Head to head
Dibatag vs Gerenuk
The dibatag and gerenuk are considered each other's closest living relatives, sharing an unusually long neck and a habit of browsing while standing on their hind legs.
| Dibatag | Gerenuk | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Ammodorcas clarkei | Litocranius walleri |
| Signature trait | Curls tail over back while running | Stands fully upright to browse ~2-2.5m up |
| Water dependence | Low | Almost never needs to drink |
| Nickname | Clarke's gazelle | Giraffe gazelle |
| Native range | Somalia, eastern Ethiopia | Horn of Africa, East Africa |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable | Near Threatened |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Decreasing |
| Habitat | Desert, savanna | Savanna, desert |
Dibatag vs Gerenuk: common questions
Are the dibatag and gerenuk really each other's closest relatives?
Yes, both species are considered each other's closest living relatives, sharing an unusually long neck and the ability to browse standing upright on their hind legs, an adaptation to reaching foliage other browsers cannot access.
How can you tell a dibatag from a gerenuk?
The dibatag curls its tail up and over its back while running, a dog-like posture not seen in the gerenuk, which instead is best known for rising fully onto its hind legs to browse at heights of roughly two to two and a half metres.
Which species is more independent from water, the dibatag or the gerenuk?
The gerenuk is more extreme in this regard, able to live indefinitely in areas with no standing water at all by extracting moisture from leaves, while the dibatag has a lower but less extensively documented water dependence.