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Animal profile

Common Eland

Taurotragus oryx

MammaliaOpen savanna, grassland, montane grassland and semi-desert scrubLeast Concern

Field profile

The common eland is the second-largest antelope in the world, with bulls sometimes exceeding nine hundred kilograms. Both sexes carry straight, spiralled horns, and mature bulls develop a heavy dewlap and a tuft of hair on the forehead. Despite its bulk it is an accomplished jumper.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-11-23

Common Eland

Eland knees click audibly as they walk

A walking eland produces a sharp clicking sound carried well across open ground. The click comes from the animal's forelegs, and its pitch is lower in larger bulls, making it an honest signal of size heard before the animal is seen.

Read with evidence →

Common Eland | Daily Animal Facts