Neotragus
Royal antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Antilopinae
Tribe: Neotragini
Genus: Neotragus
Hamilton Smith, 1827
Species

Neotragus pygmaeus

Neotragus is a genus of dwarf antelope, native to Africa. The genus includes only a single species without any dispute, namely Neotragus pygmaeus. Neotragus pygmaeus is the smallest antelope in the world, they usually weigh around 5 to 7 pounds.[1] This animal lives in conditions that are warm and moist, they are found in the tropical forests of Western Africa.[2] The Neotragus pygmaeus diet consists of high nutrients food sources, such as leaves, flowers, plants, fruits, and the growing tips of shoots.[3] Recent nucleic acid studies now suggest that the other two species formerly included in the genus are not closely related, and should be assigned to the genus Nesotragus. Members of the Nesotragus genus are the only surviving members of the subfamily Nesotraginae or tribe Nesotragini and are more closely related to the impala, while the royal antelope is still a member of the subfamily Antilopinae or tribe Antilopini.[4][5] [6]


References

  1. ^ Schmidt, D., Schlegel, M., & Galyean, M. (2014). Fiber digestibility in royal antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus). Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 45(4), 744-748. NCBI. 10.1638/2013-0096.1
  2. ^ Bärmann, Eva V. & Schikora Tim. The polyphyly of Neotragus – Results from genetic and morphometric analyses. MammalianBiology 79 (2014) 283–286 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2014.01.001
  3. ^ Lawson, D. (1989). The food habits of suni antelopes. Journal of Zoology, 217(1), 441-448. ZSL. 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1989.tb02500.x
  4. ^ Bärmann, Eva V. & Schikora Tim. The polyphyly of Neotragus – Results from genetic and morphometric analyses. MammalianBiology 79 (2014) 283–286 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2014.01.001
  5. ^ Lawson, D (1989). "The food habits of suni antelopes". Journal of Zoology. 217 (1): 441–448. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1989.tb02500.x.
  6. ^ Schmidt, D; Schlegal, M.; Galyean, M. (2014). "Fiber digestibility in royal antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus)". Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 45 (4): 744–748. doi:10.1638/2013-0096.1.


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