Antelope Facts for Kids

Eland are the largest antelopes.

Antelopes are fascinating animals that look a bit like deer. They are a type of even-toed hoofed animal. This means they walk on two toes on each foot, which are covered by a hard hoof.

The word "antelope" is used for many different species, but it's not a strict scientific group. Think of it like a "catch-all" term for animals in the Bovidae family that aren't cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, or goats.

Most antelopes live in Africa, especially south of the Sahara desert. You can also find some species in parts of Asia. No antelopes are naturally found in North America. The pronghorn, which lives there, looks like an antelope but belongs to a different family. True antelopes have horns that are not branched and never fall off. Pronghorns, however, have branching horns that they shed every year.

There are about 91 different kinds of antelopes. Most of them live in Africa. A group of antelopes is called a herd.

Where Antelopes Live
Amazing Migrations
Antelope Features
Horns vs. Antlers
Speed and Leaping Abilities
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Where Antelopes Live

Antelopes live in many different places. Some prefer forests, woodlands, or bushy areas. These antelopes usually stay in one place. Other antelopes live on wide, open plains.

Amazing Migrations

Many antelopes that live on the plains travel huge distances. These long journeys are called migrations. They migrate to follow the rain, which helps their food supply of grass grow. The gnus and gazelles in East Africa are famous for their amazing mass migrations. They travel in huge herds, looking for fresh grass.

Antelope Features

All antelopes are part of the Bovidae family. This means they share some common features:

They have hooves with an even number of toes.
Their pupils (the dark center of their eyes) are horizontal.
They are ruminants. This means they chew their food, swallow it, and then bring it back up to chew it again. This helps them digest tough plants.
Most males, and sometimes females, have bony horns.

Many antelope species show sexual dimorphism. This means that males and females look different. In most species, both sexes have horns, but the male's horns are usually bigger. Males also tend to be larger than females.

Horns vs. Antlers

It's easy to confuse horns with antlers, but they are different!

Antelope horns are not shed. They grow throughout the animal's life and are permanent.
Horns are made of a bony core covered by a layer of keratin, which is the same material as your fingernails.
Deer have antlers, which are made of bone and are shed and regrown every year.

Speed and Leaping Abilities

Gazelles and springbok are well-known for how fast they can run and how high they can jump. Even larger antelopes, like elands and kudus, can jump over 8 feet (2.4 meters) high! While they can jump very high, their large size means they can't run as fast as the smaller, lighter antelopes.