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Male |
Female |
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| Mass (adult) | 47 - 82 kg |
32 - 52 kg
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| Shoulder height | ± 90 cm |
± 86 cm |
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| Life expectancy | ± 12 years |
± 12 years |
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| Trophy Records | ||
Minimum |
Record |
|
| Rowland Ward | 23 -5/8" |
31 -7/8" shot in 1946 |
| SCI | 54" |
69 -6/8" shot in 1994 |
| SCI Bowhunting | 48" |
64 -1/8" shot in 1985 |
| Identification | |
 |
The Impala is an athletically built medium sized antelope and a common sight in many of the major game parks. The upper parts are reddish-fawn, becoming paler on the sides. The chest, belly, throat and chin are white. Each buttock has a vertical black stripe. Above the hoof of each hind leg is a tuft of black hair, which is unique to this species. Only the rams carry the long, graceful, lyrate horns. |
| Habitat | |
Impala favours open savannah woodland with sufficient water, especially thorn-
and mopanieveld, and avoids open grassland. It is also found in more dense woodland
such as that along rivers and on the edge of woodland and grassveld or floodplains.
It is depended on water.
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|
| Habits | |
| The Impala is gregarious and usually forms herds of 6 to 20 and even more than 100 in winter. In the south dominant rams are only territorial during the January to May rut, spending the rest of the year in bachelor herds. During the rut rams typically give vent to a range of growls, snorts and roars. The home range of a nursary herd overlap the territories of several rams which attempt to hold groups of 15 to 20 ewes for mating. Adult males establish territories during the mating season by using communal dung heaps and scent-mark the grass and bushes with pre-orbital glands. The Impala is mainly diurnal and rests in shade during the hottest part of the day. | |
| Food | |
| Impala browses and grazes. It drinks water daily when available. | |
| Vocalisation | |
| An alarm snort. Adult males make a roaring-rattling sound and snort, especially during the mating season. | |
| Breeding | |
| A single young is born between September and January after a gestation period of ± 6 months. Ewes have 2 pairs of groin mammae. | |