to distinguish it from the moose, which is found in the northern boreal forests. Physical description Common elands are spiral-horned antelopes. They are sexually dimorphic, with females being smaller than the males. Females weigh , measure from the snout to the base of the tail and stand at the shoulder. Bulls weigh , are from the snout to the base of the tail and stand at the shoulder. The tail is long. Male elands can weigh up to . 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. 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. Both sexes have horns with a steady spiral ridge (resembling that of the bushbuck). The horns are visible as small buds in newborns and grow rapidly during the first seven months. The horns of males are thicker and shorter than those of females (males' horns are long and females' are long), and have a tighter spiral. Males use their horns during rutting season to wrestle and butt heads with rivals, while females use their horns to protect their young from predators. The common eland is the slowest antelope, with a peak speed of that tires them quickly. However, they can maintain a trot indefinitely. Elands are capable of jumping up to from a standing start when startled (up to for young elands). The common eland's life expectancy is generally between 15 and 20 years; in captivity, some live up to 25 years. 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. The sound carries some distance from a herd, and may be a form of communication. Taxonomy The common eland was first described in 1766 by German zoologist and