Diet of Sable Antelope. Diet of Sable Antelope in Texas analyzed via microhistology and Illumina metabarcoding

The sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) is a large herbivore that has been stocked as an exotic large game species on several ranches in Texas. Although kept in areas similar to its native habitats in southeastern Africa, basic ecological information, including that on food habits, is lacking for this exotic ungulate in Texas. In this study, the diet of sable antelope was assessed by microhistological and molecular identification of plant species in fecal material. Microhistological analyses of 80 fecal samples obtained from the Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area resulted in the detection of 22 plant species, while Illumina sequencing of the chloroplast trnL UAA intron from a selection of 13 of these fecal samples identified 24 unique plant sequences. Species identified by both techniques included little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Texas wintergrass (Stipa leucotricha), oak (Quercus spp.), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli). These results confirm dietary analyses of sable antelope within their native range, suggesting that they are primarily grazers that minimally utilize browse. While sable antelope may not compete for food resources with browsers such as white-tailed deer and greater kudu, careful consideration should be made when stocking with other grazers such as domestic cattle (Bos taurus), waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), gemsbok (Oryx gazella), and scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah).