Scientific Name:

Taurotragus Oryx

Description:

Hides are a uniform fawn color with some vertical white striping on the upper parts. A dewlap, thought to be an adaptation for heat dissapation, hangs from the throat and neck. Heavy horns are twisted in a corkscrew fashion and grow up to 4 ft. long on males, 2.2 ft. long on females. A short mane occurs on the nape, and males have long hairs on the throat. They are the world's largest antelopes, together with giant eland which are actually about the same size. Females have a tan coat, while males have a darker tan coat with a blue tinge; there may also be a single white stripe vertically on the sides. Males have dense fur on their foreheads and a large dewlap. Both sexes have horns, about 65 centimetres (26 in) long and almost straight. The female's horns are longer and thinner the male's. They "are very agile and can easily jump a 1.5 m fence from a standing start" (sign from Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, NSW, Australia).

Habitat:

Elands live in both steppe and sparse forests. They are also found in semidesert areas and at elevations up to 14400 ft. During the heat of the day, they are often found in shaded areas.

Distribution:

Confined to Africa from Ethiopia and southern Zaire to South Africa.

Size:

Males can grow to a shoulder height of 1,7 metres.

Weight:

Eland males are much larger than females, weighing 400-1000 kg compared to 300-600 kg for females.

Lifespan:

15 to 20 years.