Antilope cervicapra
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English: Blackbuck
German: Hirschziegenantilope
French: Antilope cervicapre
Spanish: Antilope negro
Distribution areas
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The blackbuck is a middle sized antelope
living in South-Eastern Asia. This species
is often raised in zoos.
Description of the fur
----------------------
The skins are from 120 to 140 cm long. The cuticular structure
The basic coloration of the coat on the of a guard hair, 300x
back is black (male) or dark brown
(female). The belly is shaded white. The thickness of the coat is from 10 to
32 mm; the coarse guard hairs are 25 to 35 mm long. Both, the fine fibres and
the coarser fibres are straight.
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Antilope cervicapra
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English: Blackbuck
German: Hirschziegenantilope
French: Antilope cervicapre
Spanish: Antilope negro
Structure of the hair
---------------------
The microscopic structure of the skin
surface is furrowed. The upper part of the
hair follicle is narrow with the follicle
edges level with the skin surface. The
average follicle contains only one hair
shaft.
The cuticular structure
The fine fur fibres are relatively of a guard hair, 1000x
scarce in number. They have a diameter from
12 to 25 µm. The cross-sectional outline is usually circular. The cuticular
scales are cornet-like with a smooth surface without any regular structural
features. The outline of the scale margins is straight. No medullary
structure is visible in cross-sections of the fine hairs.
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Antilope cervicapra
-------------------
English: Blackbuck
German: Hirschziegenantilope
French: Antilope cervicapre
Spanish: Antilope negro
The intermediate fibres are elliptical
in cross-section in the bottom part, and
often tetragonal in shape in the upper part
of the shaft. The cuticular scales belong
to the even, tile-like type with a smooth
scale surface and straight scale margins.
The medulla is wide, unbroken longitudinally
and symmetrical in cross-section, situated
in the central axial part of the shaft. The Longitudinal section
overall structure of the medulla is of the of a guard hair, 1000x
spongelike type with the foam-like structure
of infilling material.
The guard hairs and the intermediate fibres form one group of very similar
hairs. The only difference is in the diameter, which is from 60 to 120 µm in
the intermediate, and 120 to 150 µm in guard hairs.
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Antilope cervicapra
-------------------
English: Blackbuck
German: Hirschziegenantilope
French: Antilope cervicapre
Spanish: Antilope negro
Transverse section
of a guard hair, 600x
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Antilope cervicapra
-------------------
English: Blackbuck
German: Hirschziegenantilope
French: Antilope cervicapre
Spanish: Antilope negro
Detailed structure
of the medulla, 2000x
Numerical code for blackbuck skin structure
-------------------------------------------
Surface of the skin: 3-4-1
Fine fur fibres: 1-5-1-1-4-0-0-0-0-25.35-5.12
Intermediate fibres: 2.6-2-1-1-2-1-1-5-5-60.121-15.31
Guard hairs: 2.6-2-1-1-2-1-1-5-5-120.151-25.35
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