impala n : African antelope with ridged curved horns; moves with enormous leaps [syn: Aepyceros melampus]

see Impala

English

Etymology

Zulu

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑːlə

Noun

impala

1. An African antelope Aepyceros melampus noted for its leaping ability; the male has ridged, curved horns,

Translations

• Danish: impala g Danish
• Dutch: impala
• Finnish: impala
• French: impalla
• German: Impala
• Japanese: インパラ (inpara)
• Korean: 임팔라 (impalla)
• Portuguese: impala m|f
• Swahili: swala, pala

Dutch

Noun

impala (plural impala's)

1. impala

Italian

Verb

impala

1. Form of Third-person singular present tense, impalare
2. Form of Second-person singular imperative, impalare#Italian|impalare

Portuguese

Noun

impala m|f

1. impala.

An impala (Aepyceros melampus Greek aipos "high" ceros "horn" + melas "black" pous "foot") is a medium-sized African antelope. The name impala comes from the Zulu language. They are found in savannas and thick bushveld in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, northern Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, southern Angola, northeastern South Africa and Uganda (the source of that country's capital city's name - Kampala).

Appearance

Average mass for an Impala is approximately 75 kilograms. They are reddish-brown in color with lighter flanks, have When frightened or startled the whole impala herd starts leaping about in order to confuse their predator. They can jump distances more than 9 meters (30 feet) and 2.5 meters (8 feet) high. Leopards, cheetah, Nile crocodiles, lions, spotted hyenas and wild dogs prey on impala.

Social structure and reproduction

Females and young form herds of up to two hundred individuals. When food is plentiful, adult males will establish territories and round up any female herd that enter their grounds and will chase away bachelor males that follow. They will even chase away recently weaned males. A male impala tries to prevent any female from leaving is territory. During the dry seasons, territories are abandoned as herds must travel farther to find food. Large, mixed tranquil herds of females and males form.

Young male impala who have been made to leave their previous herd form bachelor herds of around thirty individuals. Males that are able to dominate their herd are contenders for assuming control of their territory. The breeding season of impala, also called rutting, begins toward the end of the wet season in May. The entire affair typically lasts approximately three weeks. While young are born after seven months, the mother has the ability to prolong giving birth for an additional month if conditions are harsh. When giving birth a female impala will isolate herself from the herd despite numerous attempts by the male to keep her in his territory. The impala mother will keep the fawn in an isolated spot for a few days or even leave it lying out in hiding for a couple days, weeks, or more before returning to the herd. There the fawn will join a nursery group and will go to its mother only to nurse and when predators are near. Fawns are suckled for 4 to 6 months. Males who mature are forced out of the group and will join bachelor herds.

Taxonomy

In the past, taxonomists have put the impala in the same tribe as gazelles, kobs and hartebeests. However it was found that the impala was so different from any of these tribes that it was put in its own tribe, Aepycerotini respectively.

There are three subspecies:

• Black-faced Impala Aepyceros melampus petersi
• East African Impala Aepyceros melampus rendilis
• Southern Impala Aepyceros melampus melampus

References

• Estes, R. (1991). The Behavior Guide to African Mammals, Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates. Los Angeles, The University of California Press
• African Wildlife Fundation - Impala
• Arkive - Impala

External links

• Impala: summary from the African Wildlife Foundation