The beira (''Dorcatragus megalotis'') is a small arid adapted

antelope The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do ...

that inhabits

arid Aridity is the condition of geographical regions which make up approximately 43% of total global available land area, characterized by low annual precipitation, increased temperatures, and limited water availability.Perez-Aguilar, L. Y., Plata ...

regions of the

Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...

. It is the only member of the

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Dorcatragus''.

Description

The beira has a bushy tail and a coarse coat which is reddish grey on the back separated from the white underparts by a dark band which extends along each side from the elbow to the rear leg. Its long, slender legs are fawn-coloured and the head is yellowish red with black eyelids and white eye rings. The beira has disproportionately large ears, which are long and across with white fur on their interiors. Only the males have horns which are long, straight spikes which grow out vertically from near the sides of the ears. The length of the animal is , it stands at the shoulder and weighs between .

Distribution

The beira is endemic to northeast Africa, it occurs in the far south of

Djibouti Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...

southwards across

Somaliland Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is an List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country in the Horn of Africa. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, E ...

and northern

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

, and into extreme northeastern

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

. The main part of its range is in

, from the frontier with Djibouti, east into

Puntland Puntland is an autonomous state that considers itself to be part of Somalia, despite not accepting the legitimacy of Somalia's current governing administration. It was formed in 1998, and was a federal member state of Somalia from its fou ...

in northern Somalia and the Nogaal Valley. Its occurrence in Djibouti was confirmed in only 1993.

Habitat

Beira are found in rocky or stony hillsides and slopes, among dry, grassland interspersed with

acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...

scrub and many sites are on hills with flat summits and steep stony sides.

Habits

Beira have only been recorded giving birth in April at the height of the rainy season. Gestation lasts six months and one calf is born. They are most active in the early morning and late afternoon, and rest in the middle of the day. They are extremely wary, and are alerted to the slightest disturbance by their excellent hearing, moving off with great speed across the

scree Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff or other steep rocky mass that has accumulated through periodic rockfall. Landforms associated with these materials are often called talus deposits. The term ''scree'' is ap ...

on the rocky slopes, bounding with agility from rock to rock on steeper, less broken terrain. Beira are adapted to arid climate and do not need to find water, as they obtain all they need from the plants they browse. Beira live in small family groups and pairs, always with a single male, but larger groups have been recorded and these probably occur when family groups meet up. Beira are predominantly browsers, but also graze when grass is available.

Hyena Hyenas or hyaenas ( ; from Ancient Greek , ) are feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the family Hyaenidae (). With just four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the order Carnivora and one of the sma ...

caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized Felidae, wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long ...

s and

jackal Jackals are Canidae, canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe Canina (subtribe), canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-b ...

s are the main predators of beira, and where they occur

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

s and

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...

s will take them too.

Conservation

The beira is subject to some low level hunting but its small size, extreme wariness, and the inaccessible rocky habitat may allow it to withstand hunting pressure.

Overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature ...

, drought and cutting of acacia scrub for charcoal production are thought to be greater threats. It is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. In Djibouti it is thought to be rare but not endangered. and its status in Ethiopia is currently unknown, the last record being in 1972. The only captive breeding group of beira was at Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation where they have been successfully bred and the number reached a peak of 58 in 2005.

Name

The term 'beira' is derived from its Somali name.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q744078 Dwarf antelopes Mammals of Djibouti Mammals of Ethiopia Mammals of Somalia Fauna of the Horn of Africa Mammals described in 1894