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NiIgai - BOSELAPHUS TRAGOCAMELUS
Possibly Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Nilgai": "Nilgai" is unknown, but probably comes from one of the languages of India.
Location: India
Habitat: Terrestrial. Grassy steppe and woodland.
Description: The coat is relatively short. The male's is gray with blue highlights, and the female's is brown. There is an erect mane. The horns, present only in the male, are 8 to ten inches long, and they curve slightly forward. The head is long and slender, the neck is short and stocky, the body is bulky, and the legs are slender. Length of head and body is up to 6.5 feet, shoulder height up to five feet, and weight about 450 pounds.
Behavior: The diurnal nilgai lives in groups of eight to ten individuals of both sexes. Each group has its own territory, in which paths are followed to resting places, watering holes, and areas where the droppings are deposited.
Reproduction: The mating season occurs at the end of March and the young are usually born in December. The female usually gives birth to twins after a gestation.
Note: Although the nilgai doesn't clearly resemble other animals in this family, it shares the spiraling horn and certain behavioral traits with the others, such as dropping to the knees when the bulls fight.
Go to the Artiodactyla Page to learn more about all the even-toed hoofed animals.
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