Natural enemies include lions and African hunting dogs. Although elands are massive, they are excellent jumpers and can clear heights of 1.5 meters.
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Eland populations have declined or have been extirpated in many parts of their range, but overall are still relatively common. Overhunting has been one cause of the declining numbers.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
None
Elands provide large amount of tender meat, as well as high-quality hides. There has been efforts to domesticate them for both their meat and their milk, which has much higher protein content and milkfat than the milk of cows. To date, only one of these domestication attempts has been successful.
Positive Impacts: food ; body parts are source of valuable material
The diet of elands consist of grasses, herbs, tree leaves, bushes, and succulent fruits. They generally forage in open areas. Water is consumed voraciously when available, but elands can abstain from drinking in dry seasons.
Confined to Africa from Ethiopia and southern Zaire to South Africa.
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )
Elands live in both steppe and sparse forests. They are also found in semidesert areas and at elevations up to 14400 ft. During the heat of the day, they are often found in shaded areas.
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; scrub forest
Average lifespan
Sex: female
Status: captivity: 23.6 years.
Eland males are much larger than females, weighing 400-1000 kg compared to 300-600 kg for females. Hides are a uniform fawn color with some vertical white striping on the upper parts. A dewlap, thought to be an adaptation for heat dissapation, hangs from the throat and neck. Heavy horns are twisted in a corkscrew fashion and grow up to 4 ft. long on males, 2.2 ft. long on females. A short mane occurs on the nape, and males have long hairs on the throat.
Range mass: 300 to 1000 kg.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Average basal metabolic rate: 190.209 W.
Dominant males mate with multiple females. In some areas, there are distinct breeding seasons--in Zambia, for example, young are born in July and August. Gestation lasts from 8.5-9 months and only single young are born. Male young weigh between 28-35 kg, while female young weight between 23-31 kg. Small calves lie in concealment rather than remaining with their mothers. Weaning occurs after 6 months, and sexual maturity occurs at about 3 years. Maximum lifespan is 25 years. Young often associate in groups of their peers.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.
Average number of offspring: 1.02.
Range gestation period: 8.8 to 9.27 months.
Average gestation period: 9.1 months.
Average weaning age: 6 months.
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual
Average birth mass: 32000 g.
Average number of offspring: 1.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 571 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 589 days.
Parental Investment: altricial
