Scientific
classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Alcelaphinae
Genus: Alcelaphus
Species: A. buselaphus
Conservation
Status:
Lower risk
Known also
as the Kongoni, the Hartebeest is a grassland antelope
found in West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. The
only animal classified in the genus Alcelaphus, it has a distinctive
long narrow head that slopes back.
The Hartebeest stands almost 1.5 m (5 ft)
at the shoulder and weighs anywhere from 120-200 kg (265-440
lb).
Male Hartebeest are a dark brown colour while
females are yellow brown. The horns found in both sexes curve
outwards, then forwards, and then backward. They can reach
a length of 70 cm (27 in).
Hartebeest are grass eaters living
in plain grasslands and open forests. They are diurnal and
spend the morning and late afternoon eating. They form small
herds containing five to twenty individuals, although solitary
males are often seen.
