These are close relatives of the therapeds. They very closely resemble antelope of today only with the long, thick tails of the therapeds. Like modern antelope, they have long, slender legs for running. Fully-hooved feet for streamlining. The body is long and flexible. The neck is long and slender. The ears are large and diamond-shaped and can swivel independantly in any direction. The eyes are large with long eyelashes as protection against the sun, sand and flying dirt. The eyes themselves are placed on each side of the head, and gives the animal a wide field of vision to spot any predators coming from any direction. The eyesight is very good, and so is the hearing. The sense of smell is better than it is in the therapeds, but is not useful in detecting predators, as all predatory mammals of the Metazoic are odorless. The sense of smell in these antelope are more useful for sniffing out food items.
Most of these antelope are small animals that live most of their lives in the brush, though they are quite capable of bounding out of their usual hiding spots if a predator is coming. Most live in small family groups, but one species, Caleriscopula, lives in vast herds on the plains. They are actually one of the most social animals within their range, much like herds of caribou or wildebeest. They often do not stay in one large field, but tend to migrate from one field to another on the island, and then back again. Herds can number in the hundreds of thousands. Though the species it's self is no bigger than a thompson's gazelle, not counting the tail which is about as long as the body.
Some gaboons live in marshy areas, such as Herbacomesus and Harundoaleres. These species do not really seek safety in numbers, but rely on their ability to escape into the water. In the Amazon, which is within their range, these antelope have even learned to dive and walk along the river floor. They can actually stay submerged for several minutes. They live in small family groups, and when searching for food or in the face of a predator, it becomes every animal for it's self. Though mothers will usually dive and tuck their fawn under their bellies as they move off. The fawn will usually faithfully remain underneath the mother until she feels the danger has passed. The family will usually reunite with calls as well as visual recognition. The favorite food of especially the Herbacomesus species is the large water reeds they live among. They are actually one of few mammals that can digest these tough, bamboo-like stalks. They use their powerful jaws to break off a chunk of the stem and chew it down and swallow.
The largest species is Baradromas, with an overall length of about 10 feet, and weighing about 400 pounds. These are also very tough animals. They travel in small family groups as opposed to large herds, and when confronted by a predator or another of their species, they use their tail and sharp front hooves for protection. They can swat with their tail quite effectively. When that does not work, they rear-up, and swaft their hooves at the attacker, usually going for the face of the attacker. On each other, the hooves can leave some pretty bad scars. On a predator, it can even gouge their eyes out if necessary. All but the largest of all predators in their range hesitate before attacking this animal. The male is the leader of the family group, females with young follow directly behind him. Low-ranking animals take the very tail end of their group. A herd consists usually of a dominant male with about 2 or 3 females, young, and lower-ranking animals, usually bachelor young that have not yet moved to another herd.
Gaboon antelopes are very fast animals, capable of running at top speeds of 70 m.p.h. for several miles without tiring. The smallest species belong to the genus Scopus. This is a species that lives strictly in male-female couples, usually with only one offspring. They inhabit bushy areas where they can find a thorn bush or low-growing tree to hide themselves or cuddle up under, rarely traveling far from their home. These animals are about 2 feet long, including the tail and weigh no more than 10 pounds. They are one of the smallest hooved mammals that ever lived. They can also be quite fast, and in escaping a predator, will even climb trees or seek refuge in an underground burrow abandoned by armadillos.
The greatest predators of these animals are the mongooses and deinognathids. They may also be taken by large snakes, lizards, and even predatory pentadactyls like Huaca. Many are also taken by crocodiles as they drink or bathe in the water.
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