Blackbuck

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Blackbuck
Male and two females

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix III (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Antilopinae
Tribe: Antilopini
Genus: Antilope
Species:
A. cervicapra
Binomial name
Antilope cervicapra
Subspecies
  • A. c. cervicapra (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • A. c. rajputanae Zukowsky, 1927
Synonyms
  • Cervicapra Sparrman, 1780
  • Antilope bezoartica Gray, 1850
  • Capra cervicapra Linnaeus, 1758

The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), also known as the Indian antelope, is a medium-sized antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources. It stands up to 74 to 84 cm (29 to 33 in) high at the shoulder. Males weigh 20–57 kg (44–126 lb), with an average of 38 kg (84 lb). Females are lighter, weighing 20–33 kg (44–73 lb) or 27 kg (60 lb) on average. Males have 35–75 cm (14–30 in) long corkscrew

genus Antilope and was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies
are recognized.

The blackbuck is

sexually mature
at the age of eight months, but mate no earlier than two years of age. Males mature later, at 1.5 years. Mating takes place throughout the year. Gestation is typically six months long, after which a single calf is born. The lifespan is typically 10 to 15 years.

The antelope is native to and occurs mainly in India, while it is

Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The blackbuck has significance in Hinduism
; Indian and Nepali villagers do not harm the antelope.

Etymology

The

coat of the males.[5] The earliest recorded use of this name dates back to 1850.[6]

Taxonomy and evolution

The blackbuck is the sole living member of the genus Antilope and is classified in the

described and given its binomial name by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae in 1758.[7][8] Antilope also includes fossil species, such as Antilope subtorta and Antilope intermedia.[9]

Antilope,

mitochondrial loci in 2013, Eva Verena Bärmann (of the University of Cambridge) and colleagues re-examined the phylogenetic relationships and found Antilope and Gazella to be sister genera distinct from the sister genera Nanger and Eudorcas.[13][14]

Two subspecies are recognised,[15][16] although they might be independent species:[17]

  • A. c. cervicapra (Linnaeus, 1758), known as the southeastern blackbuck, occurs in southern, eastern, and central India. The white eye ring of the male is narrow above the eye and the neck is all black in the male and the white on the underside is largely restricted to the belly in both males and females. The black leg stripe is well defined and reaches all along the leg.
  • A. c. rajputanae Zukowsky, 1927, known as the northwestern blackbuck, occurs in northwestern India. Males have a grey sheen to the dark parts during the breeding season. The white on the underside extends up to half way on the sides of the body and the lower base of the neck of males is white. The white eye ring is broad all around the eye with the leg-stripe going only down to the shanks.

Genetics

The blackbuck shows variation in its diploid

haploid chromosomal complement, but the X chromosome of the blackbuck this percentage is 14.96. Portions of both peculiarly large chromosomes show delayed replication.[19]

A 1997 study found lower variation in blood

autapomorphic phenotype of Antilope. This might have been aided by a particularly strong selection of a few dominant males due to their lekking behaviour.[20]

Characteristics

Male blackbuck

The blackbuck has white fur on the chin and around the eyes, which is in sharp contrast with the black stripes on the face. The coats of males show two-tone colouration; while the upper parts and outsides of the legs are dark brown to black, the underparts and the insides of the legs are all white. Darkness typically increases as the male ages; females and juveniles are yellowish fawn to tan.[21] In Texas, blackbuck moult in spring, following which the males look notably lighter, though darkness persists on the face and the legs.[22] On the contrary, males grow darker as the breeding season approaches.[21] Both melanism[23] and albinism have been observed in wild blackbuck. Albino blackbuck are often zoo attractions as in the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park.[24]

The blackbuck is a moderately sized antelope. It stands up to 74 to 84 cm (29 to 33 in) high at the shoulder; the head-to-body length is nearly 120 cm (47 in).[8] In the population introduced to Texas, males weigh 20–57 kg (44–126 lb), an average of 38 kg (84 lb). Females are lighter, weighing 20–33 kg (44–73 lb) or 27 kg (60 lb) on average.[22] Sexual dimorphism is prominent, as males are heavier and darker than the females.[22] The long, ringed horns, that resemble corkscrews, are generally present only on males, though females may also develop horns. They measure 35–75 cm (14–30 in), though the maximum horn length recorded in Texas has not exceeded 58 cm (23 in). The horns diverge forming a "V"-like shape.[22] In India, horns are longer and more divergent in specimens from the northern and western parts of the country.[16]

Blackbuck bear a close resemblance to gazelles, and are distinguished mainly by the fact that while gazelles are brown in the dorsal parts, blackbuck develop a dark brown or black colour in these parts.[5]

Distribution and habitat

Blackbucks in Rehekuri Blackbuck Sanctuary

The blackbuck is native to the Indian subcontinent and inhabits grassy plains and thinly forested areas where perennial water sources are available for its daily need to drink. Herds travel long distances to obtain water.[1] The British naturalist

The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma as:[7]

India from the base of the Himalayas to the neighbourhood of

Deccan
, but are locally distributed and keep to particular tracts.

