What are the two species of eland?
Q: What are the two species of eland?
A: The two species of eland are the common eland (Taurotragus oryx) and the giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus).
Q: Where can each species be found?
A: The common eland is found in East Africa and South Africa, while the giant eland is found in Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Senegal and West Africa.
Q: How much do males weigh?
A: Males range in size from 600 to 800 kilograms (1,300 to 1,800 lb), although they may reach a ton on rare occasions.
Q: How much do females weigh?
A: Females range from 400 to 600 kilograms (880 to 1,320 lb).
Q: Are they fast runners?
A: Observers have had difficulty measuring their speed of running; some claim they move quickly at over 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph), while others claim they are one of the slowest antelopes.
Q: Are they good jumpers?
A: Despite their size, elands are exceptional jumpers and can easily clear heights of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) or more. Some have even been known to jump 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) or more.
Q: What sound do tendon or joints make when walking?
A:When walking, tendon or joints in the eland's foreleg produce a sharp clicking sound which carries some distance and is thought by naturalists to be a form of communication among them.
