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Blue Wildebeest
The Blue Wildebeest is an awkward looking animal but is considered by most hunters
as the toughest of the Antelope family. They have large humped shoulders and hindquarters
which slope downward. Their deep necks contrast with their long slender legs. When
they are walking, you get the impression that they are extremely weary, but their
unusual build allows them to rapidly break into a run. Dark vertical bands
mark the neck and forequarters which from a distance look like wrinkles in the skin.
Both sexes have horns, are dark gray in color, and are generally similar in body
size, which makes sex determination at a distance difficult. They have a mane
of long black hair along the back of the neck. The chin has a distinct beard,
and there is a long black fringe along the throat. The Wildebeest has long,
narrow ears, and from the top of the head to the nostrils, they are black in color.
The tails are like that of a horse, are black in color, and nearly reach the ground.
Black Hawaiian Sheep
The Black Hawaiian sheep is in actuality a Corsican sheep of another color. It is,
as with most Corsican type sheep, a hybrid animal. This color variation originated
in and is named for our 50th state of This animal is coal black in color with some
strains having a reddish outer layer of wool. It usually will have some white on
its muzzle. In fact, this is the only area that any color other than black is allowed
on the Hawaiian.
Black Buck
Male Black Buck Antelope have black fur on their upper parts and white fur on their
chests, bellies, the inner sides of their legs, and their muzzles and chins. They
have white rings around their eyes. Their long, ringed horns spiral with three to
four turns and grow up to 28 inches long. The males are born light brown then turn
black around three years of age. Males stand about 32 inches tall at the shoulders
and weigh between 71 and 95 pounds. Female Black Buck Antelope are smaller, are
beige or light brown, and usually do not have horns; however, if they do, the horns
are not ringed and spiraled as the males are. Black Buck Antelope are the fastest
animals on earth and can out run any other animal over long distances. They can
run almost 50 miles per hour when necessary.
Aoudad Sheep
Aoudad sheep, also known as Barbary sheep, were introduced into the desert mountains
of West Texas and Southern New Mexico from their native habitat in the Atlas Mountains
of Northern Africa during the late 1940’s. These hearty, desert sheep are well-adapted
to the rough terrain of West Texas and are elusive trophies to hunt. These sheep
are free-ranging and occupy a large home range due to their nomadic nature. Aoudads
have the ability to obtain water from dew and the sparse vegetation of the desert
which greatly expands their range due to their independence on surface water.
Buffalo
Both male and female buffalos have a single set of hollow, curved horns. The male
buffalo, called bulls, are immense, often weighing a ton or more and standing 5
to 6 feet high at the shoulders. The huge head and great hump covered with dark
brown wooly hair contrast sharply with the relatively small hips. The females, or
cows, are not as massive. Despite their great size and bulkiness, buffalo have amazing
mobility, speed, and agility, and are able to sprint at speeds of up to 30 mph.
In the spring, buffalo begin to shed their heavy winter coats, and soon their hair
hangs in tatters. To hasten shedding and possibly to relieve their itching skin,
buffalo rub against large stones and trees. By late spring, the only remaining long
hairs are on the head, forelegs, and hump.
Fallow Deer
The Fallow Deer is an elegant creature with a coat that is reddish speckled with
white in summer and grayish-brown in winter. The antlers, which are grown only by
stags, shed annually, very massive in size, as many as 28 points, and the tips are
flattened like palmations. These animals can grow to weigh 250 pounds. They are
born as either spotted, chocolate, or white.
Axis Deer
The Axis Deer is a moderately large, spotted deer with three tines on each antler.The
brow tine forms nearly a right angle with the beam, and the front (or outer) tine
of the terminal fork is much longer than the hind (or inner) tine.A gland-bearing
cleft is present on the front of the pastern of the hind foot.The animal’s upperparts
are yellowish brown to rufous brown, profusely dappled with white spots. A dark
stripe runs from the nape to near the tip of the tail.
Mouflon Sheep
Mouflon sheep have small
bodies, long legs, and short tails. They are brown in color with white on their
undersides. Their horns are tightly curved and are smaller than the horns of other
wild sheep. Generally, only the males have horns, but some females may have small
horns. The Mouflon’s outer coat is stiff and bristly, and covers a short, wooly
undercoat. The undercoat is shed each spring. They resemble the bighorn sheep but
are generally smaller. They average 27 inches in height. Males weigh up to 100 pounds,
and females weigh less.
Corsican
The Corsican is a hybrid sheep that began its history in Texas about 40 years ago.
This popular addition to the exotics scene will usually be brown with a black or
white belly. Males will often have long black hair on the neck that many call a
ruff. The horn configuration on a ram can vary from a tight curl similar to a Mouflon
sheep or wide and flaring. A mature male will weigh in the vicinity of 140 pounds,
whereas the females will weigh around 75 pounds. Horn lengths on a trophy sized
animal start at about thirty inches and exceptional specimens can grow horns that
will reach the 38 to 40 inch mark on a tape.
Zebra
Zebras are members of the horse family native to Central and Southern Africa. All
have vividly contrasting black and white vertical stripes on the forequarters, often
tending towards the horizontal at the rear of the animal. Most zoologists believe
the stripes act as a camouflage mechanism.Others believe they play a role in the
Zebras’ social interactions, acting as a means to distinguish an individual from
all of the others in slight variations of the stripes.
Whitetail Deer
The adult Whitetail Deer ranges in size from 125 pounds to 250 pounds, with the
does being smaller than the bucks. Males have antlers which start growing in the
spring, lose their velvet in late summer, and are shed in the winter. The coat is
generally brown, turning more red in the summer, and grey in the winter. Fawns are
spotted at birth and lose the spots by their first winter. In the summer, the group
is a doe and her fawns. Bucks are more solitary but occasionally travel in small
groups. They are very skittish and usually will flee at first site or scent of humans.
