Roan Antelope

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iRoan Antelope
Young Roan Antelope (Ndevu, Zambia)
Conservation status
Conservation dependent (LR/cd)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Subfamily: Hippotraginae Genus: Hippotragus Species: H. equinus
Binomial name
Hippotragus equinus Desmarest, 1804

The Roan Antelope (Hippotragus equinus) is a grassland antelope found in West, Central,East Africa and Southern Africa.

Roan Antelope stand about a metre and half at the shoulder and weigh around 250 kilograms. Roan Antelope are a roan colour with a lighter underbelly, white eyebrows and cheeks and a black face, lighter in females. There is a short erect mane, a very light beard and prominent red nostrils. The horns are ringed and can reach a metre long in males, slightly shorter in females. They arch backwards slightly.

Roan Antelope are found in grasslands where they eat mid-length grass. They form harem groups of five to fifteen animals with a dominant male. Roan Antelope commonly fight among themselves for dominance of their herd, brandishing their horns while both animals are on their knees.

[edit] References

• Antelope Specialist Group (1996). Hippotragus equinus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 06 May 2006.