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| Saiga Antelope |
Saiga Antelope | Facts About The Odd-Nosed Antelope
One of the most distinctive features of this antelope is its strange looking nose which hangs over its mouth. The nose of the saiga antelope helps them to keep dust away and cool their body while traveling long distances. These long-nosed deer are found in the dry and semi-desert-like grasslands of Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and Central Asia.
Saiga antelopes are prone to bacterial infections, which has led to their death. Like every animal living on earth, saiga antelopes are also very important for the ecosystem of their native land. Apart from this, the extinction of saiga antelopes can cause a major imbalance in these areas.
Among these animals, the body of male saiga antelopes is larger than that of females. The biggest identity of saiga antelopes is their horns for which they are hunted. Female saiga antelopes do not have horns. Some American zoos like San Diego Zoo keep saiga antelopes and you can see them there. Keep reading to learn more information and facts about the saiga antelope’s horns and snout.
Where Are Saiga Antelope Found
Saigas are found in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kalmykia, Russia and Mongolia. Interestingly, only the male saigas have horns, for which they are hunted in large numbers. Apart from this, predators like wolves hunt saigas while their young are attacked by wild dogs and foxes.
These animals are also prone to bacterial infections, due to which they have suffered mass mortality incidents throughout the years, which has reduced their population significantly. Hunting of these animals' horns, which is considered an important ingredient in some Chinese medicines, is a major reason for their decreasing numbers.
One of the most distinctive features of these antelopes is their strange looking nose. The strange nose of the saiga antelope proves to be very useful in their migratory lifestyle. The herd of saiga antelopes travel long distances through countries like Kazakhstan which leads to a lot of dust flying from their feet. But the good thing is that their strange nose filters this dust for them and helps in cooling their body.
Scientific Name Of Saiga Antelope
The scientific name of this antelope is Saiga tatarica and as the name of this animal suggests, it is an antelope. Saiga antelopes are known for their long noses and are a migratory species that is known to travel long distances across the Eurasian Steppe and Central Asia. These antelopes are part of the Bovidae family. They are a type of mammalian animal which means that the females give birth to babies instead of laying eggs. Twins are quite common in these animals but they are prone to attacks by foxes and wild dogs.
Apart from this, another major concern for these animals is that mass deaths are a common phenomenon in this species. If saiga antelopes are infected with deadly bacteria, then their large herds are destroyed. Apart from this, their numbers have decreased significantly in the Mongolian region due to illegal hunting for their horns. But currently conservation groups are working to raise awareness among people to save this species from extinction. Read- Diana Monkey Interesting Facts And Information With Picture
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Habitat Of Saiga Antelope
Saiga antelopes live in the arid and semi-desert regions of the Central Asian steppe. Saiga antelopes prefer areas without rugged mountains as their habitat. Saiga antelopes are herd animals and can live in large groups of up to 1000. It is most common for saiga antelopes to live with 30 to 40 and large herds are more common during mating season.
Large herds of females also migrate together and then break into smaller groups when mating season arrives. Large herds of saiga antelope migrate to their natural habitats of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and throughout the Central Asian steppe to escape the harsh winters.
How Do Saiga Antelope Look Like
Saiga antelopes have a large and long nose. This nose helps in filtering dust which keeps them cool while migrating in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia and Mongolia. The peculiar nose of saiga antelopes is also their most distinctive feature. It is known that the males have long horns which are adorned with protruding rings along their entire length.
The males of these deer look quite similar to small sheep and their legs are thin. Apart from this, the fur of saiga deer changes its colour in winter and summer. In summer, these deer have red-yellow coloured fur on their back and neck. Their lower part is light in colour. In winter, the colour of the fur of these deer is light brown on the neck and back. Apart from this, their lower part becomes brown.
Weight Of Saiga Antelope
Saiga antelopes are not very tall, they are only 24-32 inches in height. The females are usually a little smaller than the males and the size of this antelope is similar to a small Chinese muntjac.
These antelopes are strong bodied animals and can be compared to a sheep. But the difference is that saiga antelopes have a long nose which helps them filter dust. The weight of saiga antelopes is considered to be around 26-69 kg.
What Saiga Antelope Eat
Saiga antelopes are known to eat more than 100 plant species in their habitat. Saiga antelopes eat lichens, sagebrush, saltwort and summer cypress etc. in their diet. Apart from this, these antelopes also graze grass in large quantities and it is the main source of food for these antelopes.
Among these antelopes, large antelopes are hunted by wolves. Apart from this, their children are known to fall prey to foxes and wild dogs. Deer are also hunted by humans for their horns which are used in Chinese medicine.
