Overview
The tiang is intermediate in body and horn size between the korrigum and topi. Its coloration is a rich reddish bay with an iridescent purplish tinge. The bluish-black patches on its shoulders, hips and upper legs are more extensive than in the korrigum. As in the topi, but unlike the korrigum, the lower legs are bright tan, contrasting with the reddish body color. The horns (both sexes) are decidedly shorter and a little slimmer than those of the korrigum, and not as sharply turned up at the tips.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Bovidae
- Genus
- Damaliscus
- Species
- Damaliscus lunatus
Habitat
Grasslands and savanna woodlands, sometimes in arid country. Distribution- Southern Sudan, western and southwestern Ethiopia, extreme northeastern Uganda, and northwestern Kenya.
Diet
Exclusively a grazer, able to thrive on dry grasses not eaten by other antelopes. Drinks water, but is able to go without it for long periods.
Behavior
Highly gregarious, it lives in herds of 15-30, sometimes hundreds, or even thousands during seasonal migrations in search of new grass during the early rains. Often mingles with other species such as zebra, wildebeest and hartebeest. Breeding males are territorial during the rut, each defending a well-marked stamping ground against other males, through which females and juveniles wander freely. After the rut the herds split, with males and females forming groups by themselves. Eyesight, hearing and sense of smell are good. A very fast runner, probably as swift as the tsessebe.
Hunting
May be hunted in south-western Ethiopia.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN, however this refers to the species as a whole, and population dynamics for subspecies are not well understood.