Nyala

1 city in Sudan

2 spiral-horned South African antelope with a fringe of white hairs along back and neck [syn: Tragelaphus angasi]

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑːlə

Noun

1. a type of African antelope with subtle thin white stripes in the grey or brown coat, a ridge of tufted hair running all along the spine, and long straightish horns with an elegant spiral twist in them

Indonesian

Noun

nyala

1. flame

Derived terms

• bernyala
• bernyala-nyala
• menyala
• menyala-nyala
• menyalakan

The Nyala (Tragelaphus angasii) is a South African antelope. It is a spiral-horned dense-forest antelope that is uncomfortable in open spaces and is most often seen at water holes. Nyalas live alone or in small family groups of up to 10 members.

The male stands up to 3.5 feet (110 cm), the female is up to 3 feet tall. The male has loosely spiraled horns and a long fringe on throat and underparts; the female has no horns and no noticeable fringe. The male is dark brown, white on the face and neck, with vertical white stripes on the body. The female is reddish brown with clear striping.

The rare Mountain Nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) is limited to central Ethiopia. While superficially similair to the lowland nyala, it is now considered more closely related to the kudu.

The name "Nyala" is the Swahili name for this antelope. The latin name comes from "tragos" (he-goat), "elaphos" (deer), and George Francis Angas, an English artist and naturalist.

References