Common eland

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"Eland antelope" redirects here. For Taurotragus derbianus, see Giant eland.

Common eland

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Bovinae
Genus: Taurotragus
Species:
T. oryx
Binomial name
Taurotragus oryx
(Pallas, 1766)
Subspecies
  • T. o. livingstonii
  • T. o. oryx
  • T. o. pattersonianus
Common eland range
Synonyms
Species synonymy[2]
  • Tragelaphus oryx (Pallas, 1766)
  • Taurotragus alces (Oken, 1816)
  • Taurotragus canna (C. H. Smith, 1827)
  • Taurotragus barbatus (Kerr, 1792)
  • Taurotragus oreas (Pallas, 1777)
  • Taurotragus typicus Selous, 1899
  • Taurotragus livingstonei (P. L. Sclater, 1864)
  • Taurotragus billingae Kershaw, 1923
  • Taurotragus kaufmanni (Matschie, 1912)
  • Taurotragus niediecki (Matschie, 1913)
  • Taurotragus selousi Lydekker, 1910
  • Taurotragus triangularis (Günther, 1889)
  • Taurotragus pattersonianus Lydekker, 1906
Two common elands drinking in a Chudop waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia.

The common eland (Taurotragus oryx), also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a large-sized savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. An adult male is around 1.6 m (5.2 ft) tall at the shoulder (females are 20 cm (7.9 in) shorter) and can weigh up to 942 kg (2,077 lb) with a typical range of 500–600 kg (1,100–1,300 lb), 340–445 kg (750–981 lb) for females).

It is the second-largest antelope in the world, being slightly smaller on average than the giant eland.[3] It was scientifically described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1766.

Mainly a

pasteurising.[citation needed
]

It is native to

least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
.

Etymology

The scientific name of the common eland is Taurotragus oryx, composed of three words: tauros, tragos, and oryx. Tauros is

scimitar-horned oryx.[6]

The name "eland" is

Afrikaans for "elk" or "moose".[7] It has a Baltic source similar to the Lithuanian élnis, which means "deer". It was borrowed earlier as ellan (French) in the 1610s or Elend (German).[8][9] When Dutch settlers came to the Cape of Good Hope, creating the Dutch Cape Colony, they named the animal after the large, herbivorous moose. In Dutch, the animal is called "eland antelope" to distinguish it from the moose, which is found in the northern boreal forests.[7]

Physical description

Common elands are spiral-horned antelopes. They are sexually dimorphic, with females being smaller than the males.[10] Females weigh 300–600 kg (660–1,320 lb), measure 200–280 cm (79–110 in) from the snout to the base of the tail and stand 125–153 cm (49–60 in) at the shoulder. Bulls weigh 400–942 kg (882–2,077 lb),[11] are 240–345 cm (94–136 in) from the snout to the base of the tail and stand 150–183 cm (59–72 in) at the shoulder. The tail is 50–90 cm (20–35 in) long.[3] Male elands can weigh up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb).[12]

Skeleton of common eland

Their coat differs geographically, with elands in northern part of their range having distinctive markings (torso stripes, markings on legs, dark garters and a spinal crest) that are absent in the south.[13] Apart from a rough mane, the coat is smooth. Females have a tan coat, while the coats of males are darker, with a bluish-grey tinge. Bulls may also have a series of vertical white stripes on their sides (mainly in parts of the Karoo in South Africa). As males age, their coat becomes more grey. Males also have dense fur on their foreheads and a large dewlap on their throats.[3]

Both sexes have horns with a steady spiral ridge (resembling that of the

bushbuck). The horns are visible as small buds in newborns and grow rapidly during the first seven months.[14] The horns of males are thicker and shorter than those of females (males' horns are 43–66 cm (17–26 in) long and females' are 51–69 cm (20–27 in) long), and have a tighter spiral. Males use their horns during rutting season to wrestle and butt heads with rivals, while females use their horns to protect their young from predators.[3]

The common eland is the slowest antelope, with a peak speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) that tires them quickly. However, they can maintain a 22 km/h (14 mph)

trot indefinitely. Elands are capable of jumping up to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) from a standing start when startled[13] (up to 3 m (9.8 ft) for young elands).[3] The common eland's life expectancy is generally between 15 and 20 years; in captivity, some live up to 25 years.[3]

Eland herds are accompanied by a loud clicking sound that has been subject to considerable speculation. The weight of the animal may cause the two halves of its

hooves to splay apart, and the clicking is the result of the hoof snapping together when the animal raises its leg.[15] The sound carries some distance from a herd, and may be a form of communication.[12]

Taxonomy

Phylogenetic relationships of the mountain nyala from combined analysis of all molecular data (Willows-Munro et.al. 2005)

The common eland was first described in 1766 by German

Bovidae, and subfamily Bovinae.[16] Common elands are sometimes considered part of the genus Tragelaphus on the basis of molecular phylogenetics, but are usually categorized as Taurotragus, along with the giant eland (T. derbianus).[3]

Subspecies

Three subspecies of common elands have been recognized, though their validity has been disputed.[1][2][3][10][14]

  • T. o. oryx (Pallas, 1766; Cape eland): also called alces, barbatus, canna and oreas. It is found in Southern and southwestern Africa. The fur is tawny and adults lose their stripes.
  • T. o. livingstonii (Sclater, 1864; Livingstone's eland): also called kaufmanni, niediecki, selousi and triangularis. It is found in the Central Zambezian miombo woodlands. Livingstone's eland has brown fur with up to 12 stripes.
  • T. o. pattersonianus (Lydekker, 1906; East African eland or Patterson's eland): also called billingae. It is found in East Africa, hence its common name. Like Livingstone's eland, its fur can also have up to 12 stripes.
Found by and named after John Henry Patterson, who describes the specimen in The Man-eaters of Tsavo (1907).[17]
  • Illustration of T. o. oryx.
    Illustration of T. o. oryx.
  • Illustration of T. o. livingstonii.
    Illustration of T. o. livingstonii.
  • Illustration of T. o. pattersonianus.
    Illustration of T. o. pattersonianus.

Genetics and evolution

Male elands have 31

short arm of an autosome.[3] Both the X chromosome and Y chromosome replicate late; they do not match well and are variable. The chromosomes resemble those of the greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros).[18]

Male elands and female greater kudus can produce a viable male hybrid, though whether it is sterile is unknown. An accidental crossing of an East African common eland (T. o. pattersonianus') with an East African kudu (T. s. bea) occurred in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. This was believed to be due to the absence of male kudus in the herd. The hybrid produced was sterile. The study confirmed the chromosome numbers of both the eland and the kudu and the strangeness of their attached Y chromosomes. Attempt matings of male elands with domestic (Bos primigenius) and zebu cows (Bos indicus) indicated the species are not able to interbreed.[19] Female elands have acted as surrogates for bongos.[3]

The Bovidae family ancestors of the common eland arose approximately 20 million years ago in Africa; fossils are found throughout Africa and France, but the best records are in sub-Saharan Africa. The first members of the tribe Tragelaphini appear six million years ago during the late Miocene. An extinct ancestor of the common eland (Taurotragus arkelli) appears in the Pleistocene in northern Tanzania and the first T. oryx fossil appears in the Holocene in Algeria.[3]

In 2010, a genetic study was made basing on the evolutionary history of common elands. Using material from East and Southern Africa, analysis of mitochondrial DNA control-region fragments from 122 individuals revealed information concerning the phylogeography, genetic diversity, and demographic history of the species. The conclusions supported the presence of a long-standing population in the southern Africa and a mosaic of Pleistocene refugia in eastern Africa. The similarity of dates obtained from other studies indicates a significant genetic event around 200 ka.[20]

Habitat and distribution

Common elands at Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

Common elands live on the open plains of Southern Africa and along the foothills of the great southern African plateau. The species extends north into Ethiopia and most arid zones of South Sudan, west into eastern Angola and Namibia, and south to South Africa. However, a low density of elands exists in Africa due to poaching and human settlement.

Elands prefer to live in semiarid areas that contain many shrub-like bushes, and often inhabit grasslands, woodlands, subdesert, bush, and mountaintops with altitudes of about 15,000 ft (4,600 m).

Rhus, and Ziziphus
trees and shrubs; some of these also serve as their food.

Eland can be found in many national parks and reserves today, including

Chimanimani Eland Sanctuary (Zimbabwe); Kruger National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Giant's Castle and Suikerbosrand NR (South Africa).[22]

They live on home ranges that can be 200–400 km2 for females and juveniles and 50 km2 for males.[23][24]

Ecology and behavior

Common elands resting in herds

Common elands are

estrus, mainly in the rainy season, groups tend to form more regularly.[3] In Southern Africa, common elands will often associate with herds of zebras, roan antelopes and oryxes.[25]

Common elands communicate via gestures, vocalizations,

predators include lions, African wild dogs, cheetahs, and spotted hyenas. Eland calves are more vulnerable than adults to their predators.[3]

Diet

Elands are mainly grazers.

Common elands are herbivores that browse during drier winter, but have also adapted to grazing during the rainy season when grasses are more common and nutritious.[3] They require a high-protein diet of succulent leaves from flowering plants, but will consume lower-quality plant material if available, including forbs, trees, shrubs, grasses, seeds, and tubers.[3][21][24] Grasses that elands eat include Setaria and Themeda and fruits from Securinega and Strychnos. Large antelope can survive on lower-quality food in times of little rain.

Most of their water is obtained from their food, though they drink water when available.[3] As they quickly adjust to the surroundings due to seasonal changes and other causes, they change their feeding habits. They also use their horns to break off branches that are hard to reach.[26]

Thermoregulation

Common elands have several thermoregulatory adaptations to help them withstand the extreme temperatures of their environments. Using peripheral thermal receptors on the skin, elands can sense heat and increase or decrease evaporative cooling accordingly.

sweating and panting is also observed.[27] Common elands use their sparse fur coats to dissipate excess heat via reradiation.[27] The dewlap is also believed to play a role in thermoregulation.[29] Due to its high surface area to volume ratio, it may allow for efficient thermoregulation in larger common elands with larger dewlaps.[29]

Sociability and reproduction

dominance, Knowsley Safari Park

Females are

estrus. They also test the female's urine. Usually, a female chooses the most dominant and fit male to mate with. Sometimes, she runs away from males trying to mate, causing more attraction. This results in fights between males, in which their hard horns are used. A female allows a male to mount after two to four hours. Males usually keep close contact with females in the mating period.[24] The dominant male can mate with more than one female.[21] Females have a gestation period of nine months, and give birth to only one calf each time.[30]

Males, females, and juveniles each form separate social groups. The male groups are the smallest; the members stay together and search for food or water sources. The female group is much larger and covers greater areas.

linear hierarchy. The nursery and juvenile group is naturally formed when females give birth to calves. After about 24 hours of the delivery, the mother and calf join this group. The calves start befriending each other and stay back in the nursery group, while the mother returns to the female group. The calves leave the nursery group when they are at least two years old and join a male or female group.[30]

Diseases and parasites

Common elands are resistant to

Mycobacterium paratuberculosis or various types of pneumonia like contagious bovine pneumonia and contagious caprine pneumonia, normally infectious in cows or antelopes.[3]

Interaction with humans

Conservation

Common eland in a zoo in Kraków, Poland

Currently, common elands are not endangered. They are conserved by the United States Endangered Species Act, and regulated in international trade by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.[31] Using ground counts and aerial surveys, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) calculates the population density of the common eland to be between 0.05 and 1 per square kilometre with a total population estimate of 136,000.[32] Populations are considered stable or increasing in the countries of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, Kenya and Tanzania.

