[3] The common eland's life expectancy is generally between 15 and 20 years; in captivity some live up to 25 years. Olle Bexander comes in at number 11 with this bull taken in 2000 with Fred Duckworth Safaris. The mother leaves her herd to give birth. A full-grown eland bull can weigh around 2000lbs and measure almost 6ft in shoulder height. A male can mate with a number of females. The Livingstone Eland Bull, Cape Eland's Northern counterpart, has a similar weight of 650-910 kg: Source: Bovids of the World: Antelopes, Gazelles, Cattle, Goats, Sheep, and … It is 2–4 hours before a female allows a male to mount. It is a species of the family Bovidae and genus Taurotragus. This was believed to be due to the absence of male kudus in the herd. Females are a tad smaller, at a maximum of 280 cm in length and 1.53 meters tall. Apart from the rough black mane their coat is smooth. [3] Both the X and Y replicate late; they do not match well and are variable. It belongs to the order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae and subfamily Bovinae. Most of their water requirements are fulfilled by the food. It’s been theorized that this sound is made by a tendon in the leg sliding over a leg bone and making a sound like a guitar string being plucked. Description: The Largest of the African antelope, an adult eland bull stands about 67 inches (1.7 metres) at the shoulder and can weigh up to 1,980 pounds (900 kilograms). [29] Populations are considered stable or increasing in the countries of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi and possibly Tanzania. Elands prefer to live in semi-arid areas that contain many shrub-like bushes, and often inhabit grasslands, woodlands, sub-desert, bush, and mountaintops with altitudes of about 15,000 ft (4,600 m). [26] Their need for water is quite low because they produce urine with a high-urea content, but they require a substantial grazing area, along with salt licks and large amounts of supplementary foods like maize, sorghum, melons and beans which can be expensive. It means that your Eland bull must be over 1000 kg (1 ton) on the hoof. They make their home in semi-arid areas with many shrub-like bushes mostly but can also be found in grasslands, woodlands, sub desert, bush and mountaintops. They will still stay within their calf group for up to two years. Photo: Johan Van der Vyver, Cape eland old bull . derbianus). They are not territorial and have large home ranges. Once the leaves start to turn and the air gets a bit more crisp, thousands of hunters find themselves in the Alaskan backcountry in hopes of finding a legal bull moose to fill their freezers, let alone a record breaking Alaskan bull moose to remember for years to come. A mature bull can weigh over a ton, having a thick neck, hump, and a dewlap reminiscent of a Brahma bull. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22055A50196938.en. [20] Mating begins when elands gather to feed on lush green plains with plentiful grass, and some males and females start mating with each other in separate pairs. Herds of eland will often associate with. They are smart, shifty and elusive! Bulls weigh 400–942 kg (882–2,077 lb),[11] are 240–345 cm (94–136 in) from the snout to the base of the tail and stand 150–183 cm (59–72 in) at the shoulder. In recent years the eland has become popular as a source of meat and milk. 245 108. The common eland is crepuscular. When eland bulls walk, their fore legs make a distinct clicking sound. [8][9] When Dutch settlers came to the Cape Province, they named it after the large, herbivorous moose. [30] As they are docile and inactive most of the time, they can easily be killed. Eland are considered part of the spiral horn family of antelope together with. [20] They travel the grassy plains in wet periods and prefer bushy areas in dry periods. They may remain separated from the herd for 24 hours until they are ready to return to the herd. On top of a males head their fur is quite dense. Color is grayish-brown with older males developing a bluish-gray around the neck. Etymology. Herds of eland will often associate with zebras, roan antelopes and oryxes. Sexual maturity is achieved between one and three years of age while males are not mature until four to five years of age. Weight 460 - 1000kg. This has led to some Southern African farmers switching from cattle to eland. IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group. Weaning occurs at six months old. [22][23], Common elands are nomadic and crepuscular. [3], The common eland is the slowest antelope, with a peak speed of 40 kilometres (25 mi) per hour that tires them quickly. [3] In southern Africa common elands will often associate with herds of zebras, roan antelopes and oryxes. [1][2][3][10][14], Male elands have 31 diploid chromosomes and females have 32. [15] The sound carries some distance from a herd, and may be a form of communication. The males horns reach 43-66cm (17-26in) long while females come in between 51 and 69cm (20-27in). [4] Tragos is Greek for a male goat, referring to the tuft of hair that grows in the eland's ear and its resemblance to a goat's beard. After this they will go off and join a male or female herd. Elands feed during the night in hot weather and sleep for long periods during the day. 590 to 997 kilograms (1,300 to 2,200 pounds) Size. Common eland are