Courtesy of Tom Funke, www.tomfunke.com

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The scientific name of the gerenuk, Litocranius , comes from the Greek “lithos ” for “ stone ” and “ kranion ” for the upper part of the skull. The species was named Litocranius walleri after Reverend Waller, who visited Africa as a missionary and was friends with the famous Dr. Livingston ("Gerenuk," Science...). The common name "gerenuk" means "giraffe-necked" in Somali ("Gerenuk," Wildlives) and is a reference to the amazingly long and slender neck of this little gazelle..

The word "antelope" refers to a type of hollow-horned ruminant. All antelopes belong to the family Bovidae and are grouped into numerous sub-families. The gerenuk is classified as a member of the Antilopinae, the typical sub-family, and is thus a close relative of all the other Asian and African gazelles or gazelle-like animals, as well as the blackbuck. In outer appearance, gerenuks are distinguished from the other gazelles by the great length and elegance of their necks and legs, and by the fact that the females are hornless (Dollman 1936). Since gerenuks are exclusively adapted to browsing on tree and shrub vegetation, they share some common anatomical features with other browsing species that distinguish them from grazers. Their muzzle is more pointed, and their mobile lips and tongue and suited for picking small items (Leuthold 1977).

The males stand 35-42 in (89-105 cm) at the shoulder and weigh about 99 lb (45 kg). The females are slightly shorter and lighter. The color is tan with a reddish-brown sadle, except for the white belly, white eye rings and throat area ("Gerenuk: Litocranius walleri").