Mammals
Dibatag
Ammodorcas clarkei · also called Clarke's gazelle
Curling its tail over its back like a running dog, a dibatag moves through the dry scrubland of the Horn of Africa on an unusually slender frame, sometimes rising onto its hind legs just like its closest relative, the gerenuk, to reach foliage otherwise out of range.
Overview
The dibatag, Ammodorcas clarkei, is a slender antelope native to arid scrubland and semi-desert habitat across the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia and eastern Ethiopia. Its distinctive curled tail carriage, unusually long neck, and close kinship with the gerenuk make it one of the more behaviourally distinctive antelope species found anywhere in East Africa.
A close cousin of the gerenuk
Sharing both a long neck and the unusual habit of standing on hind legs to browse, the dibatag and gerenuk represent two closely related solutions to the same ecological challenge of reaching foliage that shorter-necked browsers simply cannot access.
Status
Vulnerable, with populations declining across the Horn of Africa due to habitat degradation, hunting, and regional instability.
Dibatag: common questions
Why does the dibatag curl its tail while running?
This species curls its tail up and over its back while running, a distinctive posture resembling a dog's tail carriage rather than the typical tail position seen in most other antelope species.
How is the dibatag related to the gerenuk?
The dibatag is considered the closest living relative of the gerenuk, and both species share an unusually long neck adapted for browsing foliage that other antelope cannot reach.
Why does the dibatag sometimes stand on its hind legs?
This species sometimes rises onto its hind legs, bracing against a branch, to reach foliage otherwise beyond its normal browsing height, a behaviour also seen in its close relative, the gerenuk.
Do female dibatag have horns?
No, this species has short, ridged horns present only on males, angled backward and relatively slender compared to the horns of many other antelope species.