Saiga

Saiga (Saiga tatarica), the native designation of a desertdwelling antelope, easily recognized by its extraordinary swollen and puffy nose, in which the apertures of the tubular nostrils are directed downwards. The ringed lyrate horns of the males are amber-coloured, and wide apart on the head. There is a small gland on each side of the face below the eye; and the ears are remarkable for their short and rounded form. The colour is whitish in winter and sandy in summer. It is the sole representative of its genus. At the present day the headquarters of this antelope are the Kirghiz Steppes, but a century ago its range extended as far west as Poland. During the latter part of the Tertiary period the saiga was much more widely distributed, fossilized remains having been obtained from many parts of Western Europe, including Britain.