Tibetan antelope
Tibetan antelope | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Family: | Bovidae |
Subfamily: | Caprinae |
Tribe: | Pantholopini |
Genus: | Pantholops Hodgson, 1834[3] |
Species: | P. hodgsonii
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Binomial name | |
Pantholops hodgsonii (Abel, 1826)
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The Tibetan antelope or chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii)
Classification
The Tibetan antelope is the
Although the genus Pantholops is currently monotypic, a fossil species, P. hundesiensis, is known from the Pleistocene of Tibet. It was slightly smaller than the living species, with a narrower skull.[11] In addition, the fossil genus Qurliqnoria, from the Miocene of China, is thought to be an early member of the Pantholopini,[12] which diverged from the goat-antelopes around this time.[13]
Description
The Tibetan antelope is a medium-sized antelope, with a shoulder height of about 83 cm (32+1⁄2 in) in males, and 74 cm (29 in) in females. Males are significantly larger than females, weighing about 39 kg (86 lb), compared with 26 kg (57 lb), and can also be readily distinguished by the presence of horns and by black stripes on the legs, both of which the females lack. The
The males have long, curved-back horns that typically measure 54 to 60 cm (21 to 24 in) in length. The horns are slender, with ring-like ridges on their lower portions and smooth, pointed, tips. Although the horns are relatively uniform in length, there is some variation in their exact shape, so the distance between the tips can be quite variable, ranging from 19 to 46 cm (7+1⁄2 to 18 in). Unlike caprines, the horns do not grow throughout life. The ears are short and pointed, and the tail is also relatively short, at around 13 cm (5 in) in length.[13]
The fur of Tibetan antelopes is distinctive, and consists of long guard hairs and a silky undercoat of shorter fibres. The individual guard hairs are thicker than those of other goats, with unusually thin walls, and have a unique pattern of cuticular scales, said to resemble the shape of a benzene ring.[14]
Distribution and habitat
Endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, the Tibetan antelope inhabits open alpine and cold steppe environments between 3,250 and 5,500 m (10,660 and 18,040 ft) elevation. They prefer flat, open terrain, with sparse vegetation cover. They are found almost entirely in China, where they inhabit Tibet, southern Xinjiang, and western Qinghai; a few are also found across the border in Ladakh, India. The westernmost population of Tibetan antelope is in Depsang Plains, where they are found at altitudes of up to 5500 m. Today, the majority are found within the Chang Tang Nature Reserve of northern Tibet. The first specimens to be described, in 1826, were from Nepal; the species has apparently since been extirpated from the region.[1] No subspecies are recognised. Zhuonai Lake (卓乃湖) in Hoh Xil is known as a calving ground for the Tibetan antelope.[15][16][17]
A special adaptation of the species to its high altitude habitat is the retention of the fetal version of hemoglobin even in adult animals, which provides higher oxygen affinity. The Tibetan antelope is the only species of mammal where this adaptation has been documented.[18][19]
Behaviour
The Tibetan antelope feeds on
Tibetan antelope are gregarious, sometimes congregating in herds hundreds strong when moving between summer and winter pastures, although they are more usually found in much smaller groups, with no more than 20 individuals.[13] The females migrate up to 300 km (200 mi) yearly to calving grounds in the summer, where they usually give birth to a single calf, and rejoin the males at the wintering grounds in late autumn.[21]
Reproduction
The rutting season lasts from November to December. Males form harems of up to 12 females, although one to four is more common, and drive off other males primarily by making displays or chasing them with head down, rather than sparring directly with their horns. Courtship and mating are both brief, without most of the behaviour typically seen in other antelope species, although males do commonly skim the thighs of females with a kick of their fore legs.[13]
Mothers give birth to a single calf in June or July, after a
Although the lifespan of Tibetan antelopes is not known with certainty, since so few have been kept in captivity,[22] it is probably around 10 years.[13]
Conservation
Since 1979, Tibetan antelope has had legal protection under the
To develop testing for shahtoosh, a Hong Kong chemist and a senior forensic specialist looked at the material though a microscope. Using this method, they discovered shahtoosh contains coarser guard hairs unique to the species. By doing this, the duo had found a convenient way to prove this was poached material.[citation needed]
In July 2006, the Chinese government inaugurated a new railway that bisects the chiru's feeding grounds on its way to Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. In an effort to avoid harm to the animal, 33 special animal migration passages have been built beneath the railway. However, the railway will bring many more people, including potential poachers, closer to Tibetan antelope's breeding grounds and habitat.[citation needed]
On 22 February 2008,
In the Karakoram regions of
See also
References
- ^ . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Appendices". cites.org. CITES. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London (meeting minutes). 2: 81.
A letter was read, addressed to Mr. Vigours by B.H. Hodgson, ...
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 247.
- A Dictionary of Current Chinese(7 ed.). 2016. p. 1633.
- World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
- PMID 9187090.
- .
- OCLC 62265494.
- S2CID 27622204.
- .
- .
- ^ doi:10.1644/817.1.
- S2CID 137669403.
- ^ "405页面".
- PMID 27769305.
It is clear that there has been reported migration and exchange of individuals towards the western part in its range, but habitat suitability analysis is needed for a better understanding of the reasons for lack of major exchange of individuals between the westernmost (Depsang Plains close to DBO in northern Ladakh and Aksi Chin near Kunlun range) and other populations.
- S2CID 213922370.
Chiru is a keystone species and world's hardiest mountain ungulates that can survive in temperatures as low as −40 °C. Most of their distribution range falls above 4,000 m, and in Depsang Plains in northern Ladakh, they can be found as high as 5500 m.
- ^ Storz, Jay F.; Signore, Anthony V. (2020-03-22). "Biochemical paedomorphosis and genetic assimilation in the hypoxia adaptation of Tibetan antelope" (PDF). bioRxiv.
- ^ "Tibetan antelopes developed a unique way to survive high in the mountains". phys.org. June 2020.
- S2CID 46425868.
- ^ Schaller, G.B. (1998). Wildlife of the Tibetan Steppe. The University of Chicago Press. pp. 373.
- ^ Su, J.; et al. (2003). "Ailing: The first domesticated Tibetan antelope". Acta Theriologica Sinica. 23 (1): 83–84. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16.
- ^ "Kashmir rethinks shahtoosh ban". The Washington Times. Washington, DC. 2004-06-18.
- ISSN 0273-1177.
- ^ Spencer, Jane (2008-02-22). "China eats crow over faked photo of rare antelope". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
- S2CID 205037280.
Further reading
- Ginsberg, J.R.; Schaller, G.B.; Lowe, J. (1999). "Petition to list the Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) as an endangered species pursuant to the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973" (Document). Wildlife Conservation Society and Tibetan Plateau Project.
- Ridgeway, Rick; Anker, Conrad; ISBN 9780792238997.
External links
- Penman, Danny (27 March 2007). "Slaughtered in the name of fashion". newsmonster.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. — UK news article on shahtoosh cloth
- Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii). ARKive (images and movies). Mammals. Archived from the original on 2006-05-06.
- "Pantholops hodgsonii". Animal Diversity Web. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan.
- "Save she chiru". Wildlife Trust of India.
- "Tibetan antelope (chiru)". Wildlife trade. World Wildlife Fund.
- "[no title cited]" (PDF). United States Federal Register. 6 October 2003. 03-25207. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 December 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2005.[full citation needed]
- "Antelope leaps to safety through rail underpass". The Times. London, UK. 10 July 2006.