Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Nilgai

Boselaphus tragocamelus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The nilgai is the largest antelope in Asia. It shows striking dimorphism: adult males are blue-grey with white legs and short, straight horns, while females and young animals are tawny and hornless. Its name means blue cow in Hindi and Urdu, and that association with the sacred cow has protected it from hunting in India for centuries. It lives in small groups in open country and eats grasses, leaves and fruit.

Weight

100 kg – 300 kg

Size

1.7 m – 2.1 m

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestDesertGrasslandHerbivore Diurnal Temperate forest Desert Grassland Mammal

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Fun facts

GeneralThe largest wild bovid in Asia; in India it is respected through its association with the sacred cow.
Its name means blue cow, and that association with the sacred animal of Hinduism has spared it from hunting for centuries, to the point that it is now so abundant in some Indian states that it causes serious conflict with farming.
The males always defecate in the same places, building communal middens several metres across that work as territorial markers visible from a distance.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Dry scrub, open woodland, grassland and farmland of the Indian subcontinent
Sexual maturity: 2.2 years
Gestation / incubation: 8.4 months
Litter / clutch size: 1.5 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boselaphus_tragocamelus