Nilgai

About this species

Size

Shoulder height 100–150cm

Weight

Males 109–288kg; females 100–213kg

Diet

Grasses and herbs; woody plants in dry tropical forests of India

Habitat

Scrub forest with short bushes and scattered trees, and grassy plains

Range

Northern Indian subcontinent; India, Nepal Terai and border areas of Pakistan

Litter size

Usually 1 calf; sometimes twins or triplets

Gestation

8–9 months

The nilgai, literally the blue cow, is the largest antelope in Asia, a sturdy, thin-legged animal with a sloping back, a deep neck with a white throat patch, a short mane ending in a tuft, and white spots on the face. Females and juveniles are orange to tawny, while adult males have a bluish-grey coat. Only males have horns, 15–24 cm long. Males weigh 109–288 kg and females 100–213 kg (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and abundant across northern India, with major populations in the Terai of India and Nepal; the Indian population was estimated at about one million in 2001. It is active mainly by day, preferring scrub forest with short bushes and scattered trees, and grassy plains, and eats grasses and herbs and, in dry tropical forest, woody plants. Groups are of three kinds: a female with a young calf, three to six females and yearlings, and all-male groups of two to 18. Gestation lasts eight to nine months (Wikipedia, general species account).

Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)