Alias:Dorcatragus megalotis,
Outline:Ungulata
Family:Artiodactylus Bovidae Oxtail
length:80-86cm
Weight:9-11.5kg
Life:About 10 years
IUCN:LC
Dorcatragus megalotis (scientific name: Beira, Beira Antelope) is the only species in the genus Dorcatragus of the order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae, and has no subspecies.
Dorcatragus megalotis live in pairs or small groups, always led by a male. However, there are larger groups, which usually occur when family groups gather. The Eland, like most antelopes, does most of its activity in the morning and evening, resting in the midday. The species is very alert, with large ears and excellent hearing alerting them to the slightest noise, and will quickly move away when they sense danger, crossing loose stones at a swift speed, jumping from rock to rock boundary in a goat-like manner in steeper, safer areas.
The Eland mainly swims to feed, but will stop to graze when there is grass. They are adapted to arid climates and do not need to search for water, as they get everything they need from the plants they eat. They mainly feed on leaves of shrubs, as well as grass.
There is little information about the reproduction of the antelope. The calves of the antelope are only born in April every year, which is the peak of the rainy season. The gestation period is 6 months, and the female antelope only gives birth to one calf each year.
In 1999, the species population was estimated at 7,000 individuals, based on the assumption that the species population density is 0.2 individuals per km2 throughout the species and that it inhabits an area of approximately 35,000 km2. Most live in northern Somalia, which is relatively unaffected by the civil war/military conflict in other parts of the country. Its population may be decreasing in some areas where settlements are expanding and livestock density is high, but its population is probably stable in areas with few settlements. In Djibouti, the total population is estimated to be between 50-150 individuals (2004). In Djibouti, the antelope is confined to a limited area and its population may be declining due to desertification, overgrazing and disturbance from newly arrived refugees. In Somalia, the species population was significantly reduced during the 1975 drought (Simonetta 1988).
Listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2016 ver 3.1 - Vulnerable (VU).
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