Scientific Name: Cape eland (Taurotragus oryx)
Size: About 70 inches
Weight: 1,300 to 1,500 or more pounds
Lifespan: 15 to 20 years
Gestation: About 280 days
The Eland is a very large, oxlike African antelope. The cowlike eland is the world's largest antelope and is the animal most often depicted in the early rock art of East Africa. Even today, it still holds an important place in the mythology of some southern African tribes.
What does a eland look like?
The cow-like eland is the world's largest and slowest antelope. However, it has the endurance to maintain a trot indefinitely and can jump an 8 foot fence from a standstill. Both males and females have horns that spiral tightly. A tuft of black hair grows out of the male eland's prominent dewlap, the loose fold of skin that hangs down from the neck. Adult males also have a mat of hair on the forehead that grows longer and denser as the animal ages. Usually fawn or tawny-colored, elands turn gray or bluish-gray as they get older; the oldest animals become almost black.
Where do elands live?
Elands are found in grassland, mountain, subdesert, acacia savanna and miombo woodland areas. They distance themselves from deserts, forests and swamps.
What does a eland eat?
Although the eland is often considered a plains-dwelling animal, they browse more than graze, feeding in areas where shrubs and bushes provide the leaves they prefer and using their horns to bring twigs and branches into reach. They also consume certain fruits, large bulbs and tuberous roots.
Did You Know?
The eland's size and docility as well as its rich milk, tasty meat and useful skin have encouraged research on its use in game ranching. Elands have been semidomesticated in some areas.
Although eland groups are not very stable and animals move from one to another, a dominance hierarchy that is usually based on size, strength and age does exist.
Download free Eland wallpapers, click on the image to open the large version.
Eland wallpaper 1
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Eland Coloring pages
Print free Eland coloring pages, click on the image to open the large version.