found throughout Southern Africa. [3], Both sexes have horns with a steady spiral ridge (resembling that of the bushbuck). IUCN Conservation Status: Cape eland: Lower Risk, Least concern (LR/lc). Twycross Zoo Rhino Has a Party for His Third Birthday, Watch as Toronto Zoo Zebra Foal is Born on Video, Mini Monkeys are the Latest Arrivals at Chester Zoo. [7], Common elands are spiral-horned antelopes. The heaviest eland bull I've ever weighed dressed out at 440kg. Mature bulls become more and more blue-gray, especially on the neck. Usually, a female chooses the most dominant and fit male to mate with. [28] Using ground counts and aerial surveys, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) calculates the population density of the common eland to be between 0.05 and 1 per square kilometre with a total population estimate of 136,000. They roam in herds of up to 500. Giant Eland can move quickly, running at over 43 mph (70 km/h), and despite their size are exceptional jumpers, easily clearing heights of 1.5 m (4.9 ft). At the shoulder they stand 125-153cm (49-60in) tall. An extinct ancestor of the common eland (Taurotragus arkelli) appears in the Pleistocene in northern Tanzania and the first T. oryx fossil appears in the Holocene in Algeria. Most trophy bulls dress out between 370 and 400 kg. The pleasant-tasting milk has a butterfat content of 11-17% and can be stored for up to eight months if properly prepared, versus several days for cow milk. [17], Male elands and female greater kudus can produce a viable male hybrid, though it is not known if it is sterile. Their coat is an orangey-brown but becomes more grey in males as they age. Weights range from 300-600kg (660-1,320lb) for females. Common elands form herds of up to 500 animals, but are not territorial. Common elands are spiral-horned antelopes. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22055A115166135. [27], Males, females and juveniles each form separate social groups. Older mature males can weigh up to one ton and can be very difficult to bring down. The average male eland weight is between a whopping 400 and 940 kilograms.. Males chase the females to find out if they are in estrus. It is believed that today their extinction from these parts could be due to colonization. Optimum Game Weight formula doesn't recommend 30-06 for game as heavy as this eland bull, but it worked anyway. Autotrophic Organism. I arrowed a big bull eland in 2014. It does not need to be stored in a fridge and can last for up to eight months when properly prepared instead of a few days. [3] Husbandry requires care because the generally placid animals startle easily and require large amounts of space. Common elands can reproduce in captivity, but calf survival is low and the young may need to be separated from their mothers to ensure health and adequate feeding. Eland hunting is surprisingly difficult considering that they are the largest species of plains game in Africa. Eland are predominantly a reddish fawn to tawny colour, but usually darken with age. Tragelaphus oryx (errata version published in 2017). Both bulls and cows sport a set of horns that twist from the base to the tip. Common elands are also pictured as supporters in the coat of arms of Grootfontein, Namibia. [3] It was scientifically described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1766. The scientific name taurotragus oryx comes from Greek. 50% of the elands in Africa live in protected reserves. Males also have dense fur on their foreheads and a large dewlap on their throats. A female can produce up to 7 kilograms (15 lb) of milk per day that is richer in milkfat than cow milk. Giant Eland - Taurotragus derbianus The giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus), also known as the Lord Derby eland, is an open-forest savanna antelope. The calves start befriending each other and stay back in the nursery group while the mother returns to the female group. Nyala; Bushbuck, and; Kudu; Eland are, in spite of their size, extremely agile and … Females will urinate to indicate fertility during the appropriate phase of their estrous cycle, as well as to indicate their lack of fertility when harassed by males. INTERESTING HUNTING NOTES: The largest of the Spiral Horned family in South Africa. At the shoulder they stand 125-153cm (49-60in) tall. [12], Their coat differs geographically, with elands in northern part of their range having distinctive markings (torso stripes, markings on legs, dark garters and a spinal crest) that are absent in the south. A fully grown bull may weigh 2,000 lb (900 kg). It is also the largest antelope with spiraled horns. Up went the sticks and I moved behind them and got ready … Weights range from 300-600kg (660-1,320lb) for females. Actually, the the Eland from the Drakensberg is the same subspecies. [18] Female elands can also act as surrogates for bongos. The similarity of dates obtained from more studies indicates a significant event c. 200 ka, which had brought a great change in the genetic history of the species.