With the alias of Longhorn Antelope, it
belongs to the Bovidae family of Artiodactyla order. Its scientific name is
Pantholops hodgsoni (Latin), or Tibetan Antelope (English).
Its body length is about 135 centimeters,
with a shoulder height of about 80 centimeters. Weighing up to 45 to 60
kilograms, it has sturdy body, with wide and long head and stout mouth. Its
nasal part is wide and slightly ridgy. Its tail is short, and the four limbs are
sturdy and symmetrical. Except for the cheek, underparts of the four limbs and
tail, it is covered with bushy, soft and dense hair, making the body wholly
hazel. It holds its head high when walking. Male antelope has a long, straight
and shiny fuliginous horn, commonly 60 centimeters in length. The female
antelope is hornless.
It usually inhabits on tablelands at an
elevation of 3,400 to 5,500 meters, mostly moving on grasslands near water
sources in the morning and dusk. Male and female antelopes usually live in
different groups of 2 to 6, or even tens or hundreds. It is born coward but
alert, with sensitive hearing and vision ability, and usually appears in remote
and unapproachable places. It migrates for long distances seasonally, feeding
mainly on grass plants and sedge plants. The oestrous period is in late winter
and early spring, when male antelopes fight fiercely for females. A family is
usually composed of one male antelope and several female ones. It usually
delivers from June to August, only one baby per propagation.
Endemic to China, it is mainly distributed
in Sichuan, Qinghai Provinces, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Tibet
Autonomous Region. It has been listed in Appendix I of International Trade
Convention on Endangered Wild Animal and Plant
Species.