Дибатак: Описание и особенности эфиопской газели.

Genus of mammals

The dibatag (Ammodorcas clarkei), or Clarke's gazelle, is a medium sized slender antelope native to Ethiopia and Somalia. Though not a true gazelle, it is similarly marked, with long legs and neck. It is often confused with the gerenuk due to their striking resemblance. The typical head and body length is about They stand up to about Male dibatag weigh between , whereas females range from The length of the curved horns, present only on males, is typically between The upper parts are gray to fawn, while the dorsal and lateral areas are cinnamon to rufous (reddish brown). The underparts, rump and the insides of the legs are all white. While markings are visible on the face, there are none on the flanks or the buttocks. Dibatag are alert and secretive, and their brown coat provides an excellent camouflage, making the dibatag one of the antelopes most difficult to hunt. They are diurnal animals, and navigate in very small herds. Both sexes attain sexual maturity at 12 to 18 months. The species is polygynous. After a gestational period of six to seven months, a single offspring is born. Parturition usually occurs from September to November. The lifespan typically averages 10 to 12 years. Dibatag may maintain temporary territories demarcated by preorbital gland secretions, urine or feces. Primarily browsers, the dibatag feed on foliage and young shoots and shrubs. Dibatag are well adapted to semi arid habitats, with the capability of surviving on very little or no water. Several factors including human settlement, habitat degradation, large numbers of livestock, political unrest and armed conflicts in the areas covering its range and lack of conservation measures for two to three decades in the late 20th century have now reduced the population to only a few thousand. Significant populations still occur in southern Ogaden (Ethiopia). The dibatag is listed by the IUCN as "Vulnerable".

The dibatag was first described in 1891 by British zoologist Oldfield Thomas, who gave it the scientific name Ammodorcas clarkei. It is the sole member of the genus Ammodorcas, and is placed in the family Bovidae. Some authors such as Rod East of the IUCN SSC Antelope specialist group have classified it under a separate tribe Ammodorcadini. When Thomas first studied specimens from Somalia in 1891, he observed that the animal seemed to combine the horns of a reedbuck with the characteristic features of a gazelle (muzzle, facial markings, and anteorbital glands). At first, he considered it to be a reedbuck, though it appeared unnatural that a reedbuck should occur in the dry sandy plateau of Somalia. Thomas originally considered it a relative of the genus Redunca due to similarities in the morphology of horns, and placed it under the genus Cervicapra. However, after considering further specimens, he placed it under the separate genus Ammodorcas. The dibatag, which holds its black tail straight up when it is fleeing, gets its common name from the Somali words for 'tail' and 'erect': dabu and tag. The dibatag is also known as Clarke's gazelle, after T. W. H. Clarke, an Australian big game hunter who collected the type specimen.

The dibatag is a medium sized antelope with a slim body and long neck and legs. The typical head and body length is about It stands up to about at the shoulder. The male weighs between , whereas the female ranges from The long dark tail ends in a rounded but indistinct tassel. The tail is nearly long. The curved horns, resembling those of reedbuck, are present only on males, with the pointing tips facing forward. The length of horns is typically between , though Rowland Ward recorded a length of from Somalia. The dibatag closely resembles the gerenuk, with which it is sympatric in eastern and central Somalia and southeastern Ethiopia. Both are brachyodonts and share several facial and cranial features, along with a two tone coloration of the pelage and strong thick horns (only in males). A finer point of difference is the absence of an inward curving lobe in the lower edge of the ear (near its tip) in the gerenuk. The dibatag is endemic to the evergreen bushland of the Ogaden region of southeastern Ethiopia and adjoining parts in northern and central Somalia. In the past their range extended from the southern parts of northern Somalia through southeastern Ethiopia and central Somalia (between the coastline of the Indian Ocean and bounded by the Fafen River in the west and the Shebelle River in the southwest). Rock paintings of two dibatag were discovered on the west bank of the river Nile and north of the Aswan Dam in Egypt, suggesting a southward migration of the species in the Predynastic period in Egypt. However its brown pelage and alertness and timidity make hunting for it in dense bushes considerably difficult compared to other antelopes. The dibatag has been identified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). It has not been listed under the Washington Convention (CITES). There are no protected areas in its range. No population estimates or surveys could be made in the three decades from the 1960s to the 1990s due to political unrest and armed conflicts in the areas covering the range. The total surviving population is not known. In 1998, Rod East gave an estimate that the populations must be in only a few thousand given a total remaining range of and a population density of 0.1 to 0.3 per square kilometer. In 2006, the population in Ogaden was estimated at 1,500. The scenario is grim in Somalia: the dibatag have been overhunted, and their habitat faces destruction due to farming practices such as livestock grazing. They are also threatened by drought. It had nearly disappeared from most of the country by the early 1980s. Though locals claimed to have seen it in the central coastal hinterland even in the late 1980s, no clear surveys have been conducted since then to support this. Captive populations are not known.