[19]. Under the throat is a dewlap (a fold of skin). The chromosomes resemble those of the greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros). Eland, (genus Taurotragus), either of two very large, oxlike African antelopes of the spiral-horned antelope tribe (Tragelaphini, family Bovidae), which also includes the bushbuck and the kudus. They need less water than normal cows and the milk produced is richer in milkfat. Sometimes she runs away from males trying to mate, causing more attraction. It measures 135 4/8″. However, they are still pretty hefty, weighing up to 600 kg. The Cape eland is southern Africa's largest antelope. [10], International Union for Conservation of Nature, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, 10.1644/1545-1410(2002)689<0001:TO>2.0.CO;2, "Husbandry Guidelines For The Common Eland", "A long‐standing Pleistocene refugium in southern Africa and a mosaic of refugia in East Africa: insights from mtDNA and the common eland antelope", "The Living Africa: Wildlife – Bovid Family – Common Eland", "Taurotragus oryx (Common eland)-Ontogeny and Reproduction", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Common_eland&oldid=985311716, Mammals of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Distribution of the common eland over the, This page was last edited on 25 October 2020, at 06:44. In Dutch the animal is called "Eland antelope" to distinguish it from the moose, which is found in the northern boreal forests. Several years ago, I took one such specimen largely exceeding that weight. Clostridium chauvoei, another bacterium, can be harmful as well. Mainly browsers but do occasionally graze, they love wild fruit. The first members of the tribe Tragelaphini appear 6 million years in the past during the late Miocene. Also plan for several R000's for having the trophy done at a good Taxidermy. Mojave 555. They are sexually dimorphic, with females being smaller than the males. Join Our Mailing List to Get Daily Animal Profiles & Animal News Delivered to Your Mailbox. Males usually keep close contact with females in the mating period. On some occasions males will engage in fights using their horns. The nursery and juvenile group is naturally formed when females give birth to calves. [1] Most of these populations appear to be stable. Relatively large numbers of common eland now live on private land, particularly in Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, reflecting its value as a trophy animal. If it available they will drink water though. The larger herds are generally formed females and juveniles while males form small herds or wander on their own. ), Firearm Dealers / Gun Shops / Firearms Training Facilities, What weight projectile for Eland from Howa 30.06. During the heat of the day they rest. Juvenile elands are more vulnerable than adults to their predators.[3]. Predators of the eland include lions, wild dogs, cheetahs and spotted hyenas. Females are smaller than males. There are no doubt bulls that will reach, or exceed, 500 kg but those are very much exceptions to the rule. They will avoid forests, swamps and deserts. At the tip of the tail is a tuft of black fur. Most of the time they are concealed than moving around with their mothers. Habits: Live in groups of up to 1000. [3], The Bovidae family ancestors of the common eland evolved approximately 20 million years ago in Africa; fossils are found throughout Africa and France but the best record appears in sub-Saharan Africa. Mating may occur anytime. They roam in herds of up to 500. That enormous male had only one horn, the other having been broken maybe in a fight with another male opponent. The calves leave the nursery group when they are at least two years old and join a male or female group. [10] Females weigh 300–600 kg (660–1,320 lb), measure 200–280 cm (79–110 in) from the snout to the base of the tail and stand 125–153 cm (49–60 in) at the shoulder. Bull eland can grow to 5’6” at the shoulder. A young eland bull encountered while hunting in Namibia. 2016. Juveniles and mothers tend to form larger herds, while males may separate into smaller groups or wander individually. Common elands live on the open plains of southern Africa and along the foothills of the great southern African plateau. IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group. [7] It has a Baltic source similar to the Lithuanian élnis, which means "deer". Females weigh 660–1,320 pounds and stand 49–60 inches at the shoulder. A MATURE ELAND BULL HAS AN AVERAGE: SHOULDER HEIGHT: 67 INCHES WEIGHS: 1500 - 2000 POUNDS HORN LENGTH: 33 INCHES SCI MINIMUM SCORE 77 INCHES (Length of both horns + circumference of bases). In the morning and evening they eat. The eland is the largest of a number of related species, characterized by spiralling horns and vertical cream-coloured stripes along the flanks and haunches. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22055A50196938.en. In one study an eland was found to be host to the Amblyomma species A. gemma and A. variegatum, and Rhipicephalus species R. decoloratus, R. appendiculatus, R. evertsi, R. pulchellus and R. pravus. [21], They live on home ranges that can be 200–400 km2 for females and juveniles and 50 km2 for males. Tragos is Greek for a male goat, and refers to the tuft of hair that grows in the eland's ear which resembles a goat's beard.. Tauros means a bull, tragos means a he-goat and oryx mean a gazelle or antelope. Weight. Elands produce antibodies for Brucella bacteria, but none for Mycobacterium paratuberculosis or various types of pneumonia like contagious bovine pneumonia and contagious caprine pneumonia, normally infectious in cows or antelopes.[3].