84 



THE MAMMALS OF SOMALILAND 



Measurements of a male shot in the Dholbanta country : 



Head and body 46 in. 



Tail . 14 „ 



Tail (with terminal hairs) . . . iSi „ 



Round body 26^ „ 



Height at shoulder 35 „ 



Weight ... . . . about 60 lb. 



Horns : 



Length 8| in. 



Tip to tip 5 „ 



Circumference 3f .» 



The record head, according to Rowland Ward, measures 13 in.; 

 however, horns measuring 10^ in. are very good, and not often seen. 



Distribution. — This antelope has a very much larger distri- 

 bution than is usually supposed. It has been found 30 miles 

 north-east of Ber at Galol Dobleh (Parkinson), but it is more 

 commonly found throughout the Nogal Valley and the Haud to 

 within a few miles of Obbia on the east coast, Milmil in the west, 

 and the Webi Shebeleh in the south. Lately Herr Schillings 

 procured a head near Kilimanjaro from a native caravan, but he 

 was unable to ascertain how they came into possession of it. 



Habits. — The habits of the dibatag are very similar to those 

 of the gerenuk. They occupy very similar country except that 

 the former are seldom, if ever, found in broken country, where the 

 latter are so often seen. They both inhabit the waterless tracts, 

 and can exist for months and months without water. Both species 

 are, moreover, frequently seen grazing together. 



Sometimes, especially when the sun is shining on their coats, 

 it is rather difficult to distinguish between them until they start 

 to run ; whereas the gerenuk runs with head and tail down, the 

 dibatag makes off with head and tail erect. The tail of the 

 dibatag when in motion is held almost perpendicular, while 

 the head is carried well back. 



Dibatag, like gerenuk, are usually found singly or in small 

 families of three, four or five individuals — five is the largest number 

 I have ever seen together. Like gerenuk, they are almost entirely 



