A gazelle with very long legs and a long neck which stands on its hind legs to feed from trees on the African savannah.

Meaning of scientific name
Litocranius': Lithos (Greek) stone; kranion (Greek) the upper part of the skull: "stone-skull", a reference to the skull which is almost solid bone at the base of the horns. 'walleri': after Rev. H. Waller, a missionary in Africa and friend of the famous Dr. Livingstone.

Life span
10-12 years.

Statistics
140-160cm long, standing 80-105cm at the shoulder and with a tail 22-35cm long.

Physical description
A gazelle with a reddish-brown coat, darker back, and white around the eyes and belly. The legs and neck are very long, and the head small. The tail is short and black-tipped, and the ears are long and thin. Only males have stout, ridged horns that curve forwards at the tips.

Distribution
Horn of Africa south to Tanzania.

Habitat
Desert or dry scrub and savannah.

Diet
Leaves and young shoots, particularly high in bushes and trees.

Behaviour
Gerenuk are solitary, or live in small single-sex groups of up to 10 individuals. They are active during the day, standing on their hind legs to reach high vegetation. Mature males are territorial, and mark their territories with urine and scent secretions.

Conservation status
Listed as 'Lower risk - conservation dependent'.