Today, small, scattered herds are largely confined to protected areas.[1]

In Pakistan, the blackbuck occasionally occurred along the border with India until 2001.[25] In southern Nepal, the last surviving blackbuck population in Blackbuck Conservation Area was estimated to comprise 184 individuals in 2008.[26] A few blackbucks are present in the

Indian Institute of Technology Madras campus.[27]

The blackbuck is considered locally extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh.[1]

Introduced populations

The blackbuck was also introduced into Argentina, numbering about 8,600 individuals as of the early 2000s.[25]

In the early 1900s, blackbuck were introduced to Western Australia.[28] In either the late 1980s or the early 1990s, they were also introduced to Cape York in Far North Queensland, although the population was subsequently eradicated.[28] In 2013, an antelope that appeared to be a blackbuck was sighted at Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.[29] In 2015, a blackbuck was sighted near Warrnambool, Victoria, which was later captured and sent to Mansfield Zoo.[30] The blackbuck is a declared pest in Queensland[28] and Western Australia.[31] In Victoria, blackbuck and American bison are considered both "regulated pest animals" and livestock.[32]

The antelope was introduced in Texas in the Edwards Plateau in 1932. By 1988, the population had increased and the antelope was the most populous exotic animal in Texas after the chital.[22][33]

Ecology and behaviour

Herd, Gujarat

The blackbuck is a diurnal antelope, though is less active at noon when summer temperatures rise. It can run at a speed of 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph).[8]

Group size fluctuates and seems to depend on the availability of forage and the nature of the habitat. Large herds have an edge over smaller ones in that danger can be detected faster, though individual vigilance is lower in the former. Large herds spend more time feeding than small herds. A disadvantage for large herds, however, is that traveling requires more resources.[34] Herd size reduces in summer.[35]

Males often adopt

dominant males. Males may either defend their mates or try to forcibly copulate with them. Weaker males, who may not be dominant, might choose the second method.[39]

The blackbuck is severely affected by natural calamities such as

predator.[41] Old rutting bulls might be especially vulnerable prey.[40] The golden jackal hunts juveniles. Village dogs are reported to kill fawns, but are unlikely to successfully hunt and kill adults.[42]

Blackbucks in Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary show flexible habitat use as the resources and risks change seasonally in the landscape. They use small patches in the area of about 3 km2 (1.2 sq mi). Human activities strongly influenced the movement of herds, but the presence of small refuges allowed them to persist in the landscape.[43]

Diet

Blackbuck prefer grass

The blackbuck is a herbivore and grazes on low grasses, occasionally

crude proteins, was poor in summer, but more efficient in the rainy and winter seasons. Crude protein intake in summer was very low, even below the recommended value. Blackbuck consumed less food in summer than in winter, and often foraged on the fruits of Prosopis juliflora.[45] Prosopis becomes a significant food item if grasses are scarce.[46] Water is a daily requirement of the blackbuck.[1]

Reproduction

Courtship display in blackbuck

Females become

flehmen response. The female shows her receptivity by waving her tail and thumping the hindlegs on the ground. This is followed by several mounting attempts, and copulation. The whole process may last as long as six hours. The female will remain still for some time after copulation, following which she may start grazing. The male may then move on to mate with another female.[35][47]

precocial, they can stand on their own soon after birth.[8] Females can mate again after a month of parturition.[22] Juveniles remain active and playful throughout the day. Juvenile males turn black gradually, darkening notably after the third year.[35] The lifespan is typically 10 to 15 years.[5][22]

Threats

Blackbuck carved on temple pillar at Lepakshi (16th century)

During the 20th century, blackbuck numbers declined sharply due to excessive hunting,

sympatric with nilgai.[1]

Until

locally extinct in several areas.[49]

Conservation

The blackbuck is listed under Appendix III of CITES.[15] In India, hunting of blackbuck is prohibited under Schedule I of the

Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.[50][51] It inhabits several protected areas of India
, including

A captive population is maintained in Pakistan's Lal Suhanra National Park.[25]

In culture

Akbar hunting blackbuck (Akbarnama, c.1590–5)

The blackbuck has associations with the

Bishnois revere and care for most animals including the blackbuck.[50][62]

The animal is mentioned in

Lord Krishna.[61] The blackbuck is considered to be the vehicle of Vayu (the wind god), Soma (the divine drink) and Chandra (the moon god).[50] In Tamil Nadu, the blackbuck is considered to be the vehicle of the Hindu goddess Korravai.[62] In Rajasthan, the goddess Karni Mata is believed to protect the blackbuck.[62]

In the

Sage Yagyavalkya is quoted stating "in what country there is black antelope, in that Dharma must be known", which is interpreted to mean that certain religious practices including sacrifices were not to be performed where blackbuck did not roam.[63][64]

The

bhikshus (mendicants).[62][65] Blackbuck meat is highly regarded in Texas.[66] In an analysis, blackbuck milk was found to have 6.9% protein, 9.3% fat, and 4.3% lactose.[67]

In some agricultural areas in

northern India, the blackbuck are found in large numbers and raid crop fields.[68] However, the damage caused by blackbuck is far lower than that caused by the nilgai.[69][70]

In 2018, Bollywood actor Salman Khan, in a high-profile case, was sentenced to five years imprisonment for poaching a blackbuck in 1998.[71]

Blackbuck as a heraldry symbol of some princely states of India

See also

References

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External links

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