Classification

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Species: Tragelaphus taurotragus oryx

Statistics

Weight male: 500-900 kg
Weight female: 330-500 kg
Height: 1.40-1.80 m
Lenght: 2.40-3.40 m
Lenght tail: 60-90 cm
Gestation: 8-9 months
Lifespan: 15-20 years

Habitat

Common eland

Elands live in savanna, desert-like areas, woodlands and in the mountains. The elands have the best adaptability of the antelopes. They can be found in a wide variaty of terrains, but not in deserts and forests.

Food

The elands are very good in finding high quality food. They eat fruit, seeds, herbs and grass. They often use their horns to brake off twigs, with their hoofs they dig up tubers. They also eat soil containing a lot of minerals, this has been found in the stomachs of elands on several occasions. Because of their small mouth they can only eat small portions at one time. But because of this they can select high quality food easier. With their small mouth they can easily grab the best bits of a plant. They do not need a lot of water because of the concentrated manure and urine. They loose less moisture because of this and that is why they do not dehydrate fast.

Interesting facts

Although elands do not run away for preditors quickly, they do run away for humans very quickly. They then even have the largest run-away-distance from all the African mamals. This means they start running away at the largest distance between elands and humans