Hartebeest

Alcelaphus buselaphus

Hartebeests are large African antelopes with long faces and curved horns. They are known for their speed and agility, able to run swiftly across the savannas.

Habitat: Savannas

Appearance

The Hartebeest is a large antelope known for its unusually long, narrow face and high-set eyes. It has a reddish-brown to sandy-brown coat, darker markings on its legs, and distinctively ridged, V-shaped horns that curve outwards and then inwards.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassMammaliaOrderArtiodactylaFamilyBovidaeGenusAlcelaphus

Hartebeest

Interesting facts

Baby Hartebeests can stand and run just minutes after they are born!

Hartebeest often chew their food twice, like a cow, to get all the nutrients.

The name 'Hartebeest' comes from Afrikaans, meaning 'hard beast'.

They rub a sticky liquid from glands near their eyes on plants to mark their territory.

Special abilities

Hartebeest has a long face with high-set eyes that helps them scan far horizons for predators across open plains.

Hartebeest can run incredibly fast, reaching speeds up to 80 km/h to outpace chasing predators.

Hartebeest has strong teeth and specialized digestion that helps them eat tough, dry grasses in arid environments.

Measurements & details

Length: 150-240 cm
Weight: 100-200 kg
Lifespan: 11-20 years
Top Speed: 80 km/h
Litter Size: 1
Gestation: 210-240 days

Diet & Feeding

This herbivore mainly munches on tough grasses, helping to keep the savanna tidy.

Primary Foods

Grasses
Herbs
Shrub leaves

Foraging Method

Grazing

Ecological connections

eaten by

Lion

Panthera leo

Adult Hartebeest are prey for lions.

eaten by

Spotted Hyena

Crocuta crocuta

Hyenas hunt Hartebeest, especially the young.

eaten by

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

Cheetahs are fast predators of Hartebeest.

Traits

Wildlife

Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.

Furry

Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Horned

Characterized by having one or more hard, permanent, pointed projections on the head.

Herbivorous

This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.

Savanna

This habitat trait denotes species native to savannas, which are grasslands with scattered trees, typically found in tropical or subtropical regions with distinct wet and dry seasons.