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814 Featured Specimen
Blackbuck

Details

Blackbuck

Antilope cervicapra

Size
1–1.5 m · 20–57 kg
Diet
Herbivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Herd
Lifespan

Blackbuck is a slender antelope of open grasslands on the Indian subcontinent. In parts of India it benefits from cultural protection, but it often lives near farmland.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
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Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It uses grassland, dry scrub, and open farmland edges. Main habitat types in this guide are grassland, desert, urban.

Appearance

Typical length 100-150 cm, weight 20 kg-57 kg. Males show strong dark-and-white contrast and long spiral horns; females are paler and usually hornless.

Behavior

It is diurnal and a herd-forming species. It is diurnal and herd-forming, and males may defend small display territories.

Feeding

It is herbivorous. Grasses dominate the diet, with leaves or crops used seasonally.

Reproduction

Females bear single calves, which hide briefly before joining the herd.

Notes

Although still widespread in places, it remains sensitive to habitat change. In parts of India it benefits from cultural protection, but it often lives near farmland.