Editing Common eland (section)

==Physical description==
Common elands are spiral-horned antelopes. They are [[sexual dimorphism|sexually dimorphic]], with females being smaller than the males.<ref name=Harris>{{cite web | last = Harris | first = H | title = Husbandry Guidelines For The Common Eland | url = http://nswfmpa.org/Husbandry%20Manuals/Published%20Manuals/Mammalia/Common%20Eland.pdf | access-date = 2012-04-14 | date = April 30, 2010 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120417095132/http://nswfmpa.org/Husbandry%20Manuals/Published%20Manuals/Mammalia/Common%20Eland.pdf | archive-date = April 17, 2012 }}</ref> Females weigh {{cvt|300|-|600|kg}}, measure {{cvt|200|-|280|cm}} from the snout to the base of the tail and stand {{cvt|125|-|153|cm}} at the shoulder. Bulls weigh {{cvt|400|-|942|kg}},<ref>{{cite book| last = Kingdon | first = J | year = 1997 | title = The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals | publisher = [[Princeton University Press]] | isbn = 978-0-691-11692-1}}</ref> are {{cvt|240|-|345|cm}} from the snout to the base of the tail and stand {{cvt|150|-|183|cm}} at the shoulder. The tail is {{cvt|50|-|90|cm}} long.<ref name=Pappas/> Male elands can weigh up to {{cvt|1000|kg|lb}}.<ref name = "seaworld1"/>

[[File:Eland skeleton at MAV-USP.jpg|thumb|upright|Skeleton of common eland]]
Their coat differs geographically, with elands in northern part of their range having distinctive markings (torso stripes, markings on legs, dark garters and a spinal crest) that are absent in the south.<ref name=estes>{{cite book|last=Estes |first= RD | title = The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals, Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, and Primates | year = 1999 | publisher = Chelsea Green Publishing | isbn=978-0-9583223-3-1| pages = [https://archive.org/details/safaricompaniong00este_0/page/154 154] | chapter = Bushbuck Tribe }}</ref> Apart from a rough mane, the coat is smooth. Females have a tan coat, while the coats of males are darker, with a bluish-grey tinge. Bulls may also have a series of vertical white stripes on their sides (mainly in parts of the [[Karoo]] in [[South Africa]]). As males age, their coat becomes more grey. Males also have dense [[fur]] on their foreheads and a large [[dewlap]] on their throats.<ref name = Pappas/>

Both sexes have horns with a steady spiral ridge (resembling that of the [[Cape bushbuck|bushbuck]]). The horns are visible as small buds in newborns and grow rapidly during the first seven months.<ref name="skinner"/> The horns of males are thicker and shorter than those of females (males' horns are {{cvt|43|-|66|cm}} long and females' are {{cvt|51|-|69|cm}} long), and have a tighter spiral. Males use their horns during [[Rut (mammalian reproduction)|rutting season]] to wrestle and [[headbutt|butt heads]] with rivals, while females use their horns to protect their young from predators.<ref name = Pappas/>

The common eland is the slowest antelope, with a peak speed of {{cvt|40|km/h}} that tires them quickly. However, they can maintain a {{cvt|22|km/h}} [[Trot (horse gait)|trot]] indefinitely. Elands are capable of jumping up to {{cvt|2.5|m}} from a standing start when startled<ref name=estes/> (up to {{cvt|3|m}} for young elands).<ref name = Pappas/> The common eland's life expectancy is generally between 15 and 20 years; in captivity, some live up to 25 years.<ref name = Pappas/>

Eland herds are accompanied by a loud clicking sound that has been subject to considerable speculation. The weight of the animal may cause the two halves of its [[hooves]] to splay apart, and the clicking is the result of the hoof snapping together when the animal raises its leg.<ref name="Carnaby2008">{{cite book | author = Carnaby T | title = Beat About the Bush: Mammals | page = [https://books.google.com/books?id=4u-VroUwC6QC&pg=PA172 172] | year = 2008 | publisher = Jacana Media |isbn = 978-1-77009-240-2}}</ref> The sound carries some distance from a herd, and may be a form of communication.<ref name = "seaworld1">{{cite web | url = http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-bytes/animalia/eumetazoa/coelomates/deuterostomes/chordata/craniata/mammalia/artiodactyla/common-eland.htm | title = Animal Bytes – Common Eland | publisher = Seaworld.org | access-date = 2012-04-08 | archive-date = 2012-06-19 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120619004728/http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-bytes/animalia/eumetazoa/coelomates/deuterostomes/chordata/craniata/mammalia/artiodactyla/common-eland.htm | url-status = dead }}</ref>