Canna antelope - description, habitat, lifestyle

In ancient times, on the territory of the African continent, Kann was very much. But now antelopes of this species, which are similar in appearance to tours, live only in reserves and some national parks.

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Appearance

These are artiodactyls that belong to the bovine family. Canna antelopes have a body length from 205 to 340 cm. These are large animals, they have very long horns. In males, they have a length of about 1.2 m, and in females 60–70 cm. Antelope’s height is 1.5–1.8 m. The average body weight is 460–670 kg, but an adult male can weigh up to 940 kg. .

Their wool has an ocher color, but with age it becomes more gray. Older males have dark gray hair. When shedding wool they fall shreds. A dark stripe runs along the spine, and thin white stripes run from it along the edges. At the end of the tail, these animals have a black tassel.

Their horns twist in the form of a spiral. In males, they are somewhat bent at their tips.The head is narrow, the nose is long and rather narrow. Pointed ears.

In males in the forehead grows curly bangs. Near the edge of the eye, they often have 2 bands of white. Both females and males eat a short mane on their backs. The skin on the neck is gathered in folds.

Where dwell

These animals live today on farms and reserves in Africa, located in the center and in the east of the continent. But on the Drakens Ridge, which is located in southern Africa, there lives a population of these animals.

Breeding

In female cannes, puberty begins at the age of 2 years, and in males of this species at 3 years. The mating season varies depending on the region in which the antelopes live. Kids are born at any time of the year.

The duration of pregnancy cann - 9 months, but sometimes can last for several weeks less. As a rule, the female gives birth to 1 calf.

Usually the mating season starts in December or January. During this period, several females unite in a herd. Together they begin to attract males. The right to mate gets only the most powerful representative, who conquers him by winning in battle.

Before giving birth, the female seeks shelter in dense thickets of bushes. The calf is born into the world weighing 23-35 kg. During the first month of his life, he does not leave the shelter in which he was born. The female comes to him several times a day to feed him. When the calves are already strong enough, they become full members of the herd. Mother and cub constantly communicate through various sounds.

The female feeds the calf with milk up to five months of age. But for the entire first year of her life, the mother takes care of him. Young female cannes stay in their herd for a very long time.

Young males acquire their distinctive features only after they reach puberty. They differ from females in that they have a very powerful body, they have a skin fold in their throat, and their withers are raised.

Lifestyle

Cannes antelopes live in herds. In the wild, they can live up to 10 years, but when kept in captivity their life expectancy increases significantly, and can reach 25 years.

 Cannes antelope lifestyle

Cannes prefer open territory. It can be both mountains and semi-deserts.They live in rare forests, on plains where there are shrubs, and also in savannas. The herd usually consists of 30-70 individuals, but for the period of migration the number can reach up to 1000. As a rule, the group consists of females and young. At the head of the herd - 2 males. When drought occurs, these animals migrate to lands that are close to the river valleys. These antelopes move through the area to find food.

They always behave cautiously, which is understandable for the harsh African conditions. A person in an open area can not get closer to these animals than 450-500 m.

There are 9 species of antelope that have spiral horns.

The enemies

Adults can only become victims of the lion. Young antelopes are attacked by hyenas, cheetahs and leopards. Females often fight with cheetahs to protect their young.

Nutrition

These animals are not very picky. Food for them are leaves, fresh shoots, as well as branches of bushes and trees. In exceptional cases, they can eat grass, but choose from them the freshest and most juicy. This is due to the fact that the structure and shape of their teeth is more suitable for chewing leaves. For grass, their teeth are less suitable.In the afternoon, in hot weather, cannes can quietly stand in the shade, slowly chewing their food.

In the morning and in the late afternoon, when it is not very hot, they graze on the territory. If it is very hot even at this time of day, they can look for food at night.

Looking for food, these antelopes constantly move around the territory. They walk across savannas and plains to find lush foliage. If the leaves are not enough for them, they can also eat the bark of the trees, some grain or fruit. To get the tubers or roots of plants, they can dig the soil. To get the foliage from a tall tree, cannes bend the branches with horns.

Fact! These animals can live for a long time without water. Their body gets moisture from food.

Human influence

The rapid decline in the number of representatives of the species was observed during the last century. This is due to the fact that the hunt was too intense. After all, when a man invented a weapon with which he can kill an animal at a great distance, the extermination of animals became very large. The authorities in those states where cannon antelopes live did not defend these animals.

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Another reason for the decline in numbers is the diseases that cattle suffer. The cann organism cannot cure itself from them.

Today we can see a large herd of these antelopes only in national parks. As early as the 19th century, attempts were made to domesticate animals of this species. There are about 2,000 farms in the Transvaal that breed. They are grown to get valuable and nutritious meat and milk. Milk cann is considered curative.

Interesting Facts

  1. Ancient drawings tell us that even in those days, people hunted an eagle antelope. Researchers found such images in the Kalahari Desert.
  2. One of the subspecies of these antelopes, the western canna, has very long horns. Record - 120 cm.
  3. When cannes run, you can hear a kind of knock, resembling a click. Such a sound is made by the fingers of the animal, which hit each other. You can even hear a click from a distance. The same sound can be heard when the reindeer are running.
  4. When a threat arises, cannes can jump very high, and overcome obstacles up to 2 m in height.

Security

Previously, cannes inhabited vast territories of Africa.Due to active hunting and diseases, the numbers have greatly decreased. But representatives of this species successfully breed in captivity, which gives hope for the preservation of the species. In nature reserves, parks and zoos, cannes have been living for many years, successfully bringing offspring. Hunting them is prohibited.

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