# Gerenuk (*Litocranius walleri*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/gerenuk  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The gerenuk (Litocranius walleri) is a mammal of the family Bovidae, subfamily Antilopinae, in the order Artiodactyla. It is a large, terrestrial herbivore with a cathemeral activity pattern, and adults weigh 38 kg, with up to 41.3 kg reported. It has one young per litter after a gestation period of 204.2 days, with 1.35 litters per year, and reaches sexual maturity at 360.1 days. The gerenuk is listed as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category, and its lifespan is 13 years, with up to 17.3 years reported.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 38 kg – 41.3 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Height | 80 cm – 1.05 m |
| Lifespan | 13 years – 17.3 years |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 183 days – 244 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1 |
| Age at maturity | 11.8 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1.35 |
| Active | Day and night (cathemeral) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Artiodactyla
- family: Bovidae
- genus: Litocranius
- species: *Litocranius walleri* (Brooke, 1879)

Synonyms: *Gazella walleri*, *Litocranius walleri walleri*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is a gerenuk?

The gerenuk is a mammal of the family Bovidae, subfamily Antilopinae, in the order Artiodactyla.

### How heavy is a gerenuk?

An adult gerenuk weighs 38 kg, with up to 41.3 kg reported. This places it in the large size class.

### What does a gerenuk eat?

The gerenuk is a herbivore.

### Is the gerenuk endangered?

No. The gerenuk is listed as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a gerenuk live?

The gerenuk has a lifespan of 13 years, with up to 17.3 years reported.

### How many young does a gerenuk have?

A gerenuk has one young per litter, with 1.35 litters per year.

### How long is the gerenuk's gestation period?

The gerenuk's gestation period is 204.2 days, with reported values from 182.6 to 243.5 days.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Gerenuk (Litocranius walleri). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/gerenuk