The population is, however, gradually decreasing due to habitat loss, caused by expanding human settlements and poaching for its superior meat.

Eswatini[2] and Zimbabwe,[24]
but has been reintroduced.

The IUCN states that about half of the estimated total population lives in protected areas and 30% on private land. Protected areas that support major populations include

Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park (South Africa).[1] Most of these populations appear to be stable. Relatively large numbers of common elands now live on private land, particularly in Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, reflecting its value as a trophy animal. Common elands have also been widely domesticated in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as in Russia and Ukraine.[35][36]

Uses

A common eland being skinned for its leather.
Tame elands
Coat of arms of Grootfontein, Namibia

The common eland is sometimes farmed and hunted for its meat, and in some cases can be better used than cattle because it is more suited to African climates. This has led to some Southern African farmers switching from cattle to eland. Common elands are also pictured as supporters in the coat of arms of Grootfontein, Namibia.

Husbandry

Common elands have a mild

milkfat than cow milk. The pleasant-tasting milk has a butterfat content of 11-17% and can be stored for up to eight months if properly prepared, versus several days for cow milk.[3]

Housing common elands is difficult due to their ability to jump over fences as high as 3 m (9.8 ft) or simply break through using their substantial mass. Sometimes, wild elands break through enclosures to mix with domesticated ones. Common elands can reproduce in captivity, but calf survival is low and the young may need to be separated from their mothers to ensure health and adequate feeding.[3] Husbandry requires care because the generally placid animals startle easily and require large amounts of space.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2008). "Tragelaphus oryx". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  2. ^
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  3. ^
    S2CID 198968884. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 23 December 2011.
  4. ^ "Taurus". Encyclopædia Britannica. Merriam-Webster.
  5. ^ Harper, Douglas. "Tragos". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  6. ^ Harper, Douglas. "Oryx". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  7. ^ a b "Common Eland". Tititudorancea.com. 14 October 2010. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  8. ^ "Eland". Oxford University Press. Oxford Dictionaries.[dead link]
  9. ^ "Eland". Encyclopædia Britannica. Merriam-Webster.
  10. ^ a b c Harris, H (April 30, 2010). "Husbandry Guidelines For The Common Eland" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 17, 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
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  12. ^ a b "Animal Bytes – Common Eland". Seaworld.org. Archived from the original on 2012-06-19. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  13. ^
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  15. ISBN 978-1-77009-240-2
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  16. ^ "Common eland: Taxonomy". Museumstuff.com. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  17. ^ Patterson, John Henry (1907). "Chapter XXVII: The Finding of the New Eland". The Man-Eaters of Tsavo, and Other East African Adventures.
  18. ISBN 978-1-4214-0093-8
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  19. PMID 944778
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  20. S2CID 85986567
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  21. ^ a b c d e "Taurotragus Oryx:Information". University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Animal Diversity Web.
  22. ^ "Wild Animals of Africa-Common eland". Wackywildlifewonders.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  23. S2CID 85986567
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  24. ^ a b c d "The Living Africa: Wildlife – Bovid Family – Common Eland". Library.thinkquest.org. Archived from the original on 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  25. ^
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  26. ^
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  27. ^
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  28. PMID 5785895
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  29. ^
    PMID 27437025
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  30. ^ a b "Taurotragus oryx (Common eland)-Ontogeny and Reproduction". Ultimateungulate.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  31. ^ Dolly, Stephanie L.; Stephen Shurter. "Common Eland" (PDF).
  32. ^ "Population of common elands". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  33. ISBN 978-2-8317-0016-8
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  34. ^ "Ecology and conservation of the eland". Seaworld.org. Archived from the original on 19 June 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  35. ^ "Conservation status (least concern)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  36. ISBN 978-2-8317-0477-7
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External links
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