Male Black Buck Antelope has black fur on their upper parts and white fur on their chest, belly, the inner sides of their legs, and on their muzzle and chin. They have white rings around their eyes and they have long, ringed horns that spiral with three to four turns and are up to 28 inches long.
The males are born light brown then turn black around three years of age. Males stand about 32 inches tall at the shoulders and weigh between 71 and 95 pounds. Female Black Buck Antelope are smaller, are beige or light brown and usually do not have horns, however, if they do, the horns are not ringed and spiraled as the males are.
Black Buck Antelope are among the fastest animals on earth and can out run almost any other animal over long distances. They can run almost 50 miles per hour when necessary.
Food
The Black Buck Antelope’s main diet consists of grass. They also eat leaves, pods, fruits, shrubs and flowers.
Habitat
Black Buck Antelope are native to India. They live on open grasslands, dry thorn and scrublands.
Predators
Black Buck Antelope predators include dogs and wolves. Poaching and habitat destruction has also contributed to the endangerment of this species. The Black Buck Antelope is endangered in Nepal and India and is protected. Their sharp eyesight and their speed are their natural defense against predators.
Social Structure
Black Buck Antelope live in female groups of 15 to 20; mixed groups; bachelor groups; and territorial males. Territorial males are dominant and occupy the prime grazing areas along with the female groups. The males rut, or fight and spar, year round although they rarely hurt each other.
Birth & Offspring
The males hold their nose up, placing their horns parallel to their back, to attract the females during mating season. By the time mating season reaches its peak, one male has established dominance of the herd. Female Black Buck Antelope carry their fawns for about five months and they generally have two fawns per year that are born approximately six months apart.
The fawn joins the mother with the rest of the group at about two weeks of age. Up until that time it lies in the grass between nursings. Young male bucks join bachelor groups when they are between six months and one year of age due to harassment by territorial males. Young females stay with their mother for up to a year.
Senses
Black Buck Antelope have very keen eyesight.
Lydia King is a huge animal lover and has always been fascinated with learning about the animal kingdom. She enjoys writing about anything animal related from scientific information about rare species to animal references in pop culture.
