One of the 9 antelopes on WAnimals
Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae
Roan Antelope
Hippotragus equinus
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
It is the second largest antelope in Africa, outweighed only by the eland, the bongo and large greater kudu bulls.
Weight
225 kg – 320 kg
Size
1.3 m – 1.6 m
Lifespan
17 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
Estimated population
Around 76,000 animals across Africa as a whole, according to the continental estimate compiled by the IUCN; close to 60 % live inside protected areas.
Fun facts
- It is the second largest antelope in Africa.
- Females can be pregnant almost continuously, calving every 10 to 10.5 months.
- It eats tall grasses, and desert succulents in arid country.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Lightly wooded savannah with tall to medium grass in western, central and southern Africa
- Birth weight
- 13 - 18 kg
- Size at birth
- Precocial, hidden in dense vegetation for its first 4-5 weeks
- Sexual maturity
- Female: ~2-2.8 years | Male: ~2.2 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 260-284 days (~9 months)
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 young per birth
- Lifespan in captivity
- Documented record of up to 25.9 years in captivity
Sources consulted: African Wildlife Foundation; Africa Mammals Guide; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animal Diversity Web; Ultimate Ungulate; Interesting Animals; Animalia.bio; UCSD Placentation Database
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: The dry season, from May to October, when the tall grass withers and the groups gather at permanent waterholes.
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 17 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Roan Antelope — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Waterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
Klipspringer
Oreotragus oreotragus
Kob
Kobus kob
Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
Steenbok
Raphicerus campestris
Least ConcernOribi
Ourebia ourebi
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about roan antelope.
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