Giant Eland
Encyclopedia
The giant eland is an open forest
savanna
h antelope
. It is found in Central African Republic
, South Sudan
, Cameroon
and Senegal
. There are two subspecies: the endangered T. d. derbianus, found in Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park
, and the low risk T. d. gigas, found in Central Africa, especially in Cameroon and the Central African Republic.
. The smooth coat is reddish-brown to chestnut, usually darker in males than females, with several well-defined vertical white stripes on the torso. A crest of short black hair extends down the neck to the middle of the back, and is especially prominent on the shoulders. The slender legs are slightly lighter on their inner surfaces, with black and white markings just above the hooves. There are large black spots on the upper forelegs. The bridge of the nose is charcoal black, and there is a thin, indistinct tan-coloured chevron between the eyes. The lips are white, along with several dots along the jaw-line. A pendulous dewlap
, larger in males then females, originates from between the jowls and hangs to the upper chest, with a fringe of hair on its edge. The tail is long, and ends with a dark tuft of hair. Both sexes have tightly spiralled horns, which are relatively straight. In males the horns form a wide "V" and can grow to 120 cm (3.9 ft) in length, slightly longer than on females.
Young per birth: 1
Weaning: After 6 months.
Sexual maturity: Females at 15–36 months, males at 4–5 years.
Lifespan: Up to25 years.
and savannah
where they eat grass
, leaves
, and branch
es. Their primary predators are the lion
, spotted hyena
and perhaps leopards.
in two isolated pockets in central and western Africa
, which correspond to the two recognized subspecies, the Western giant eland (T. d. derbianus) and the Eastern giant eland or Lord Derby´s eland (T. d. gigas). The Western giant eland is largely restricted to Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal. The Eastern giant eland is found in several reserves, for example in Bénoué National Park
, Faro National Park
and Bouba Njida National Park
in Cameroon
and in Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park
in the Central African Republic.
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
h antelope
Antelope
Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats...
. It is found in Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
, South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
, Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
and Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
. There are two subspecies: the endangered T. d. derbianus, found in Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park
Niokolo-Koba National Park
The Niokolo-Koba National Park is a World Heritage Site and natural protected area in south eastern Senegal near the Guinea-Bissau border.-National Park:...
, and the low risk T. d. gigas, found in Central Africa, especially in Cameroon and the Central African Republic.
Characteristics
Giant eland are typically between 220–290 cm (7.2–9.5 ft) in length, stand approximately 150 to 175 cm (4.9 to 5.7 ft) at the shoulder, and weigh 440–900 kg (970–1,984.2 lb). Despite its common name, it is of very similar size to the common elandCommon Eland
The common eland , also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is the largest antelope in the African continent...
. The smooth coat is reddish-brown to chestnut, usually darker in males than females, with several well-defined vertical white stripes on the torso. A crest of short black hair extends down the neck to the middle of the back, and is especially prominent on the shoulders. The slender legs are slightly lighter on their inner surfaces, with black and white markings just above the hooves. There are large black spots on the upper forelegs. The bridge of the nose is charcoal black, and there is a thin, indistinct tan-coloured chevron between the eyes. The lips are white, along with several dots along the jaw-line. A pendulous dewlap
Dewlap
A dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck of many vertebrates. While the term is usually used in this specific context, it can also be used to include other structures occurring in the same body area with a similar aspect, such as those caused by a double...
, larger in males then females, originates from between the jowls and hangs to the upper chest, with a fringe of hair on its edge. The tail is long, and ends with a dark tuft of hair. Both sexes have tightly spiralled horns, which are relatively straight. In males the horns form a wide "V" and can grow to 120 cm (3.9 ft) in length, slightly longer than on females.
Ontogeny and reproduction
Gestation period: 9 monthsYoung per birth: 1
Weaning: After 6 months.
Sexual maturity: Females at 15–36 months, males at 4–5 years.
Lifespan: Up to
Ecology and behavior
Primarily nocturnal, giant elands are highly nomadic, with large home ranges and seasonal migration patterns. During the day, herds often rest in sheltered areas. A gregarious species, giant eland herds usually consist of twenty or more animals and do not disband during the wet season, suggesting that social rather than ecological factors are responsible for herding. There is no evidence of territoriality, and males rarely display aggression, even during the breeding season. Giant eland are alert and wary, making them difficult to approach and observe. They move quickly, running at over 70 km/h (43.5 mph), and despite their size are exceptional jumpers, easily clearing heights of 1.5 m (4.9 ft). Giant eland live in open forestForest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
and savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
where they eat grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
, leaves
Leaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
, and branch
Branch
A branch or tree branch is a woody structural member connected to but not part of the central trunk of a tree...
es. Their primary predators are the lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
, spotted hyena
Spotted Hyena
The spotted hyena also known as laughing hyena, is a carnivorous mammal of the family Hyaenidae, of which it is the largest extant member. Though the species' prehistoric range included Eurasia extending from Atlantic Europe to China, it now only occurs in all of Africa south of the Sahara save...
and perhaps leopards.
Distribution and subspecies
Broad-leafed savanna and gladesGlade (geography)
A glade or clearing is an open area within a woodland. Glades are often grassy meadows under the canopy of deciduous trees such as red alder or quaking aspen in western North America. They also represent openings in forests where local conditions such as avalanches, poor soils, or fire damage have...
in two isolated pockets in central and western Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, which correspond to the two recognized subspecies, the Western giant eland (T. d. derbianus) and the Eastern giant eland or Lord Derby´s eland (T. d. gigas). The Western giant eland is largely restricted to Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal. The Eastern giant eland is found in several reserves, for example in Bénoué National Park
Bénoué National Park
Bénoué National Park is a national park of Cameroon and a UNESCO designated Biosphere Reserve. It is in size. The park has a wide frontage to the Bénoué River, which stretches for over , forming the eastern boundary. The public road to Tcholliré cuts across the northern part of the park...
, Faro National Park
Faro National Park
Faro National Park is a national park in Cameroon's North Province. It covers an area of and is close to the Nigerian border, surrounded on the eastern side by several hunting reserves. It is home to cheetahs, black rhinoceros, elephants, and is known for its colonies of hippopotamuses....
and Bouba Njida National Park
Bouba Njida National Park
Bouba Njida National Park is a national park of Cameroon. A total of 23 antelope species occur in the park. The Painted Hunting Dog, Lycaon pictus had been observed in Bouba Njida National Park at the turn of the 21st century; this population of the endangered canid is one of the few that remained...
in Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
and in Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park
Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park
Manovo-Gounda St.Floris National Park is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Central African Republic prefecture Bamingui-Bangoran, near the Chad border. It was inscribed to the list of World Heritage Sites in 1988 as a result of the diversity of life present within it...
in the Central African Republic.