---
title: "What the sources say about the Gerenuk | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "42 claims from the Gerenuk profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/gerenuk/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Gerenuk (*Litocranius walleri*)

> 42 claims from the Gerenuk profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Gerenuk](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/gerenuk/)

## Litocranius walleri (gerenuk). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Litocranius_walleri/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A bipedal antelope of Africa's dry thornbush that rears onto its hind legs to reach leaves other antelope can't | the ability to stand on their hind legs allows L. walleri to obtain tree leaves that are out of reach for most other antelope species |
| does not drink standing water, relying instead on the succulent plants it eats | L. walleri does not drink free standing water, they instead rely on water taken in when they eat succulent plants. |
| from Tanzania's treeless plains to the dry high deserts of Kenya | The habitat that Litocranius walleri occupies varies from the treeless plains of Tanzania in the southern reaches of its range to the dry high deserts of Kenya. |
| and succulent plants for water | L. walleri does not drink free standing water, they instead rely on water taken in when they eat succulent plants. |
| more than 80 plant species have been found in one gerenuk's stomach | Over 80 different species of plants have been found in a single individuals stomach. |
| Rears onto its hind legs to browse tree leaves that are out of reach for most other antelope species | the ability to stand on their hind legs allows L. walleri to obtain tree leaves that are out of reach for most other antelope species |
| Adult gerenuks stay motionless at the approach of danger, a habit more common in forest-dwelling antelope than in desert-adapted ones | As adults they show an adaptation that is more common to forest dwelling antelopes than to desert-adapted ones, they freeze at the aproach of danger. |
| Fawns also keep still, hidden in bushes and tall grass not far from their feeding mother | Young L. walleri remain motionless while hiding in the bushes and tall grasses not far from their mothers during the day when the mother is feeding. |
| A 2003 account on Animal Diversity Web | Last updated: 2003-05-22 |
| the species was once found in eastern Egypt and northeastern Sudan as well | The species was once found in eastern Egypt and northeastern Sudan as well. |
| Males and females are a similar size, but males are more muscular, which makes them heavier | Both sexes of L. walleri are of similar size but the males are more muscular than females causing them to outweigh them. |
| Horns are a male-only feature | Only males of this species have head ornamentation in the form of scimitar shaped horns |
| A gerenuk's long neck and long, thin legs are its defining features, making it one of the world's most easily recognized antelopes | The long neck and long, thin legs of gerenuks are their defining features; these make them one of the world's most easily recognized antelopes. |
| It weighs 29 to 58 kilograms and runs 140 to 160 centimetres in body length, plus a 220 to 350-millimetre tail | Mass ranges from 29 to 58 kg, total body length from 140 to 160 cm, and tail length from 220 to 350 mm. |
| Only males carry horns, curved and scimitar-shaped, 25 to 44 centimetres long | Only males of this species have head ornamentation in the form of scimitar shaped horns ranging from 25 to 44 centimeters in length. |
| The coat is pale tawny brown, white along the breast and belly, with a dark patch around each eye that fades outward into a white rim | The pelage is a pale tawny brown with white along the breast, underbelly, and inner legs. ... On the head there is a dark patch around the eyes that pales as it goes outward until it forms a white rim. |
| Long neck, long legs and the ability to stand on its hind legs let the gerenuk reach tree leaves that are out of reach for most other antelope species | Their long necks, long legs, and the ability to stand on their hind legs allows L. walleri to obtain tree leaves that are out of reach for most other antelope species. |
| That reach lets the gerenuk be selective about what it eats | This permits gerenuks to be selective in the foods they eat (note: 'lets' paraphrases the source's 'This permits') |
| More than 80 different plant species have been found in a single gerenuk's stomach | Over 80 different species of plants have been found in a single individuals stomach. |
| The gerenuk lives across a range of dry habitats, from Tanzania's treeless plains to Kenya's high deserts, and does well in a variety of them as long as there's a good supply of succulent plants | The habitat that Litocranius walleri occupies varies from the treeless plains of Tanzania in the southern reaches of its range to the dry high deserts of Kenya. They are adaptable and do well in a variety of habitats, provided there is a good supply of succulent plants. |
| It does not drink from standing water, relying instead on the water it takes in from the succulent plants it eats | L. walleri does not drink free standing water, they instead rely on water taken in when they eat succulent plants. |
| Male gerenuks are solitary and very territorial | Males are solitary and very territorial |
| Dominant males mark out a territory on trees and shrubs with their preorbital gland, a scent gland in front of the eye | Dominant males establish territories by marking trees and shrubs with their preorbital gland. |
| A male's territory can run 300 to 850 acres and support several individuals | The size of a males territory can range from 300 to 850 acres and can support several indivduals. |
| Females move in small bands of up to about 10, usually related adults with young, roaming freely across male territories | Females form small bands of up to about 10 individuals, usualy related adults with young. These groups of females and young roam freely throughout male territories. |
| Lions, leopards, cheetahs, African wild dogs, hyenas, servals, caracals, honey badgers and large eagles are known predators of gerenuks | cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) leopards (Panthera pardus) lions (Panthera leo) cape hunting dogs (Lycaon pictus) hyenas (Hyaeninae) servals (Leptailurus serval) ratel (Mellivora capensis) caracals (Caracal caracal) large eagles (Accipitridae) (note: 'cape hunting dogs' and 'ratel' are ADW's names for the African wild dog and honey badger) |
| A gerenuk rears onto its hind legs to reach tree leaves other antelope can't | the ability to stand on their hind legs allows L. walleri to obtain tree leaves that are out of reach for most other antelope species (note: vibe.reason; 'other antelope' paraphrases 'most other antelope species') |
| adults freeze when danger approaches | As adults they show an adaptation
that is more common to forest dwelling antelopes than to desert-adapted ones, they
freeze at the aproach of danger. (note: vibe.reason) |

