Saiga Antelope
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 Male Saiga (Saiga tatarica)
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| Saiga tatarica |
The Saiga (Saiga tatarica) is an antelope which inhabits a vast area between Kalmykia, Kazakhstan, southern Siberia, and northwestern China. The Saiga typically stands 0.6-0.8 metres at the shoulder and weighs between 36 and 63 kg. Their lifespan ranges from 6 to 10 years. Males are bigger than females and are the only sex to carry horns. The horns have some value as Chinese traditional medicine and for that reason Saiga are now endangered by poaching.
Saigas form very large herds that graze in semi-desert steppes eating several species of plants, including some that are poisonous to other animals. They can cover considerable distances and swim across rivers.
The mating season starts in November, when stags fight for the possession of females. The winner leads a herd of 5-50 females. In springtime the mother gives birth to a sole, or less frequently, two foals. Female saiga, like the dikdik, are noted for their ability to bear young at the early age of just eight months.
The Saiga is recognisable by an extremely unusual, over-sized, and flexible, nose structure. The nose warms the air in winter and filters out the dust in summer.
Cherny Zemli Nature Reserve was created in Russia's Kalmykia Republic in 1990s to protect the local saiga population.
