Roan
The roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus ) is a savanna antelope found in western, central, and southern Africa.
The roan antelope is one of the largest species of antelope; only eland, bongo and large male greater kudu can exceed them in weight. They measure 190–240 cm (75–94 in) from the head to the base of tail and the tail measures 37–48 cm (15–19 in). The body mass of males is 242–300 kg (534–661 lb) and of females is 223–280 kg (492–617 lb). The shoulder of this species is typically around 130–140 cm (51–55 in). Named for their roan colour (a reddish brown), they have lighter underbellies, white eyebrows and cheeks and black faces, lighter in females. They have short, erect manes, very light beards and prominent red nostrils. The horns are ringed and can reach one metre (3 ft 3 in) long in males, slightly shorter in females. They arch backwards slightly.
They are similar in appearance to the sable antelope and can be confused where their ranges overlap. Sable antelope males are darker, being brownish-black rather than dark brown. Roan antelope are found in woodland and grassland savanna, mainly in the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, which range in tree density from forest with a grassy understory (such as the central Zambezian Miombo woodlands) to grasslands dotted with few trees, where they eat mid-length grasses. They form harem groups of five to 15 animals with a dominant male. Roan antelope commonly fight among themselves for dominance of their herd, brandishing their horns while both animals are on their knees.
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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HerdingA herd is a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Roan antelope is a large antelope with a horse-like build. Named for its roan color (a reddish-brown), it has a lighter underbelly, white eyebrows and cheeks, and black face, lighter in females. The Roan antelope has short, erect manes, a very light beard, and prominent red nostrils. The horns are ringed and can reach a meter long in males, slightly shorter in females; they arch backward slightly.
Roan antelopes are found in West, Central, and Southern Africa. They live in woodland and in the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands.
Roan antelopes are gregarious animals. They form harem groups of 5 to 15 females with a dominant male. They commonly fight among themselves for dominance of their herd, brandishing their horns while both animals are on their knees. Young males usually leave the herd where they were born when they are 2 years old and join bachelor herds; at the age of about 6 years, they will try to establish their own territory. Roan antelopes are usually active during the early hours of the day and in the evening. They spend their time grazing, browsing, and may even enter the water to eat aquatic plants. Roan antelopes are shy but very brave animals and when threatened by predators, they won't hesitate to confront them.
Roan antelopes are herbivores (graminivores, folivores). They mainly feed on grasses, but will also eat leaves, shoots, twigs, and stems.
Roan antelopes have a polygynous mating system in which one male mate with more than one female. They may breed at any time of the year. The gestation period usually lasts about 9 months and the female gives birth to a single calf. One or two weeks before giving birth she will leave the herd to choose and safe place with tall grass. Once the calf is born, the female returns to the herd and will visit her calf at dusk and spend the night with it. The young stays hidden for about 4-5 weeks after birth before it's strong enough to join the herd. Weaning usually occurs at the age of 6 months and reproductive maturity - between 2 and 6 years old.
Habitat loss and poaching are the main causes to the decline of the Roan antelope populations. At present these beautiful animals mainly survive only in or near protected areas.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total Roan antelope population size is around 76,000 individuals. Populations of this species have been estimated in the following areas: Burkina Faso - more than 7,370 individuals; Cameroon - more than 6,070 individuals; Zambia - more than 5,080 individuals and Tanzania - more than 4,310 individuals. Overall, currently, the Roan antelope is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
Due to their grazing habits, Roan antelopes assist in cycle plant/grass nutrients into further areas. The young, as well as adults, also serve as prey for large local predators.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...