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Antelopes are known for their graceful appearance and impressive horns. However, when we think of antelopes, it is easy to assume that they are a special group of animals. In fact, “antelope” is the term used to describe the representatives of Bovidae families that are not sheep, cows, or goats. Although antelopes are most commonly associated with African animals, many of them also live in Asia and parts of Europe. There are 91 species of antelope and they come in a wide range of sizes. Here we will discover the largest antelopes in the world, ranked by height.
# 10 Biggest Antelope: Common Cessebe
First on the list is the common cessebe, which has a shoulder height of 4 feet 3 inches. They live in Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia, where they prefer to live in meadows and open plains. The common cessebe is a large, dark brown antelope with a prominent hump at the base of the neck and 16 inches long horns. Common cessebe are social antelopes, and herds usually consist of 10 females and their young. Upon reaching one year of age, males leave their mother’s herd and live in large bachelor herds of up to thirty bulls. Lions are the main predators of the cessebe vulgaris, although jackals and hyenas often catch cubs.
# 9 Biggest Antelope: Waterbuck
Waterbucks are large antelopes found in southern and eastern Africa. There are 13 recognized subspecies of waterbuck, but most are 4 feet to 4 feet 7 inches tall at the shoulder, with males taller and longer than females. The waterbuck is reddish brown and its coat darkens with age. They have white muzzles, a white spot on the neck, rump and inside the ears. Only males have horns, and these are especially characteristic as they curl back and then curl forward at the top. The waterbuck cannot go without water for a long time in hot weather, so it can usually be found in shrubs and meadows near rivers and lakes.
# 8 Biggest Antelope: Giant Sable Antelope
Giant sable antelopes are a subspecies of sables and measure 4 feet 8 inches at the shoulders. They are endangered and are endemic to the region of Angola between the Quango and Luando rivers. Giant sable antelopes are the national symbol of Angola, and it was long believed that the entire population was wiped out during the Angolan civil war, but they were rediscovered in 2004. Males are black and females are reddish brown, both. have white spots on the face, buttocks and under the belly. They also have impressive backward-curved horns. Males have larger horns than females and can reach an incredible 65 inches. Lions and crocodiles are the main predators of adults, but leopards and hyenas often eat calves.
# 7 Biggest Antelope: Blue Wildebeest
Despite the fact that blue wildebeests are more like cows in their heavy appearance, they are antelope. They are widespread in Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Blue wildebeest can reach 4 feet 8 inches and be dark brown or greyish brown, with a large heavy head, muscular shoulders, and a long black tail. Both males and females have curved horns similar to those of a buffalo. Blue wildebeests are extremely active and agile and can even reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. However, they are the main food source for lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyenas.
# 6 Biggest Antelope: Big Kudu
Large kudu are stunning antelopes that can reach 4 feet 11 inches at the shoulders. They have long legs, usually brown or reddish-brown in color with 4–12 white stripes on the body and a small white mark between the eyes. Males have large, imposing horns with several curves, although they do not begin to grow until the kudu is between 6 and 12 months old. Large kudu are commonly found in forested areas of eastern and southern Africa. They eat leaves, grass and fruits and rarely venture out into the open plains. Large kudu are not particularly territorial, and herds usually consist of about ten females with juveniles, while males often live alone.
# 5 Biggest Antelope: Hartebeest
Hartebeest, also known as congoni, is found in grasslands and savannas in sub-Saharan Africa. They were originally widespread in North Africa and the Middle East, but their range and numbers have declined significantly, in part due to hunting. There are eight recognized subspecies, and the hartebeest Lelwel and Swayne are endangered, while the hartebeest Torah is endangered. Hartebeest can reach about 4 feet 11 inches at the shoulder and are best known for their long foreheads and horns, which can bend in different ways, depending on the subspecies. Their bodies are brown or brown and their legs have black markings. Hartebeest live in large herds of up to 300 animals and, although they are generally calm by nature, they are always alert. Lions, leopards, hyenas, African wild dogs, cheetahs and crocodiles are all carnivores.
# 4 Biggest Antelope: Nilgai
Also known as blue cows, nilgai are native to India, Nepal and Pakistan and prefer bush forests and grasslands. They are the largest antelope in Asia and reach 4 feet 11 inches. Nilgaevs are easily distinguished by their sturdy appearance, sloping back and white spot under the throat. Females are reddish brown in color and males are bright bluish gray with small horns. Nilgai live in small groups of less than 10 animals, with separate males and males. Although they are extremely cautious and quickly run away from dange
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both sexes are prone to quarrels with each other. In fights, nilgai often ram each other with their horns and push their necks together. Leopards are the main predators of the Nilgais, although wolves and hyenas sometimes kill them.
# 3 Biggest Antelope: Roan Antelope
The roan antelope is widespread throughout Africa and is often confused with the sable antelope. The Roan Antelope, with a shoulder height of 5 feet 3 inches, is one of the largest antelopes on the list. Roan antelope is reddish-brown in color with lighter fur under the belly. They also have white patches on their face and horns that can be more than 3 feet in length. Roan antelopes live mainly in meadows and savannas, where they eat medium-sized grass. Roan antelopes can breed at any time of the year, and females hide their young in tall grass for the first few weeks after birth so that they can hide from predators and feed alone. Lions are their main predator, but roans can be extremely aggressive and defensive towards other predators, and therefore do not hunt them as hard as other antelopes.
# 2 The largest antelope: common eland
Reaching a shoulder height of 5 feet 3 inches, the common cannes are in second place. Common cannes are found in the open savannas of eastern and southern Africa. Females are reddish brown in color and males are bluish gray in color. Common cannes often have distinctive stripes and markings, but these differ depending on whether they come from the northernmost part of their range or not. Both men and women have horns that curl strongly in a spiral, and men also have large dewlaps under the chin. Although the common eland is one of the slowest antelopes (up to 25 mph), they can jump an incredible 8 feet 2 inches from standstill.
# 1 largest antelope: giant eland
The largest antelope in the world is the giant eland. With an incredible 6 feet at the shoulders and over 9 feet long, they are definitely giants. Giant cannes are found in the open forests and savannas of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, and South Sudan. They are reddish brown with vertical white stripes on the body and tightly curled horns. Giant cannes are mostly nocturnal and naturally alert. Their main form of defense against predators is speed, and their predators are lions, hyenas and crocodiles. There are two subspecies of giant cannes – western and eastern. Eastern giant cannes are classified as vulnerable, while western giant cannes are endangered. The main threats to them are hunting and habitat destruction.
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