Details
Antilope cervicapra
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.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It uses grassland, dry scrub, and open farmland edges. Main habitat types in this guide are grassland, desert, urban.
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.
It is diurnal and a herd-forming species. It is diurnal and herd-forming, and males may defend small display territories.
It is herbivorous. Grasses dominate the diet, with leaves or crops used seasonally.
Females bear single calves, which hide briefly before joining the herd.
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.
