Overview
They are spiral-horned antelopes and are sexually dimorphic, with females being smaller than the males. Their coat differs geographically, with elands in north Africa having distinctive markings (torso stripes, markings on legs, dark garters and a spinal crest) that are absent in the south. Apart from a rough mane, the coat is smooth. Females have a tan coat, while the coats of males are darker, with a bluish-grey tinge. Bulls may also have a series of vertical white stripes on their sides (mainly in parts of the Karoo in South Africa). As males age, their coat becomes more grey. Males also have dense fur on their foreheads and a large dewlap on their throats. Both sexes have horns with a steady spiral ridge (resembling that of the bushbuck). The horns are visible as small buds in newborns and grow rapidly during the first seven months. The horns of males are thicker and shorter than those of females (males' horns are 43–66 cm (17–26 in) long and females' are 51–69 cm (20–27 in) long), and have a tighter spiral. This species is slightly smaller than the Giant eland and thus is the second largest antelope in the world. The Cape eland's body color is a uniform, dull fawn. Adults lack body stripes, though juveniles may be lightly striped. Typically, this subspecies does not have white streaks below the eyes or dark bands behind the knees. The backs of the pasterns are whitish.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Bovidae
- Genus
- Taurotragus
- Species
- Taurotragus oryx
Habitat
Elands prefer to live in semi-arid areas that contain many shrub-like bushes, and often inhabit grasslands, woodlands, sub-desert, bush, and mountaintops. Elands do, however, avoid forests, swamps and deserts. The places inhabited by elands generally contain Acacia, Combretum, Commiphora, Diospyros, Grewia, Rhus and Ziziphus trees and shrubs; some of these also serve as their food.
Diet
They are herbivores that browse during drier winter months but have also adapted to grazing during the rainy season when grasses are more common. They require a high-protein diet of succulent leaves from flowering plants but will consume lower quality plant material if available including forbs, trees, shrubs, grasses, seeds and tubers. The eland can conserve water by increasing its body temperature. Grasses the eland eats include Setaria and Themeda and fruits from Securinega and Strychnos. Large antelope can survive on lower quality food in times of little rain. Elands feed during the night in hot weather and sleep for long periods during the day. Most of their water is obtained from their food, though they will drink water when available. As they quickly adjust to the surroundings due to seasonal changes and other causes, they also change their feeding habits. They also use their horns to break off branches that are hard to reach.
Behavior
Nomadic and crepuscular. They eat in the morning and evening, rest in shade when hot and remain in sunlight when cold. They are commonly found in herds of up to 500, with individual members remaining in the herd anywhere from several hours to several months. Juveniles and mothers tend to form larger herds, while males may separate into smaller groups or wander individually. During estrus, mainly in the rainy season, groups tend to form more regularly. They can be found amongst herds of other species such as Zebra.
Hunting
Mainly spot and stalk methods or over a water source. Because of its habitat, most hunting is by tracking on foot. One looks for fresh tracks at first light-from a vehicle if there are roads, or on foot if there are none. Once found, the tracks are followed as quickly as possible-often at a trot-because eland usually stay moving. Tracking can take all day or longer. Care must be taken to prevent the eland from becoming aware of the pursuit, for, when alarmed, they are off without a backward look and will run for miles.
Conservation Status
Overall, the Common eland is listed as Least Concern by IUCN, but there is no assesment for the Cape eland subspecies.