How long are impalas horns

They become rather more interested in their harem, or creating one, even at the expense of feeding. After the first copulation, the male might wander away seeking new mates, while the female is still active and can mate with others. When a calf is born, the female will keep it hidden for a few weeks after its birth, protecting it from potential threats.

After a time, the fawn will join an impala nursery group within the herd. Have any stories to share about sighting an impala during your African safari? Let us know in the comments below! Estes, R. Hart, B. Animal Behaviour. Jarman, P. In Sinclair, A. Serengeti, Dynamics of an Ecosystem. Kingdon, J. Mammals of Africa. Mooring, M.

Behavioral Ecology. Schenkel, R. African Journal of Ecology. Skinner, J. The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion 3rd ed.

Stuart, C. They grow to 33 to 39 inches 84 to 99 centimeters long by adulthood and typically come up to the chest of an average-sized adult man, according to National Geographic. They also live in savannas. Impala are diurnal, which means they are most active in the early morning and right before sunset. During the rainy season, impalas gather in groups of hundreds.

In dry season the herds roam together to look for food. During the rainy season males can be territorial and will herd females around a territorial area. Groups of young impalas are called creches.

These groups of offspring are like nursery schools for the young and they play together and groom each other, according to ADW. Impalas are herbivores, which means they only eat vegetation. Their diets consist of bark, leaves, wood, and stems. Three of the main prey animals on the southern African savanna impalas, zebras, and wildebeests can recognize one another's warning cries, according to researchers from the University of Minnesota.

That works to everyone's advantage if a predator is close. If a zebra, for instance, sounds a warning call, then any nearby zebras, wildebeests, or impalas know to flee. However, the study found that zebras were more likely to ignore warning calls from impalas, Popular Science reported. That makes sense, as zebras can weigh six times as much as impalas and make for hardier prey. Oddly, wildebeests were more likely to flee the area after hearing a cry from an impala than from another wildebeest.

Researchers felt that could be because wildebeests often judged it was safer to move quickly and return in case of a false alarm than stay and risk attack. Impalas themselves, however, were skeptical of calls made by their own kind. According to researcher Meredith Palmer, it's because impalas are naturally anxious and tend to sound false alarms. Impalas in southern Africa are synchronous breeders, meaning they tend to mate and give birth around the same time each year.

Impala breeding usually corresponds with the wet season—they usually mate in May, at the end of the wet season, and give birth in November, at the start of it. That predictable breeding schedule usually gives impala calves their best shot at survival. Impalas and other prey face more risk in the dry season, when dwindling food and water supplies force predators and prey toward the same geographic locations. Rumor has it pregnant impalas can delay giving birth for up to a month if the wet season is late.

According to D'Araujo , it's possible just as many impala calves are born before the start of the wet season as after it.