Young Sable - a photo on Flickriver

Young Sable

Those not familiar with sables might think that the adult males, young males and females are different species of antelope when seeing them together.
See below for more info.

The sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) is an antelope which inhabits wooded savanna in East and Southern Africa, from the south of Kenya to South Africa, with a separate population in Angola.

The sable antelope shares the genus Hippotragus with the extinct bluebuck (H. leucophaeus) and the roan antelope (H. equinus), and is a member of the family Bovidae.

The southern sable antelope (H. n. niger; also known as the common sable antelope, black sable antelope, Matsetsi sable antelope or South Zambian sable antelope) is regarded as the nominate subspecies, as it was the first one to be described and named in 1838. Often referred to as the black sable antelope because it tends to have the darkest coat, this subspecies occurs south of the Zambezi River, particularly in northern Botswana and in large numbers in the Matsetsi Valley of Zimbabwe, but it is also found in South Africa. In South Africa, most of the commercial sable antelope farmers crossed their Matsetsi sable antelope (indigenous to South Africa) with Zambian sable antelope in the hope to move nearer to the nearly extinct giant sable antelope (that was larger with bigger horns). Currently, only about 15% pure Matsetsi sable antelopes are thought to exist in South Africa.

The sable antelope is sexually dimorphic, with the male heavier and about one-fifth taller than the female. The head-and-body length is typically between 190 and 255 cm (75 and 100 in). Males reach about 117–140 cm (46–55 in) at the shoulder, while females are slightly shorter. Males typically weigh 235 kg (518 lb) and females 220 kg (490 lb). The tail is 40–75 cm (16–30 in) long, with a tuft at the end.

The sable antelope has a compact and robust build, characterized by a thick neck and tough skin. It has a well-developed and often upright mane on its neck, as well as a short mane on the throat. Its general colouration is rich chestnut to black. Females and juveniles are chestnut to dark brown, while males begin darkening and turn black after three years. However, in southern populations, females have a brown to black coat. Calves less than two months old are a light tan and show faint markings. The underparts, cheek, and chin are all white, creating a great contrast with the dark back and flanks. Long, white hairs are present below the eyes, and a wide, black stripe runs over the nose.

Both sexes have ringed horns which arch backwards. In females, these can reach 61–102 cm (24–40 in), while in males they are 81–165 cm (32–65 in) long. The average lifespan of the sable antelope is 19 years in the wild and 22 years in captivity.

Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sable_antelope

Dikhololo
Brits Rural Area
Northwest Province
South Africa

Taken in: South Africa / Province of North West / Local Municipality of Madibeng (show map)

Taken on: March 18, 2021

Tags:

Sable

Antelope

Simply Superb

Johann de Jager

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

Under the African Sky

Make me smile! :-) « less

Sets appears in: • Dikhololo March 2021 • Under the African Sky more » • Make me smile! :-) « less

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Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, f/8.0, 1/250 sec, 300mm, ISO 640 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Lens:	EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.004 sec (1/250)
Focal Length:	300mm
ISO:	640
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 19.0 (Windows)
Show full info

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