Hartebeest
Conservation status
Conservation Dependent (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Subfamily: Alcelaphinae Genus: Alcelaphus Species: A. The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future Conservation Dependent ( LR/cd) was an IUCN category assigned to species or lower taxa which were dependent on conservation efforts to prevent the taxon becoming The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands The even-toed ungulates form the Mammal order Artiodactyla. They are Ungulates whose weight is borne (if they have more than two toes about A bovid is any of almost 140 species of Cloven-hoofed Mammals belonging to the family Bovidae. The subfamily Alcelaphinae contains Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Bonteboks and several similar Species. buselaphus
Binomial name
Alcelaphus buselaphus Pallas, 1766
Synonyms
Lichtenstein 1814 Bubalis

The Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) is a grassland antelope found in West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. Peter Simon Pallas ( September 22, 1741, Berlin — September 8, 1811, Berlin) was a German Zoologist Year 1766 ( MDCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a In Scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different Scientific names used for a single Taxon. Martin Heinrich Carl Lichtenstein ( January 10, 1780 - September 2, 1857) was a German Physician, explorer and Grasslands (also called greenswards) are areas where the Vegetation is dominated by Grasses ( Poaceae) and other Herbaceous (non-woody Antelope are Ruminant hoofed Mammals of the family Bovidae in the order of Even-toed ungulates. West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. Southern Africa is the Southernmost Region of the African Continent, variably defined by Geography or Geopolitics. It is one of the three species classified in the genus Alcelaphus^[1].

The Hartebeest stands almost 1. 5 m (5 ft) at the shoulder and weighs anywhere from 120-200 kg (265-440 lb). Male Hartebeest are a dark brown colour while females are yellow brown. Both sexes have horns which can reach lengths up to 70 cm (27 in). Hartebeest live in grassland and open forest where they eat grass. A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria Grass is the common word that generally describes Monocotyledonous green Plants The family Gramineae ( Poaceae) are the "true grasses" and include They are diurnal and spend the morning and late afternoon eating. In Animal behavior, diurnality indicates an Animal that is active during the Daytime and rests during the Night. Herds contain five to twenty individuals but can occasionally contain up to three hundred and fifty.

Subspecies

Coke's hartebeest in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.

Six subspecies have been described^[1], previously seven ^[2] when it stil included the Red Hartebeest which is now considered a distinct species after phylogeographic studies ^[1]. The Red Hartebeest ( Alcelaphus caama) is a species of Even-toed ungulate in the Bovidae family

• Bubal Hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus (Extinct)
• Coke's Hartebeest or Kongoni, Alcelaphus buselaphus cokii
• Lelwel Hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus lelwel
• Western Hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus major
• Swayne's Hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei
• Tora Hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus tora

Two subspecies cross breeds are recognised by some sectors the commercial hunting fraternity. The Bubal Hartebeest ( Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus) is an antelope that became extinct in 1923

• Kenya Highland Hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus lelwel x cokii
• Neumann Hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus lelwel x swaynei. (Ethiopia)

Other species

• Red Hartebeest Alcelaphus caama. The Red Hartebeest ( Alcelaphus caama) is a species of Even-toed ungulate in the Bovidae family ^[1]
• Lichtenstein's Hartebeest, Alcelaphus lichtensteinii^[1] is classified by some in the Sigmoceros genus as Sigmoceros lichtensteinii. Lichtenstein's Hartebeest ( Alcelaphus lichtensteinii) is a Savannah and Floodplain dwelling Antelope found in southern Central Africa

Two other species less commonly known as 'Hartebeest' are classed in the Damaliscus genus.

• Korrigum (Senegal Hartebeest), Damaliscus lunatus korrigum
• Tiang (Tiang Hartebeest), Damaliscus lunatus tiang

Horns

Etymology

The word hartebeest comes from Afrikaans and was originally called hertebeest. Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in The name was given by the Boers who thought it resembled deer (hert in Dutch, the Dutch 'beest' means 'beast' in English). Boer (ˈbuːr in Dutch ˈbʊɚ/ /boʊɚ or /ˈbɔr/ in English is the Dutch word for Farmer which came to denote the descendants of the proto Afrikaans A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname ^[3]

See also

• Megalotragus

References

External links

• Hartebeest: Wildlife summary from the African Wildlife Foundation
• Animal Diversity Web Alcelaphus buselaphus (hartebeest)