Taurotragus
| Eland | |
|---|---|
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|
| Taurotragus oryx | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Bovinae |
| Genus: | Taurotragus Wagner, 1855 |
| Species | |
Taurotragus is a genus of antelopes of the African savanna, which are commonly known as Elands. It contains two species: the Common Eland and the Giant Eland.
Elands are the largest African antelopes. Males range in size from 600 to 800 kg (1,300 to 1,800 lb) and may even reach a ton on rare occasions; females range from 400 to 600 kg (880 to 1,320 lb).
Eland meat contains more protein than cattle meat and less fat, and eland milk has a very high calcium level. For this reason, eland have undergone selection for meat quality and milk quantity in the Askaniya-Nova Zoological Park in Ukraine. However, domestication of the animal in Europe to take advantage of their nutritional value has thus far been unsuccessful.[1] The common eland is farmed in some parts of Africa, where it is well adapted to local conditions.
Species[edit]
Listed alphabetically.[2]
- Taurotragus derbianus (Gray, 1847) – Giant Eland
- Taurotragus oryx (Pallas, 1766) – Common Eland
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Illustration of Taurotragus derbianus.
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Illustration of Taurotragus oryx.
_Taurotragus_derbianus.png)
_Taurotragus_oryx.png)
Notes[edit]
- ^ Diamond, Jared (1997). Guns, Germs and Steel. W.W. Norton & Co. p. 167. ISBN 0-393-06131-0.
- ^ Taurotragus, Mammal Species of the World
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