# Giant eland (*Taurotragus derbianus*)

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

The giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus) is a mammal in the family Bovidae, subfamily Bovinae and tribe Tragelaphini, also called the Derby eland, Derby's eland, Lord Derby's eland or Western giant eland. It is a terrestrial, diurnal herbivore that falls in the giant size class, with an adult body mass of 680 kg. It reaches sexual maturity at 2.5 years, and its lifespan is 23.6 years, with values up to 26.1 years reported.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 392.5 kg – 680 kg |
| Length | 2.2 m – 2.9 m |
| Lifespan | 23.6 years |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 26.1 years |
| Main food | leaves |
| Habitat | grassland, woodland |
| Gestation | 264 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1 |
| Age at maturity | 2 years – 4 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1.14 |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Artiodactyla
- family: Bovidae
- genus: Taurotragus
- species: *Taurotragus derbianus* (Gray, 1847)

Synonyms: *Boselaphus derbianus*, *Taurotragus derbianus derbianus*, *Taurotragus derbianus gigas*, *Tragelaphus derbianus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the giant eland?

The giant eland is a mammal in the family Bovidae, order Artiodactyla. It belongs to the subfamily Bovinae and the tribe Tragelaphini.

### How heavy is the giant eland?

The giant eland has an adult body mass of 680 kg. It is placed in the giant size class, meaning an adult body mass over 250 kg.

### What does the giant eland eat?

The giant eland is a herbivore. It is a terrestrial animal that is active during the day.

### How long does the giant eland live?

The giant eland has a lifespan of 23.6 years, with values up to 26.1 years reported by sources.

### How many young does the giant eland have?

The giant eland has 1 young per litter, after a gestation period of 264 days, and averages 1.14 litters per year.

### When does the giant eland reach sexual maturity?

The giant eland reaches sexual maturity at 2.5 years, with reported values from 2 to 4 years.

### Who named the giant eland?

The giant eland, Taurotragus derbianus, was named by (Gray, 1847).

## 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: Giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/giant-eland