Impala
Afrikaans name :
Scientific name : family
Bovidae of the order
Artiodactyla / classified as Aepyceros
melampus.
Region
: Native to the open woodlands and plains of Africa, from northern Kenya to South
Africa.
Description : a graceful antelope, chestnut-brown above and white below, with a
distinguishing dark stripe on each haunch.
Habitat : Impalas inhabit areas close to the edges of forests and
water
Weight : max. 76 kg.
Height : 1 m
Horns : Only male impalas have horns, which are long, black,
and of a graceful lyre shape.
Food
: mixed feeders, they eat plains grasses
in the wet season and browsing on shrubs in the
forests in the dry season. They can also
be found eating the fallen red fleshly flowers of the sausage tree.
Habits : Impalas are gregarious moving in big herds of at least 100.
Impala can leap as high as 3 m and as far as 10m. After the dry season, males compete for
territory. Males without territories stay together in a bachelor herd.
Young : During the mating seasons, which occur from March to June and
from September to November, groups of females enter and remain in a male's
territory. They form breeding
herds of 1 male and 15 / 25 females. Calving in rainy season from
the end of October. Maturity on years. Gestation period
months. Calves accompany mothers
Predators : Lion and wild dogs are their main
predators, but Jackal,
Leopards and Hyena are
also a threat.
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