Tibetan antelope(Pantholops hodgsoni),a ruminant endemic to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,inhabit alpine regions above 4 000 m elevation.An important constraint for Tibetan antelope is the sparse and limited vegetation available at these high elevations,but there is little information on their physiological adaptations and nutrition.We estimated dry matter digestibility of 5 captive Tibetan antelope at the Tiebujia Grassland Station(3 250 m)in early April 2006,using acid insoluble ash.Dry matter digestibility of blended herbage was approximately 70%,and dry matter digestibility of graminoids was 65%-73%.Tibetan antelope have higher dry matter digestibility than domestic ruminants such as Tibetan sheep and goats.These preliminary results will be helpful for study on herbage utilization of Tibetan antelope.
