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Giant Eland

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Mammals

   A Giant Eland
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   A Giant Eland
                   iGiant Eland

                             Conservation status

   Endangered (EN)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom:   Animalia
   Phylum:    Chordata
   Class:     Mammalia
   Order:     Artiodactyla
   Family:    Bovidae
   Subfamily: Bovinae
   Genus:     Taurotragus
   Species:   T. derbianus

                                Binomial name

   Taurotragus derbianus
   Gray, 1847

   The Giant Eland (Taurotragus derbianus also known as the Derby Eland)
   is an open forest savannah antelope. It is found in Central African
   Republic, Sudan and Senegal. There are two subspecies: the endangered
   T. d. derbianus, found in Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park, and the
   low risk T. d. gigas, found in Central Africa.

   Giant Eland stand 150 to 175 centimetres (4.9 to 5.7 feet) at the
   shoulder and weigh from five to nine hundred kilograms. The coat is
   chestnut, darker in males than females. There are around ten white
   vertical stripes on the body as well as a white underside and black
   definition around the base of the neck and along the nose. There is a
   bit of a dewlap under the throat and a short black mane running down
   the back almost to the back legs. Both sexes have horns which are
   relatively straight with many twists. Males have larger horns than
   females, reaching 120 centimetres.

   Giant Eland live in open forest and savannah where they eat grass,
   leaves and branches. Giant Eland are mainly nocturnal. Giant Eland form
   groups of around twenty animals, although double that is possible.
   These herds are nomadic, migrating extensively.

   The binomial commemorates Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Eland"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
