Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Size: | Up to 90cm high |
Habitat: | Savannahs and bush |
Feeding: | Foliage and grass |
The Impala is a very common medium-sized antelope. It has a red/brown coat with lighter underparts. It has a patch of black fur just above the hooves of the hind legs. It also has distinctive M-shaped markings on its rump, and is jokingly referred to as the "McDonalds of the plains" fast food for their predators.
The male, which is larger than the female, has long, lyre-shaped horns.
It has a lifespan of about 12 years.
The top photo, an immature male, was taken in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. The second photo shows a mature male and the third, a female. They were taken in Laikipia, Kenya.
Click on any of the photographs on this site to see a larger image.