## Litocranius walleri. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Litocranius_walleri

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Gerenuks have been estimated to live up to 12 years in the wild | In the wild, these animals have been estimated to live up to 12 years [ 0542 ]. (note: AnAge (build 2023) replaces ADW's 2003 'averages 10 - 12 years': AnAge treats 12 as a maximum) |
| one captive gerenuk lived for 17.3 years | One captive specimen lived for 17.3 years [ 0671 ]. |

## Bärmann, Klappert & Chen (2021). Litocranius walleri (Artiodactyla: Bovidae). Mammalian Species.

https://doi.org/10.1093/mspecies/seab007

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Arid thornbush savannah of northeastern Africa | It is commonly found in dry thornbush savannah in northeastern Africa (note: current range from the 2021 account; ADW's 2003 country list was dropped as a dated current-state claim. 'Arid' keeps the desert biome and matches ADW's 'forage from their arid habitats') |
| Mostly leaves of thorny shrubs and trees | where it feeds almost exclusively on thorny shrubs and trees |
| The gerenuk is the only species in its own genus, Litocranius | L. walleri is the only species in the genus Litocranius. |
| it remains a close relative of the gazelles | It is a medium-sized antelope closely related to gazelles and springbok |
| A newer species account in Mammalian Species places it in the dry thornbush savannah of northeastern Africa | It is commonly found in dry thornbush savannah in northeastern Africa (note: the 2021 Mammalian Species account (Bärmann, Klappert & Chen); no year on the page because the FAQ's ref is ADW) |
| and reports that its population is decreasing | because its population trends are decreasing |
| The gerenuk (*Litocranius walleri*) is an antelope of the dry thornbush savannah of northeastern Africa, and it often eats standing up | It is commonly found in dry thornbush savannah in northeastern Africa, where it feeds almost exclusively on thorny shrubs and trees while frequently using a bipedal stance. |
| It feeds almost exclusively on thorny shrubs and trees, frequently using this bipedal stance to do it | where it feeds almost exclusively on thorny shrubs and trees while frequently using a bipedal stance |
| It's a medium-sized antelope closely related to gazelles and springbok, but unlike them it has low-crowned teeth, meaning teeth with short chewing crowns | It is a medium-sized antelope closely related to gazelles and springbok, but unlike these it has low-crowned teeth. |
| The IUCN lists the species as Near Threatened because its population is decreasing | L. walleri is classified as “Near Threatened” (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) because its population trends are decreasing. |

## Litocranius walleri (Brooke, 1879). Integrated Taxonomic Information System.

https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=625103

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| It was first described as Gazella walleri, and that old name survives as a synonym today | Litocranius walleri (Brooke, 1879) ... Synonym(s): Litocranius walleri walleri (Brooke, 1879) Gazella walleri Brooke, 1879 (note: year dropped: ITIS gives 1879, the 2021 Mammalian Species account gives Brooke, 1878) |

## Litocranius walleri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T12142A50190292.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-2.rlts.t12142a50190292.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Near Threatened | IUCN Red List category: Near Threatened (NT). (note: iucnredlist.org refuses scripts; category read via GBIF's copy of the Red List (node_modules/.cache/animaltracks/source-text/e1a227236687cb0a.txt)) |