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Eland

Taurotragus oryx

Photo by Smith Zoo
Published on Project Noah
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-32.3509, 20.1554

Field Notes

Description:

Common elands are spiral-horned antelopes. Elands are capable of jumping up to 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) from a standing start when startled.

Habitat:

Arid semi desert of Tankwa National Park. We came across a herd of about 25 near a man made dam.

Reference Links:

Common eland

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (5)
Smith Zoo
Thank you Tic, and thanks for the honor of fun fact Karen!
KarenL
Fun fact! The eland is the largest African bovid, but the slowest antelope. It can only run about 25 mph, but it can jump 10 feet from a standing start. The joints in the eland's foreleg produce a sharp clicking sound when it walks, which can be heard more than a mile away. The reason for this is not fully understood but some scientists believe it may be a way for males to communicate their presence to any other males that enter their territory. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152891934710603&set=a.10152575329380603.958289.10150120463815603&type=1 https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/343458665908543488

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PublishedJune 8, 2013

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