Bluebuck - Video Learning - WizScience.com

• published: 11 Aug 2015
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The "bluebuck" or "blue antelope" , sometimes called "blaubok", is an extinct species of antelope, the first large African mammal to disappear in historic times. It is related to the roan antelope and sable antelope, but slightly smaller than either. It lived in the southwestern coastal region of South Africa savannas, but was more widespread during the last glacial. It was probably a selective feeder, preferring high-quality grasses. Europeans encountered the bluebuck in the 17th century, but it was already uncommon by then. European settlers hunted it avidly, despite its flesh being distasteful, while converting its habitat to agriculture. The bluebuck became extinct around 1800. Only four mounted specimens remain, in museums in Vienna, Stockholm, Paris, and Leiden, along with some bones and horns elsewhere. None of the museum specimens shows a blue colour, which may have derived from a mixture of black and yellow hairs. Eighteenth-century travellers provided contradictory descriptions of this species, perhaps because some were embellishing, while others had not actually seen it and were simply repeating hearsay - Peter Kolb in 1719 incorrectly described it as having a long goat-like beard and tail, straight horns like an oryx, and short ears. They did send some skulls and skins back to Europe. In 1967, Erna Mohr reported the four existing mounted blue antelopes vary from 102 to at the shoulder. Adult bluebuck probably rarely exceeded 160 kg. None of the four museum specimens shows any sheen of blue. The dark skin showing through the thinning fur of older animals, or the mix of black and yellow hairs, may have caused the blue colours described by several authors. Wiz Science™ is "the" learning channel for children and all ages. SUBSCRIBE TODAY Disclaimer: This video is for your information only. The author or publisher does not guarantee the accuracy of the content presented in this video. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Background Music: "The Place Inside" by Silent Partner (royalty-free) from YouTube Audio Library. This video uses material/images from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebuck, which is released under Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ . This video is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ . To reuse/adapt the content in your own work, you must comply with the license terms.