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Impala
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Impala | ||||||||||||||||
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 A Black-faced Impala in Etosha National Park, Namibia
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| Aepyceros melampus (Lichtenstein, 1812) |
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 Range map
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An impala (Aepyceros melampus Greek aipos "high" ceros "horn" + melas "black" pous "foot") is a medium-sized African antelope. The name impala comes from the Zulu language. They are found in savannas in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, southern Angola, northeastern South Africa and Uganda (the source of that country's capital city's name - Kampala).
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Average mass for an Impala is approximately 75 kilograms. They are reddish-brown in color with lighter flanks, and have
white underbellies. Males have lyre-shaped horns which can reach up to 90 centimeters in length. When frightened or startled the whole herd starts leaping about in order to confuse their predator. They can jump distances more than 9 meters (30 feet) and 2.5 meters (8 feet) high. They are prey to almost every large predator.
Impala are among the dominant species in many savannas. They are gregarious creatures and are usually found in herds, often a male with many females, although a ewe will leave the herd to give birth. Their food consists of a mixture of grasses and leaves. Herds will use specific areas for their excrement. Impala are active during both day and night. Impala are dependent on water, and a herd is normally an indicator of water close by.
Young male impala form bachelor herds of around thirty individuals. Females and young form herds of up to two hundred individuals. Mature males hold territories, and lead any female herds that wander into their territory.
- Antelope Specialist Group (1996). Aepyceros melampus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
 Impala leaping from the water |
 A group of impala in South Africa |
 Impala in Zambia |
 Male impala |
 Impala leaping in Kenya |
