The blackbuck Antilope cervicapra
The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) is the only living representative of the genus Antilope; it was first described in 1766 by famous naturalist Peter Pallas. The blackbucks are found only in India and Pakistan, where these animals live in semi-deserts and rocky areas, and avoid dense shrubs and forests. The blackbuck is not a large antelope; its body length reaches 120 cm, height at the shoulders varies from 75 to 85 cm and weight, from 32 to 45 kilograms. The horns are borne only by males and have a length of up to 75 cm; they twist spirally to four turns. Blackbucks are gregarious animals; their herds range from 5 to 50 individuals, including a single adult male and a number of females with their offspring. Young males are driven away from the herd. Blackbucks are most active in the early morning and afternoon, resting in the shade at daytime. They feed exclusively on grass and often graze on cultivated fields, which in the past was the reason of their extermination by humans. They drink very rarely. During the rut, males are extremely aggressive; they mark their territory by dung and secretions of their preorbital glands. The males often fight and sometimes break their horns while sparring. The winners drive other males from the territory of their harem. Gestation lasts about 5.5 months and usually results in the birth of a single calf weighing 3.5 to 4 kilograms. The calf is able to run in a few hours after birth but it spends first days of its life hiding from predators in tall grass. Blackbucks become independent at the age of two months.
