21 Species Of Antelopes In Africa

Springbok
Springbok

Antelopes are known for their friendly, social, and smart behavior. They prefer living on herbs and noshes on herbivorous diets and are hence one of the most popular grassland animals in the world. All species of horns have some differences in their horns in one way or another and you will be surprised to know that the antelopes renew their horns every year. Around 91 species of antelopes are known worldwide and here I am presenting species of antelopes in Africa,

Antelopes In Africa

1. Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx)

Common Eland, is an herbivorous animal weighing 300-100 kg and growing 75-136 inches long and found in plains, forests, and savannas of Africa. It is one of the largest antelopes found in the world with a life expectancy of 15-25 years. Its spiral horns add elegance to it as they somewhat look like a unicorn’s horn.

Its attractive deer-like eyes and yellow-brown furry body with white stripes add beauty to it. Its fur turns black with aging and eats grasses, fruits, leaves, and water. An attention-grabbing verity about eland is that on walking its joints make a clicking sound which acts as a signal for its tribe.

Also Read: All You Need To Know About Amphibians vs Reptiles

Common Eland
Common Eland

2. Impala (Aepyceros melampus)

Impala is a 3-4 feet long antelope found in the eastern and southern regions of Africa. It is an herbivorous animal with a life expectancy of 12-15 years. An Impala has a reddish-brown furry body with white coverings. The male impalas are identified by horns which are absent in females.

Its horns can grow up to 36 inches long and are black. Impala is a very attractive and adorable animal and feeds on fruits, shrubs, leaves, and plants. Impala can cover a distance of 33 ft in one jump and this capability defends this stunning animal from predators.

Also Read: List of 10 Amazing Animals that start with V

Impala
Impala

Image Source: World Animal Foundation

3. Greater Kudu Antelope (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)

The greater kudu is one of the animals with stripes corkscrew-horned antelope weighing 225-350 kg and grows 40-56 inches tall. Greater kudu can be seen in mountains, plains, and hills of Eastern and Southern Africa and has a life expectancy of 7-8 years.

It has a reddish brown to grey furry body and white stripes all over the body. Greater kudu can cover 2 meters in one go and feed on plants, grasses, shrubs, and leaves. But, this antelope is brutally hunted for its horns as they can be used in crafting musical instruments, and its meat is enjoyed.

Greater Kudu
Greater Kudu

Image Source: Wikimedia

4. Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger)

The giant sable antelope has a powerful and muscular body and weighs around 220 kg. It grows 46-56 inches tall and has a life expectancy of 16-17 years. Its long ringed horns grow up to 65 inches and its ears are 6-7 inches long. Sable antelope is herbivorous and nourishes on leaves, plants, and shrubs. Interestingly, the sable antelope holds the position of the national symbol of Angola and is seen on Angolan currency, stamps, and passports. It possesses so much power that it can kill even lions and many other giant animals.

Sable Antelope
Sable Antelope

Image Source: Wikipedia

5. Springbok (Antidorcas marsupials)

A springbok is a four-legged antelope weighing 27-42 kg and growing 47-59 inches long. It is found in grass plains and deserts of South Africa and has a life expectancy of 10 years. It has a brown hairy body covered with white fur. Its long horns and pointed ears add beauty to it. The dark brown stripes running on its face are distinguishing features of the springbok. These jumping animals feed on grass, leaves, shrubs, succulents, and plants.

Springbok
Springbok

Image Source: Wikimedia

6. Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus)

The African antelope weighing 354-757 lb is found in tropical forests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. It grows 5-7 feet long and has a life expectancy of 18-30 years. It has a muscular body and its shaggy furry coat is brownish-grey which keeps darkening with age. Its neck has long shaggy hair, large rounded ears, and a white ring on either side of its rump. This ring is the follow-me sign for the rest of the group members. It mainly survives on water and prefers living near water areas.

Waterbuck
Waterbuck

Image Source: Wikimedia

7. Gerenuk Antelope (Litocranius walleri)

Gerenuk can grow as long as 4.6 to 5.3 feet and weighs 85 to 90 lb. It is found in woodlands, forests, and plains of Africa and has a life expectancy of around 8 years. It is known for its resemblance with the giraffe and is also known as Giraffe Gazelle.

