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Royal Antelope - Neotragus pygmaeus
Topic Started: Nov 17 2012, 01:52 PM (1,656 Views)
linnaeus1758
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Royal Antelope - Neotragus pygmaeus

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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Neotragus
Species: Neotragus pygmaeus

Description
It is the smallest of all antelopes and one of the smallest living ungulates, with 25–30 cm. high at the shoulder and weighing only 1.5–3.6 kgs., being about the size of a rabbit.
The legs are long and slender; the hind legs are much longer than the front legs, which give the body a crouched appearance. The soft coat is a reddish-brown in color. The underparts, including the chin and inside of the legs, are white, but there is a brown band which crosses the chest and breaks up the white underside. A white tuft is at the end of the thin tail. Male royal antelope grow a very small pair of black-colored horns: these are smooth and cone-like, growing to a maximum on 3.5 cm. in length.

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Biology
The royal antelope is a very shy species that is difficult to study. This species is most active around dawn and dusk, and may also be active at night. They inhabit very small territories (about 100 square meters) which are marked with piles of dung. When a threat approaches, royal antelope will first crouch and slink into cover in the hope of going undetected. They will take flight only when the threat is very close, zipping through the undergrowth or using strong leaps to clear obstacles.
In the wild, royal antelope are thought to give birth in November and December. Babies are extremely fragile and weigh less than 300 grams. They are born with the same coloration as adults.
They feed on leaves and shoots, as well as flowers, fruit, and fungi.
Life span is probably around 6 years, up to 10 in captivity.
Most predators found within its range, including birds of prey and large snakes.

Distribution and habitat
The species is only found in the rainforests of the Guinea forest block in west Africa.
Royal antelope inhabit forest areas with dense undergrowth, and can be found in pockets of forest along roads and in farmland.

Conservation
It is well represented in several protected areas, but only a few of the protected areas in which it occurs receive any protection against poaching, logging and agricultural encroachment. Its survival will probably become increasingly dependent on effective protection in protected areas such as Tai National Park in Côte d’Ivoire and the forest parks in Ghana.


Edited by linnaeus1758, Jun 13 2014, 04:07 PM.
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