What Are the Types of African Antelope?
There are 97 varieties of antelope in the world, the majority of which live in Africa. This means that there are too many types of African antelopes to list in a short answer. A few of the best known and populous species are the royal antelope, gerenuk, chousingha, saiga antelope, waterbuck, zebra duiker, nyala and giant eland.
According to Global Animals, there are many types of antelope. One is the royal antelope, which does not grow taller than 10 inches, making it roughly the size of a rabbit. The gerenuk, or Waller’s gazelle, is another type of antelope that lives in Africa. This variety has a long, giraffe-like neck and a slender build, and it ranges from 35 to 41 inches tall. When it feeds, this antelope stands up on its hind legs in order to reach leafy branches. The chousingha, or four-horned antelope, does indeed have four horns, at least on the males. The saiga antelope is peculiar because of its long, bulbous nose. This nose has many uses. Its flexibility helps the saiga to get food, and it also inflates so that the animal can breathe clean air. The zebra duiker has a distinctive striped coat, hence the name “zebra.” The nyala antelope has an even more dramatic appearance. It has a very shaggy brown coat with thin, white stripes and long, curly horns. Some members of this species even have orange legs.
