Hartbeest

Alcelaphus sp. and Damaliscus sp.

Hartbeest look flattened from side to side, with tall withers and a back that slopes from the high shoulders down to the hips. Their widest part seems to be the ridged horns that sprout from the the crown of their head above an elongated face - the horns project out to the side before curving up and in. These antelope inhabit dry and open savannas and grasslands. Their gait appears clumsy due to the difference in length between the fore and hind legs, but covers ground quickly. Those hartbeest in the genus Alcelaphus post sentinals, and run away in single flie. Damaliscus hartbeest, on the other hand, often jump around in panic and will bounce over each other in their efforts to escape.

Back to Bovids