- Also called:
- Waller’s gazelle
- Related Topics:
- antelope
gerenuk
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What is a gerenuk?
The gerenuk (Litocranius walleri) is a long-necked antelope inhabiting the arid thornbush regions of the Horn of Africa. Its name, meaning "giraffe-necked" in Somali, describes its distinctive feature. Gerenuks are selective feeders, using their long necks and ability to stand on their hind legs to reach leaves on thorny shrubs and trees inaccessible to other antelopes.
Males have S-shaped, annulated horns, while females do not. Gerenuks are less sociable than other gazelles, typically found alone or in small groups. When disturbed, they often stand motionless to avoid detection. Though most births occur during the rainy season, they breed year-round.
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Where do gerenuks live?
The gerenuk (Litocranius walleri) is a long-necked antelope that lives in the lowland arid thornbush of the Horn of Africa. This includes the drier bush country of northern Kenya and Somalia. The name "gerenuk" means "giraffe-necked" in Somali.
Gerenuks prefer well-spaced bushes and trees, avoiding dense areas. Degradation of grasslands has expanded the thornbush, creating more habitats for them.
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What does a gerenuk look like?
The gerenuk (Litocranius walleri) is a long-necked gazelle from the arid thornbush of the Horn of Africa. Its Somali name, “giraffe-necked,” describes its distinguishing feature.
Gerenuks stand between 80 and 105 cm tall at the shoulder and weigh 28 to 52 kg. They have a two-tone coat, generally buff with a reddish-brown saddle, with white underparts, rump, tail, throat, chin, eye rings, and the insides of their large ears. The males have S-shaped, heavily ridged horns that measure 32 to 44 cm long.
Their elongated limbs, neck, and pointed snout help them nibble leaves from thorny bushes and trees. They can also stand on their hind legs to reach foliage that other antelopes cannot.
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How do gerenuks find and eat their food?
The gerenuk's adaptations, such as its elongated limbs, neck, and pointed snout, equip it for selectively feeding on thorny shrubs and trees. It can reach foliage that's too high for other antelopes by standing on its hind legs, a feat made possible by its modified lumbar vertebrae, powerful hind legs, and wedge-shaped hooves.
This unique feeding strategy allows the gerenuk to obtain moisture from its diet, reducing its dependence on water sources and enabling it to thrive in arid environments. The gerenuk favors well-spaced bushes and trees, while avoiding dense areas.
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How does the gerenuk's long neck help it survive?
The gerenuk's long neck helps it survive in the arid thornbush of the Horn of Africa by allowing it to reach foliage that is too high for other antelopes. The elongated neck and limbs, along with a pointed snout, are adaptations that allow the gerenuk to selectively nibble small leaves on thorny shrubs and trees. They can also stand on their hind legs, which enables them to exploit resources inaccessible to other water-dependent herbivores.
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What are some special behaviors or adaptations of the gerenuk?
The gerenuk, also known as the giraffe-necked antelope, has special adaptations and behaviors suited to its arid environment. Its elongated neck and limbs allow it to reach high foliage, and it can stand on its hind legs to access food out of reach for other antelopes. Gerenuks get moisture from their diet, reducing their dependence on water sources. When disturbed, gerenuks avoid detection by standing motionless, and they trot or stot (bound with stiff legs) when fleeing. They are less sociable than other gazelles, typically found alone or in small groups.
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gerenuk, (Litocranius walleri), the longest-necked member of the gazelle tribe (Antilopini, family Bovidae), a browsing antelope of the lowland arid thornbush of the Horn of Africa.
The gerenuk’s shoulder height is 80–105 cm (31–41 inches), and the animal weighs 28–52 kg (62–114 pounds). It has a two-tone coloration, buff with a reddish brown saddle. Its underparts, rump patch, tail, throat patch, chin, eye rings, and lips are all white, as are the insides of its very large ears. Only the males have horns, which are S-shaped, heavily annulated, and 32–44 cm (13–17 inches) long. The elongated limbs and neck (gerenuk means “giraffe-necked” in Somali) and the pointed snout are adapted to selective nibbling of small leaves on thorny shrubs and trees—including foliage too high for other antelopes, which the gerenuk reaches by standing on its hind legs. Modified lumbar vertebrae, powerful hind legs, and wedge-shaped hooves make the gerenuk the only antelope that can stand unsupported in this manner. Its diet thus enriched with moisture, the gerenuk is able to exploit resources inaccessible to water-dependent herbivores. Indeed, its population density can actually increase with distance from permanent water. Degradation of grassland due to drought and overgrazing by domestic livestock has caused the thornbush to expand, which creates more habitat for the gerenuk and compensates to some extent for clearing, cultivation, and overhunting in other parts of its range. It prefers well-spaced bushes and trees and avoids dense bush with restricted passage.
The gerenuk is less sociable than most other gazelles, a behaviour consistent with its semiclosed habitat preference and low population density—overall average of 0.05 per square km (0.13 per square mile) but 0.5 per square km (1.3 per square mile) where common, as in the drier bush country of northern Kenya and Somalia. Sightings of single animals, not only males but also adult females, are typical. Herds of two to eight are considered normal at relatively high densities, while herds of more than a dozen are unusual.
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The gerenuk is a shy animal whose first line of defense when disturbed is to avoid detection by standing motionless under cover. Females have even been known to act like young in the hiding stage. When alarmed to the point of taking flight, a gerenuk trots more often than gallops away, and sometimes it even stots (that is, bounds with legs held stiff).
Two or three females, with or without offspring, may be found together, but groupings are fluid, the only constant association being between mother and dependent offspring. Before becoming territorial as adults, males associate in twos and threes and, given the opportunity, will attach to adult females. Large territories of about 2 square km (0.7 square mile) are typical and may not have common boundaries with their nearest neighbours; males cordon off a smaller activity area with tarlike secretions from their preorbital glands that they deposit on twigs at frequent intervals. Female home ranges are of comparable extent. Though gerenuks have been known to shift their home range, territorial males rarely venture off their property.
Though most births occur during the rainy season, the gerenuk breeds year-round, as mothers typically conceive again within weeks of giving birth. Gestation is about seven months, and the young remain hidden for several weeks.