Addax
The addax (Addax nasomaculatus), also known as the white antelope and the screwhorn antelope, is an antelope of the genus Addax, that lives in the Sahara desert. It was first described by Henri de Blainville in 1816. As suggested by its alternative name, this pale antelope has long, twisted horns - typically 55 to 80 cm (22 to 31 in) in females and 70 to 85 cm (28 to 33 in) in males. Males stand from 105 to 115 cm (41 to 45 in) at the shoulder, with females at 95 to 110 cm (37 to 43 in). They are sexually dimorphic,
The addax mainly eats grasses and leaves of any available shrubs, leguminous herbs and bushes. These animals are well-adapted to exist in their desert habitat, as they can live without water for long periods of time. Addax form herds of five to 20 members, consisting of both males and females.
They are led by the oldest female. Due to its slow movements, the antelope is an easy target for its predators: lions, humans, African hunting dogs, cheetahs and leopards. Breeding season is at its peak during winter and early spring. The natural habitat of the addax are arid regions, semideserts and sandy and stony deserts.
The scientific name of the addax is Addax nasomaculatus. This antelope was first described by French zoologist and anatomist Henri Blainville in 1816. It is placed in the monotypic genus Addax and family Bovidae.
The addax has 27 male chromosomes and 28 female chromosomes. All chromosomes are acrocentric but the first pair of autosomes, which is submetacentric. The X chromosome is the largest acrocentric, and the Y chromosome a medium-sized one. The short and long arms of the pair of submetacentric autosomes correspond respectively to the 27th and first chromosome. In a study, the banding patterns of chromosomes in addax were found to be much similar to those in four other species of the subfamily Hippotraginae. Karyotypes of caprine and bovine species also highly resemble the banding patterns in addax.
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