Overview
A medium-sized antelope, lightly built and graceful. The fine, glossy coat is reddish-fawn in color and distinctly two-toned, being darker above and lighter below. The chin, upper throat, underparts and rump are white. Two vertical black stripes border the rump. Scent glands, marked by coarse black hair tufts, occur above the hoofs of the hind legs. (The impala is the only antelope with such glands.) The moderately long tail is white with a dark center line. The elegantly lyrate horns (males only) are long, slim and ridged on the front surface. Females are similar, but a little smaller and without horns.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Bovidae
- Genus
- Aepyceros
- Species
- Aepyceros melampus
Habitat
Dense vegetation. Distribution- Southeastern Angola, the eastern end of the Caprivi Strip in Namibia, eastern and northern Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, southeastern Congo (K), Malawi, the extreme south of Tanzania along its border with Mozambique, and Mozambique. Also in South Africa, where its natural range included much of the Transvaal, northern Natal and northern Cape Province. It was largely shot out in South Africa many years ago by European settlers; however, it has now been widely re-established on private ranches and reserves, and has also been introduced in regions where it did not occur naturally. Also introduced on private ranches in Namibia, where it was not indigenous. (For record keeping, we treat all populations as indigenous.)
Diet
This animal both grazes and browses based on seasonal availability.
Behavior
A very social herd animal.
Hunting
Spot & stalk methods of all type work well. With their thin body a frontal shot can be challenging, and when bowhunting they will likely jump the string. Usually found in areas with scattered cover.
Conservation Status
This subspecies is listed as Least Concern by IUCN.