A gerenuk is a long-necked antelope with a small head and big eyes and ears. It has a short reddish-brown fur coat and a short tail. The scent glands present in its knees are the unique mark of its territory. It is an adorable and beautiful animal that feeds only on fruits, leaves, flowers, and buds.

Gerenuk
Gerenuk

Image Source: Wikimedia

8. Nyala Antelope (Tragelaphus angasii)

A Nyala is a stunning and exceptional antelope of Africa. It weighs around 98-125 kg and grows 53-77 inches long. It is found in dry savannas and woodlands of Southern Africa and has a life expectancy of around 19 years. It has a brown-to-gray body with white undersides and stripes all over the body.

Male nyala have yellow-tipped horns while females don’t have horns. A few spots are also visible on the face, throat, and thighs. Its large round ears add beauty to it and make it elegant. It has an herbivorous diet and feeds on plants, stems, fruits, and leaves but mainly water.

Also Read: 10 Amazing Furry Animals in the World

Nyala
Nyala

9. East African Oryx (Oryx beisa)

The grey-white furry animal is found in semi-deserts, dry savannas, and grasslands of Africa. Its underside is white and has black stripes all around its eyes and mouth. Its horns are long and straight growing 30 inches long with a life expectancy of 18 years. It weighs 160-200 kg and grows 5-6 feet long.

It also can survive in extremely low water conditions and feeds on grass, leaves, fruits, and plants. Furthermore, it is also listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List but still, it can be hunted with a legal hunting license. It is one of the most amazing species of antelopes in Africa.

East African Oryx
East African Oryx

Image Source: Wikimedia

10. Harnessed Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus)

A common species of antelope is the harnessed bushbuck found in rainforests, grasslands, and shrublands of sub-Saharan Africa. It weighs around 44-80 kg and grows 3.9 feet long with a life expectancy of 15 years. It has a light brown hairy coat with seven running stripes on its back. Its color changes according to its surroundings. As the density of the area increases, the color of its fur also becomes dense.

Male antelope bear horns which grow up to 1 meter and a single fold. It is a cute animal and is not dangerous for humans too. It also can swim and freeze itself to avoid predators and guard itself.

Harnessed Bushbuck
Harnessed Bushbuck

11. Southern reedbuck (Redunca arundinum)

Southern reedbuck is known as the common reedbuck seen in southern Africa. It was first identified by a Dutch physician and naturalist named Pieter Boddaert and placed in the family of Bovidae. It can grow upto a length between 134 to 167 cm and the average weight is upto 58kg. The dietary habit is herbivorous and it mainly feeds on grass, however, they are also seen eating herbs and reeds. The avarage lifespan of Southern reedbuck is upto 10 years in the wild.

Southern reedbuck
Southern reedbuck

Image Source: Wikimedia

12. Mountain Reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula)

Mountain reedbuck is one of the species of antelopes in Africa scientifically known as Redunca fulvorufula is one of the antelope species in Africa mostly seen in the mountainous region of the sub-Saharan African region. It can grow upto a length of 75 cm (30 in) at the shoulder and its average weight is around 30 kg (66 lb).

The avarage lifespan of Mountain reedbuck is between 10 to 14 years in the wild. The antelope species is also a grazer and need an adequate amount of water in a few days. They are usually seen in small herds of three to eight individuals, however, it can also go upto 30.

Mountain Reedbuck
Mountain Reedbuck

Image Source: Wikimedia

13. Klipspringer Antelope (Oreotragus oreotragus)

Klipspringer is a small antelope species most seen in the east and southern regions of Africa. They love to thrive in rocky terrains especially kopje areas at an altitude of 13,000 feet (4,000 meters). The species is most active during the early morning hours and even in the late afternoon hours and rest during the hottest part of the day. The avarage lifespan of Klipspringer is between 15 to 18 years in the wild. The dietary habits are herbivorous and it feeds on shrubs, succulents, vines, seeds, flowers, forbs, and herbs, including green grass.

