Beira (antelope)

Beira
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Antilopinae
Genus: Dorcatragus
Noack, 1894
Species: D. megalotis
Binomial name
Dorcatragus megalotis
(Menges, 1894)[2]
Beira range
Synonyms[1]
  • Oreotragus megalotis Menges,1894

The beira (Dorcatragus megalotis) is a small arid adapted antelope that inhabits arid regions of the Horn of Africa.

Description

The beira has a bushy tail, a coarse coat which is reddish grey on the back separated from the white underparts by a dark band which extends along each side from the elbow to the rear leg. Its long, slender legs are fawn-coloured land the head is yellowish red with black eyelids and white eye rings. The beira has disproportionately large ears, which are 15 cm long and 7.5 cm across with white fur on their interiors. Only the males have horns which are 7.5–10 cm long, straight spikes which grow out vertically from near the sides of the ears. The length of the animal is 80–86 cm, it stands 50–60 cm at the shoulder and weights between 9-11.5 kg.[3]

Distribution

The beira is endemic to northeast Africa, it occurs in the far south of Djibouti southwatds across northern Somalia and into extreme north eastern Ethiopia. The main part of its range is in northern Somalia Somaliland, from the frontier with Djibouti, east into Puntland and the Nogaal Valley. Its occurrence in Djibouti was only confirmed in 1993.[1]

Habitat

Beira are found in rocky or stony hillsides and slopes, among dry, grassland intersperse with acacia scrub and many sites are on hills with flat summits and steep stony sides.[1]

Habits

Beira have only been recorded giving birth in April at the height of the rainy season, gestation lasts six months and one calf is born.They are most active in the early morning and late afternoon resting in the middle of the day., They are extremely wary, and are alerted to the slightest disturbance by their excellent hearing, moving off with great speed across the scree on the rocky slopes they prefer, bounding with some agility from rock to rock on steeper, less broken terrain. Beira are arid adapted and do not need to find water as they obtain all the water they need from the plants they browse. Beira live in small family groups and pairs, always with a single male, but larger groups have been recorded and these probably occur when family groups meet up. Beira are predominantly browser but will graze when grass is available. Hyenas, caracals and jackals are the main predators of beira and where they occur lions and leopards will take them too.[3]

Conservation

Beira are subject to some low level hunting but its small size, extreme wariness, and the inaccessible rocky habitat may allow the it to withstand hunting pressure. Overgrazing, drought and cutting of acacia scrub for charcoal production are thought to be greater threats. It is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.[1] In Djibouti it is though to be rare but not endangered.[4] and its status in Ethiopia is currently unknown, the last record being in 1972.[1]

The only captive breeding group of beira is at Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation where they have been successfully bred and the number reached a peak of 58 in 2005.[5]

Name

The term 'beira' is derived from its Somali name.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Heckel, J.-O.; Rayaleh, H.A.; Wilhelmi, F. & Hammer, S. (2008). "Dorcatragus megalotis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 29 March 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of vulnerable.
  2. ↑ "Dorcatragus megalotis (Menges, 1894)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (http://www.itis.gov). Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  3. 1 2 "Dorcatragus megalotis". www.ultimateungulate.com. Brent Huffman. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  4. ↑ "Beira antelope – Dorcatragus megalotis". Djibouti Nature. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  5. ↑ "Beira Antelope". Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  6. ↑ "beira". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
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