’s bellies, which is why the defeated dies.
At their core, males are polygamous and have more than ten individuals in their harem, not limited to one one. The female, when he sees the strength and interest of the dominant male, raises his tail up, showing that she is ready to mate and wants to join his harem.
The duration of pregnancy lasts a little less than that of people, about 7-8 months. 1-2 cubs are born in one droppage, twins are not such a rare exception, unlike most other articulate. At birth, the kids have a light brown color and weigh about three or four kilograms, rarely exceeding these indicators. After the birth, they cannot stand on their feet, are very helpless and hide in the grass, because they are very simple and eaten by predators. Mother tries to arrange feeding her child 3-4 times a day.
After one and a half to two months, babies can finally join young animals and join the main herd, and when three months of age is reached, the female stops feeding them with milk, allowing young antelopes to taste the grass.
