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

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

Chapter 3: Subfamily VI. HIPPOTRAGINÆ.
By Philip Lutley Sclater
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About This Book

This volume provides systematic accounts of large African antelopes, treating hippotragine and tragelaphine groups. It organizes taxa by genus and species, giving detailed morphological descriptions, skull and horn characters, measurements, variations, and subspecies distinctions, along with information on geographic distribution and habitat. Each entry is accompanied by plates and figure descriptions illustrating skins, horns, skulls, and behavior. The text includes identification keys, discussion of taxonomy and synonymy, notes on rarity and extinction for certain species, and an appendix listing species and subspecies newly described during the work.

THE BOOK OF ANTELOPES.

VOL. IV.

Subfamily VI. HIPPOTRAGINÆ.

General Characters.—Size large. Muzzle hairy. Anteorbital glands absent. Tail long, more or less tufted. Mammæ 4.

Skull heavily built; without supraorbital pits, with small or no lachrymal fissures, and without anteorbital fossæ. Molars very high and broad, and with accessory internal columns; therefore very similar to those of the Bovinæ, the subfamily containing the Oxen.

Horns long, straight, curved, or spiral; present and of approximately equal dimensions in both sexes.

Range of Subfamily. Ethiopian Region—Africa south of Atlas and Arabia.

This subfamily contains some of the largest and finest Antelopes in existence. Three genera are usually recognized, which may be distinguished as follows:—

  • A. Horns straight or curved, not twisted. Hoofs normal.
  • a. Horns placed above the orbits, starting nearly vertically upwards and then curving strongly backwards  1. Hippotragus.
  • b. Horns placed behind the orbits, slanting backwards nearly in the line of the face  2. Oryx.
  • B. Horns spirally twisted, placed as in Oryx. Hoofs broadly rounded.  3. Addax.