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The Antelope is the name of a large group of animals that have hoofs and hollow horns. They belong to the same animal family as goats and oxen. But antelope more closely resemble deer, because most of them are slender and graceful. Antelope, like cattle, are ruminants.Antelope keep their horns as long as they live. Among many kinds of antelope, both the males and the females have horns. The horns of the males usually grow larger. Some antelope have short, straight horns. The horns of others are long and curved, sometimes in a spiral twist. Some antelope horns are smooth, while others have ring-shaped ridges along their length. Antelope horns form around a single bony core. The horns are never forked like tree branches, as are deer antlers. Most antelope live in Africa, but a few species (kinds) are found in Asia. The North American pronghorn is not a true antelope, though it resembles antelope (see PRONGHORN). Some antelope, such as the duiker and the bongo, live in forests. Others live on mountainsides. A few, such as the sitatunga and the lechwe of central Africa, live in marshes. But more kinds and greater numbers of antelope live on the dry or grassy plains of eastern and southern Africa than anywhere else. Some Africans hunt antelope for food. Game ranches also raise many kinds of antelope for meat. Antelope make good meat animals in tropical areas, because herds of several species feed on more kinds of tropical plants than do cattle or sheep. In addition, antelope have better resistance to tropical diseases. Habits and appearance. Most antelope are timid and run away from their enemies. The gazelle and the blackbuck are among the fastest runners in the world. A few antelope defend themselves when they must. They are the gnu, the roan antelope, and the sable antelope, all found in Africa. Sometimes other animals warn antelope of danger. Among many antelope, the male defends a territory (area of land) during the breeding season so that other males may not enter it. The females visit the territories and mate with the males of their choice. Antelope vary in size. Some, such as the dik-dik and the steenbok are not much larger than jack rabbits. Others, notably the eland, grow about the size of an ox.

A smooth coat of hair covers the skin of most antelope, except a few such as the shaggy-haired waterbuck. This coat may appear in various shades and patterns. Brown and gray are the most common colors. Antelope have long been hunted, both for the thrill of the sport and for their flesh and skins. Certain herds of African antelope which contained thousands of animals have been completely destroyed by hunters. Many of the most handsome kinds of antelope, such as the bontebok, the giant sable, and the white oryx, have become scarce. Some are found only on private estates. Overhunting has wiped out others, such as the bluebuck. Kinds of antelope. Separate articles in World Book describe several kinds of antelope. See the list of Related Articles at the end of this article. There are many other kinds, all in the Eastern Hemisphere. One of these is the four-horned antelope. The males of this Indian antelope have two pairs of horns instead of the usual single pair. Several kinds of harnessed antelope live in central and southern Africa. The stripes on their bodies make them appear to be wearing a harness. Only the males of this kind have horns. The klipspringer, a small antelope that resembles the European chamois, lives in rocky places from southern Africa north to the Sahara. This animal walks on the tips of its narrow, round hoofs, which give it sure footing. A large bluish-gray antelope of India is called the nilgai. The male has short horns, and long hair under its chin. Several large African antelope, including the gemsbok, are named oryx. Both the males and females have long horns that are nearly straight.

The roan antelope is a large, light-colored animal that lives from South Africa north to Ethiopia and Gambia. The sable antelope, related to the roan but slightly smaller, lives in southern Africa. It has large curved horns and a coat of black or rich brown with white underparts. Two kinds of antelope of the southern half of Africa are called waterbuck. The defassa waterbuck may be trained as a pet, when it is caught young.

Scientific Classification. Antelope belong to the bovid family, Bovidae. There are numerous species.

grow about the size of an ox.