Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Hartebeest

Alcelaphus buselaphus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

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Its long head and sharply sloping back give it an unmistakable profile among the African antelopes.

Weight

100 kg – 200 kg

Size

1.6 m – 2.5 m

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Herd

Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaHerbivore Diurnal In herds Savanna Mammal

43countries 31parks86same family

Fun facts

It feeds by grazing grasses.
Those adaptations give it extraordinary stamina over distance, its main way of escaping predators.
It lives in savannah and grassland across much of the African continent.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Savannah and grassland across much of the African continent, tolerant of tall grass
Birth weight: Born precocial; the mother withdraws into scrub to give birth
Size at birth: Born precocial
Sexual maturity: 1-2 years
Gestation / incubation: 214-242 days (8-9 months)
Litter / clutch size: 1 young per birth
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 20+ years

Sources consulted: A-Z Animals; Animal Diversity Web; GBIF; Wikipedia (Hartebeest); My Wildlife SA (Red Hartebeest); Wikipedia (Lelwel hartebeest); Wikipedia (Coke's hartebeest)