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The book of antelopes, vol. 3 (of 4) cover

The book of antelopes, vol. 3 (of 4)

Chapter 3: Subfamily V. ANTILOPINÆ.
By Philip Lutley Sclater
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About This Book

This volume provides systematic accounts of members of the Antilopinae, arranging genera and species entries with careful descriptions of external form, skull and horn morphology, dentition, measurements, and sexual and age variation. Geographic range notes and comparative remarks clarify relationships and diagnostic characters. Numerous plates and text figures illustrate heads, horns, skulls, skins, and typical attitudes, and individual species accounts cite specimen evidence and synonymy where relevant, enabling identification and comparison across gazelles, saiga, chiru, springbuck, gerenuk, dibatag, and related antelopes.

Subfamily V. ANTILOPINÆ.

General Characters.—Size medium or small. Muzzle hairy. Anteorbital glands variable, large in some genera, absent in others. Tail generally short. Mammæ 2 (4 in Saiga).

Skull usually with supraorbital pits, lachrymal vacuities, and anteorbital fossæ. Molars tall and narrow.

Horns present in the male only, except in Antidorcas and in most of the species of Gazella.

Range of Subfamily. South-eastern Europe, Western and Central Asia, Peninsula of India, and the whole of Africa.

The greater part of this subfamily consists of the Gazelles and their allies, the Saiga, Chiru, Springbuck, Gerenuk, and Dibatag; and with these, by common consent, are included the Black-buck, the typical form of the whole group of Antelopes, and the Pallahs. We have also thought that the anomalous little Antelope known as the Beira would best be placed in this subfamily, near the Gazelles, in spite of the superficial resemblance it bears to certain members of the subfamily Neotraginæ.

The present subfamily consists therefore of nine genera, which may be arranged as follows:—

  • A. Horns spirally twisted  1. Antilope.
  • B. Horns curved or straight, not twisted.
  • a. False hoofs absent  2. Æpyceros.
  • b. False hoofs present.
  • a1. Horns medium or long, curved.
  • a2. Muzzle swollen or elongated.
  • a3. Horns medium, lyrate, whitish  3. Saiga.
  • b3. Horns long, slightly curved, black  4. Pantholops.
  • b2. Muzzle slender, normal.
  • a3. Neck normal.
  • a4. Horns convex forwards for three-fourths their length.
  • a5. Back with a central white streak. Lower premolars 2.  5. Antidorcas.
  • b5. Back normal. Lower premolars 3  6. Gazella.
  • b4. Horns concave forwards, except just at their base.  7. Ammodorcas.
  • b3. Neck much elongated. Horns as in Gazella.  8. Lithocranius.
  • b1. Horns short, quite straight  9. Dorcotragus.