How Do Saiga Antelope Reproduce
The breeding season of saiga antelope mostly lasts from November to December and the male saiga antelopes fight with each other to attract the attention of the female. The gestation period of the females of this antelope species is about 5 months after which 1 or 2 babies are born. Giving birth to twins is common among these long-nosed antelopes.
It is known that babies drink milk from their mother for about 3 to 4 months after being born but after 4 to 8 months they can graze on their own. Strangely, babies have been known to suckle from other non-related females in zoos but this is not common among wild saiga antelopes.
How Long Do Saiga Antelope Live
These antelopes are known to live only for 10 to 12 years in the wild. These antelopes are very prone to bacterial diseases which is why a large number of deaths have occurred. Apart from this, the number of these antelopes has been negatively affected in the last few years.
How Fast Can Saiga Antelope Run
This animal is a migratory species and is known to roam in large herds in Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan and Asian grasslands. These antelopes are known to run very fast when chased by wolves, foxes and other predatory animals. Saiga antelopes can run as fast as about 80 kilometers per hour. Read- Indri Lemur Interesting Facts And Information With Picture
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How Do Saiga Antelope Communicate
These antelopes are tactile animals and use tactile means as well as body language to communicate. Additionally, male saigas are known to snore loudly to demonstrate their physical strength in order to attract females.
How Many Saiga Antelope Are There In The World
It is difficult to tell how many saiga antelopes are there in the world but it is believed that there are about 50,000 of them. Poaching and trade which is an important component in Chinese medicine has brought the number of saiga antelopes to the brink of extinction. Today there are no saiga antelopes left in China and their populations around Central Asia and the Eurasian Steppe are critically endangered. A few years ago, a large number of saiga antelopes died which had a negative impact on their population.
Currently these animals are listed as a critically endangered species in the IUCN Red List. Apart from this, poaching and illegal trade have brought the saiga antelope to the brink of extinction. The horns of the saiga antelope are valuable because they are used in Chinese medicine. This has led to a massive reduction in the number of saiga antelopes. But the good thing is that in recent years conservation methods of these animals have been introduced by wildlife groups.
Behavior Of Saiga Antelope
Male saigas can be quite aggressive towards each other and are known to fight. Fights between these animals can be very dangerous and deadly as these antelopes fight violently to protect their group of females from other males who intend to take over them.
The male saiga does not graze at all during mating time and spends all his time protecting his group. Saiga antelopes are herd animals and are a migratory species that are known to travel long distances. Keeping saigas confined is against their nature.
Saiga Antelope Facts For Kids
1. How many saiga antelopes are left?
It is difficult to say how many saiga antelopes are left in the world but it is believed that there are about 50,000. Poaching and trade which is an important ingredient in Chinese medicine has pushed the saiga population to the brink of extinction.
2. What are saiga antelopes famous for?
Famous for their large, bulbous noses, the saiga antelope once roamed the plains of Central Asia in vast herds numbering in the millions and it is said that the sight rivalled the modern-day wildebeest migration in East Africa.
3. What do saiga antelopes eat?
Saiga antelopes eat grasses, steppe lichens, herbs, shrubs.
4. Where do saiga antelopes live?
The saiga antelope is a large migratory animal of Central Asia which can be seen in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Saiga is mostly found in open dry steppe grasslands and semi-arid deserts.
5. What are some interesting facts about antelopes?
The horns of antelopes can be straight, short, spiral, curved or pointed depending on the species. Also, some of their species have 4 horns instead of 2 and are called 4-horned antelopes.
6. How did the saiga antelope die?
In 2015, about 200,000 saiga antelopes died due to the bacteria Pasteurella multocida serotype B.
7. What is the lifestyle of saiga antelope?
Saiga antelopes are active during the day and can cover a distance of up to 120 kilometers per day during their migration. Saiga antelopes are not only good endurance runners but also fast runners who can run as fast as 80 kilometers per hour. This helps the saiga antelope to escape from predators.
8. What is the other name of saiga antelope?
There are two subspecies of saiga antelope, one is S. tatarica tatarica and the other is S. tatarica mongolica. The most distinctive feature of the saiga antelope is its swollen nose, so people in China also call it Gaobi.
9. Are antelopes intelligent?
There are more than 90 different species of antelope in Africa and Asia. They are extremely intelligent animals.
10. What is the speed of a saiga antelope?
These antelopes are known to run very fast when chased by wolves, foxes and other predators. Saiga antelopes can run as fast as 80 kilometers per hour.