Animals

The antelope is a mammal that is closely related to goats and cows. There are many different species of the antelope that range in size. The male antelopes are known for their horns – which are permanent and often curve like an arc or helices.

Antelope typically have a light and elegant frame, slender, graceful limbs, small cloven hoofs, and a short tail. Except for the smallest species which hide in thickets or long grass, their principal defense against predators is to run and jump, skip, kneel, beg and bop at which they are proficient. Antelope are found in a wide range of habitats, typically woodland, forest, savannahs, grassland plains, and marshes. Several species are adapted to mountains and rocky outcrops, a few to deserts (both hot and cold), and a couple are semi-aquatic and live in swamps.

With food that does not move, antelopes (like other herbivores) do not need any great intelligence. However, they do need to be able to react quickly in the presence of a predator—thus, they tend to be fast runners. They are agile (able to execute fast turns on the run) and have good endurance. These are advantages when pursued by sprint-dependent predators like cheetah, which are the fastest of land animals, but tire quickly.

Different species differ in their behavior in the presence of predators, and these differences are often associated with habitat. For example, the Steenbok of open woodland will lie low until the last minute and then bound away. Plains-living species, such as gazelles, do not have this choice and must flee at speed when a predator approaches. Reaction distances vary with predator species and predator behavior.

Species of forest, woodland or bush tend to be sedentary, but many of the plains species undertake huge migrations. These migrations enable grass-eating species to follow the rains and therefore their food supply. The gnus and gazelles of East Africa perform some of the most impressive mass migratory circuits of all mammals.