A deer can run up to 30 MPH in the forest and will swim to avoid predators. Does
hide their young fawns in the brush where they will lie still all day, being nearly
invisible. They feed on the buds and twigs of trees, loving areas that grow back
after being cut. You can often see them on the edge of fields.
Painted Desert Sheep
The Painted Desert Sheep is set apart from other breeds by their colorful markings
and trophy class horns. They are resistant to disease, heat, and cold. It is not
a "wooless" breed but actually double-coated breed that casts its wool in the spring.
They are adaptable to extremes in weather.
Texas Dall
The Texas Dall is white above and below, often with yellowish or brownish cast;
hooves yellowish brown. Horns of the ram are massive, light yellow, with well-defined
growth rings flaring out and away from head. A true trophy is anything over 28".
Scimitar-horned Oryx
Scimitar-horned Oryx are mostly white with reddish brown necks and marks on the
face.They sport a long, dark, tufted tail. The white coat helps reflect the heat
of the desert. These desert antelope stand up to 4.6 feet tall at the shoulder,
and their head and body length can be over 4.9 feet, not counting the long tail.
A trophy has long ribbed horns over 34". They weigh between 150 and 350 pounds.
Water Buffalo
Water buffaloes are most prevalent from Egypt to the Philippines, particularly in
southern Asia. They like to live in large herds and in grasslands where they can
find water sources with mud for them to bathe. They have a head and body length
of 2.5-3 meters. Their tails can measure up to a meter with a bushy tuft on the
tip. At their shoulders they stand between 5-6 feet tall. The average weight is
between 1,500 to 2,600 lbs. They have gray or black hair directed toward a tuft
on their foreheads. The hairs on this animal are rough and long. Water buffaloes
are extremely powerful animals with big, cloven hooves, and a long, narrow face.
Triangular-shaped, permanent horns normally curve inwards and backwards. They are
heavy at the base, have marked cross wrinkles and are brandished by both sexes.
Red Stag
The Red Stag commonly called hart in the United Kingdom, is one of the largest deer
species. Generally, the average male Red Deer is around 4 feet tall and weighs between
400 to 650 pounds. Only the stags have antlers which start growing in the spring
and are shed each year, usually at the end of winter. Red Deer have different coloration
based on the seasons, with grey or lighter coloration in the winter and a more reddish,
darker coat in the summer. Red Stag are closely related to the North American Elk
and will interbreed with Elk. A trophy stag is a splendid and majestic animal. It
usually carries 12 or more points, with some exceptional trophies having up to 30
points.
Eland
Common Eland live on the open plains of Southern Africa and along the foothills
of the great South African plateau. Eland is the world's largest and slowest antelope,
but surprisingly has a high endurance and can jump an 8 foot fence from a standstill.
Both males and females have horns that spiral tightly; however, the female horns
are not as strong or long. Adult males also have a mat of hair on the forehead that
grows longer and denser as the animal ages. Elands turn gray or bluish-gray as they
get older; the oldest animals become almost black.
Yak
Yaks are found throughout the Himalayan regions of Asia. They have a bulky, akward
appearance. Royal Yaks are black and white in color, while Imperial Yaks are solid
black with black noses.Yak bulls weigh between 1200-1500 pounds and stand up to
5 feet at the shoulders. Both types have long shaggy hair to insulate them from
the cold. Both males and females have horns. Male horns grow over 24 inches, while
the female horns are considereably smaller. The horns grow and curve upwards from
the sides of the head. Yaks have a buffalo like build with high shoulders and hump
and a dropping head.thick woolly coat, and ankle-length shaggy skirt of hair.
Watusi
Watusi, a medium body sized animal that comes from the cattle species averages between
900 and 1600 pounds, with cows being smaller then bulls. They vary greatly in color
and can be either spotted or solid. The most common color found is a reddish-brown
color. Most Watusis have a small neck hump and weak legs. The most impressive characteristic
of the Watusi is its horns, which are very long and usually symmetrical. The horns
appear in a variety of shapes, the most popular being lyre-shaped or circular.
Ibex
Ibex is a type of wild mountain goat with large recurved horns that are transversely
ridged in front. They are found in Eurasia, North Africa, and East Africa. Ranging
in height from 27 to 43 inches and weighing 200 to 270 pounds. Male ibex are commonly
larger and heavier than females. However, the most noticeable difference between
genders is the presence of large horns. Females will keep a pair of smaller, thinner
horns that grow considerably more slowly than the males'. The ibex's horns begin
to grow at sexual maturity and continue to do so throughout the rest of the animal's
life.
Wood Bison
The Wood Bison is a northern subspecies of the North American Bison. The Wood Bison
differs from the Plains Bison noticably by the size of the Wood Bison. They are
quite heavier, with large males approzimately weighing over 2000 pounds. It is the
largest terrestrial animal in North America. The highest point of the Wood Bison
is well ahead of its front legs, while the Plains Bison's highest point is directly
above the front legs. They have similar features and coloration as the Plains Bison.
Sika Deer
The Sika Deer is a member of the deer family that inhabits much of East Asia.They
are closely related to Red Deer, Central Asian Red Deer and elk. The sika is regarded
as a particularly prized and elusive sportsman's quarry. They are considered a “clever”
animal compared to its fellow relatives. The Sika Deer will lay belly-flat and use
its camouflage to escape danger threats instead of fleeing like the Red Deer does
commonly. They are a rather elegant looking animal. They have strong solid bodies
which are carried on long slender legs. The head is small and is carried by a short
but bulky neck and is slightly smaller in size than the Red Deer. They are dark
brown to black in color. Adult males also have a dark shaggy mane running down their
neck and have tremendous antlers.