eland (ē`lənd), large, spiral-horned African antelope antelope, name applied to a large number of hoofed, ruminant mammals of the cattle family (Bovidae), which also includes the sheep and goats. The North American pronghorn is sometimes called an antelope, but belongs to a separate, related family (Antilocapridae).
..... Click the link for more information. , genus Taurotragus, found in brush country or open forest at the edge of grasslands. Elands live in small herds and are primarily browsers rather than grazers. The two species of eland are the largest of all living antelopes. The common eland, Taurotragus oryx, of S and E Africa, stands almost 6 ft (1.8 m) high at the shoulder and may weight up to 2,000 lb (910 kg). Its oxlike body is light brown, with a few narrow white stripes running across the back and down the sides. It has a hump between the shoulders, a short, erect, black mane, and a long tail with a short, black tuft. Both sexes have spiral horns about 2 ft (60 cm) long, stretching straight back from the head. The common eland is easily tamed, and some attempts have been made at domestication. The giant eland, T. derbianus, of W and central Africa, is slightly larger than the common eland and has horns up to 4 ft (1.2 m) long. Its numbers have been greatly reduced by hunting for meat and hides and by recurrent epidemics of rinderpest, a bovine disease to which elands are particularly susceptible. By 1968 the giant eland was nearly extinct in W Africa. Elands are classified in the phylum Chordata Chordata (kôrdā`tə,–dä`–)
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae.
Either of two species of easily tamed, oxlike antelope (genus Taurotragus) found in herds on the plains or in lightly wooded areas of central and southern Africa. The largest of the antelope, they may stand up to 6 ft (1.8 m) tall at the shoulder and weigh as much as 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg). They have a short, dark mane, a dewlap hanging from the throat, and long horns twisted in a tight spiral. The common eland is pale brown, becoming blue-gray with age, and often marked with narrow, vertical white stripes. The giant, or Derby, eland is reddish brown with a blackish neck and vertical white stripes and horns heavier than those of the common eland.
eland
..... Click the link for more information. , genus Taurotragus, found in brush country or open forest at the edge of grasslands. Elands live in small herds and are primarily browsers rather than grazers. The two species of eland are the largest of all living antelopes. The common eland, Taurotragus oryx, of S and E Africa, stands almost 6 ft (1.8 m) high at the shoulder and may weight up to 2,000 lb (910 kg). Its oxlike body is light brown, with a few narrow white stripes running across the back and down the sides. It has a hump between the shoulders, a short, erect, black mane, and a long tail with a short, black tuft. Both sexes have spiral horns about 2 ft (60 cm) long, stretching straight back from the head. The common eland is easily tamed, and some attempts have been made at domestication. The giant eland, T. derbianus, of W and central Africa, is slightly larger than the common eland and has horns up to 4 ft (1.2 m) long. Its numbers have been greatly reduced by hunting for meat and hides and by recurrent epidemics of rinderpest, a bovine disease to which elands are particularly susceptible. By 1968 the giant eland was nearly extinct in W Africa. Elands are classified in the phylum Chordata Chordata (kôrdā`tə,–dä`–)
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae.
eland
)
Giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus)
(credit: Leonard Lee Rue III)
eland
1. a large spiral-horned antelope, Taurotragus oryx, inhabiting bushland in eastern and southern Africa. It has a dewlap and a hump on the shoulders and is light brown with vertical white stripes
2. giant eland a similar but larger animal, T. derbianus, living in wooded areas of central and W Africa
How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|