From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) is a grassland antelope found in West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. It is one of the three species classified in the genus Alcelaphus.[2]
Hartebeest stand almost 1.5 m (5 ft) at the shoulder and weigh anywhere from 120–200 kg (265–440 lb). Male hartebeest are a dark brown colour while females are yellow brown. Both sexes have horns which can reach lengths up to 70 cm (27 in). Hartebeest live in grassland and open forest where they eat grass. They are diurnal and spend the morning and late afternoon eating. Herds contain five to twenty individuals but can occasionally contain up to 350.
Subspecies
Six subspecies have been described,[2] previously seven[3] when it still included the Red Hartebeest, which is now considered a distinct species after phylogeographic studies.[2]
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Two subspecies cross-breeds are recognized by some sectors of the commercial hunting fraternity.
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- Kenya Highland Hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus lelwel x cokii
- Neumann Hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus lelwel x swaynei. (Ethiopia)
Other species
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Two other species less commonly known as 'hartebeest' are classed in the Damaliscus genus.
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- Korrigum (Senegal Hartebeest), Damaliscus lunatus korrigum
- Tiang (Tiang Hartebeest), Damaliscus lunatus tiang
Etymology
The word hartebeest comes from Afrikaans and was originally called hertebeest. The name was given by the Boers who thought it resembled deer (hert in Dutch, the Dutch beest means 'beast' in English).[4]
See also
References
- ^ IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2008). Alcelaphus buselaphus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 11 February 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn M. (editors). 2005. Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), Johns Hopkins University Press, 2,142 pp. Available online
- ^ Antelope Specialist Group (1996). Alcelaphus buselaphus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
- ^ Llewellyn, E.C. (1936) The Influence of Low Dutch on the English Vocabulary. Chapter XIV The Influence of South African Dutch or Afrikaans on the English Vocabulary. Oxford University Press, London. Available online
External links
