Impala

The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is a medium-sized African antelope. The name "impala" comes from the Zulu language. Impala belong in the kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata and class Mammalia. Along with cattle, antelopes, sheep, goats, buffalo and bison, they belong to the family Bovidae.^[2]

Impala Temporal range: Early Pliocene-recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
A territorial impala ram (top), and ewe with calf (below)
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Aepycerotinae Gray, 1872
Genus:	Aepyceros Sundevall, 1847
Species:	A. melampus
Binomial name
Aepyceros melampus (Lichtenstein, 1812)
Subspecies
A. m. melampus Lichtenstein, 1812 A. m. petersi Bocage, 1879
Distribution:   Black-faced impala   Common impala
Synonyms
List A. holubi Lorenz, 1894 A. johnstoni Thomas, 1893 A. katangae Lönnberg, 1914 A. pallah (Gervais, 1841) A. rendilis Lönnberg, 1912 A. typicus Thomas, 1893

Female Black-faced Impala at water hole

Male impala lock horns in mating-season fight

Description

The impala is reddish-brown with white hair inside the ears, over each eye and on the chin, upper throat, underparts and buttocks. A narrow black line runs along the middle of the lower back to the tail, and a vertical black stripe appears on the back of each thigh. Impalas have unique brush like tufts of black hair that cover a scent gland located just above the heel on each hind leg.

The impala can jump more than 10 meters distance and 3 meters high, and can reach running speeds of about 80 to 90 km/h, to escape from predators.

Female impala, called ewes, have no horns. But males, the rams, grow curved horns with a notable twisted appearance due to ridges. These horns are black and grow as long as 36 inches.

Habitat

Impalas are found at grassland and woodland edges, usually very close by water. In Africa, these animals still live throughout Kenya, Botswana, Angola, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zaire and Tanzania.