Klipspringer
Klipspringer

Image Source: Wikimedia

14. Grey Rhebuck (Pelea capreolus)

Grey Rhebuck also known as grey rhebok is one of the Antelopes In Africa locally known as reebok. The medium-sized antelope species comes with a long neck and long ears with an average wieght between 19 to 30 kg (42–66 lb). It is used to feed on roots, seeds, and flowers. It can grow upto a hieght of 72 to 75 cm and the average weight is between 19 to 30 Kg. The avarage lifespan of grey rhebuck is between you 8 to 10 years in the wild.

Grey Rhebuck
Grey Rhebuck

15. Suni Antelope (Neotragus moschatus)

Suni is one of the species of Antelopes in Africa that belongs to the family of Bovidae. The species can grow in between lengths of 57 to 62 cm and the average weight is between 4.5 to 6 Kg. The avarage lifespan of Suni is upto 10 years in the wild. They are small antelope that can be found only in Africa. Talking about its apperance, it is reddish-brown in appearance with a darker back side along with legs, sides, and backs. The other parts such as the belly, chin, throat, and inside of the legs are white.

Suni
Suni

16. Oribi Antelope (Ourebia ourebi)

Oribi is a small-sized antelope species mostly seen in eastern, southern, and western Africa. The species was first described by the German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann in the year 1783. It can reach between the length of 50 to 67 centimeters and its avarage weight is between 12–22 kilograms (26–49 lb). They are usually seen in small herds of four or sometimes more and primarily feed in fresh grasses, however, they are also seen eating browses occasionally. The avarage lifespan of Oribi is between 8 to 14 years in the wild.

Oribi
Oribi

Image Source: Wikimedia

17. Dik-dik Antelope (Madoqua)

The kirk’s dik-dik is one of the quietest animals native to Eastern Africa. The body length of Dik-dik is between 520 to 670 mm and the hieght is between 305 to 405 mm. The avarage lifespan of Kirk’s dik-dik is between 5 to 18 years in the wild. According to MacDonald (1985), it can attain a top speed of 42 km/hour and the average weight is between 3 to 6 kilograms. The dietary habits are herbivorous and feed on foliage, fruits, shoots, and berries.

Dik-dik antelope
Dik-dik antelope

Image Source: Wikimedia

18. Roan Antelope (Hippotragus equinus)

The roan antelope is a  savanna antelope seen in the regions of western, central, and southern Africa. The body length of a roan is between 190 to 240 cm and the average wieght is between 223 to 300 kilograms. It is one of the largest species of antelope, followed by eland, bongo, and large male greater kudu exceed in wieght. The dietary habits are herbivores in nature and feed on grasses, but will also eat leaves, shoots, twigs, and stems. The average lifespan of a roan is between 15 to 17 years in the wild.

Roan antelope
Roan antelope

19. Steenbok Antelope (Raphicerus campestris)

The steenbok is one of the popular antelopes in Africa mostly seen in southern and eastern Africa. It is also known as steinbock or steinbok and prefers different kinds of habitat such as the edge of the Kalahari Desert and Etosha National Park, to open woodland and thickets. The. The body length of the steenbok is between 70 to 95 cm and the average weight is between 7 to 16 kilograms. The avarage lifespan is between 7 to 9 years in the wild. They primarily feed on low-level vegetation and scrape up roots and tubers.

Steenbok Antelope
Steenbok Antelope

Image Source: Wikimedia

20. Gemsbok Antelope (Oryx gazella)

The gemsbok is a large horned animal species native to Southern Africa.  Talking about its appearance, they have a light brownish-grey to tan in color along with lighter patches toward the bottom rear of the rump and the tail is black. They are usually seen in a herd of 10 to 40 animals and the herd consists of a dominant male, along with a few males and other females. The antelope species primarily feeds on grasses, thorny shrubs, roots, and tubers.

Gemsbok
Gemsbok

21. Bongo Antelope (Tragelaphus eurycerus)

The bongo is one of the popular antelopes in Africa whose body length is between 2 to 3 meters and the average weight is between 150 to 405 kilograms. The avarage lifespan of a bongo is upto 19 years. The antelope species has a white mark on its cheeks and a white stripe between its eyes and nose along with a white crescent on its chest. The dietary habit is herbivorous and feeds on leaves, roots, grasses, and bark.

Bongo Antelope
Bongo Antelope

These are the amazing species of Antelopes in Africa. Kindly share and post your comments.

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