Aepyceros melampus (Lichtenstein 1812)

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Artiodactyla, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 1, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 637-722 : 673

Aepyceros melampus (Lichtenstein 1812)

[Antilope] melampus Lichtenstein 1812 , Reisen Sudl. Africa, Vol. 2: pl. 4 opp. p. 544.

Type Locality: "Koossi-Thale", now identified as South Africa, Northern Cape Prov., Kuruman Dist., Khosis ( Grubb, 1999).

Vernacular Names: Impala.

Subspecies: :

Subspecies Aepyceros melampus subsp. melampus Lichtenstein 1812

Subspecies Aepyceros melampus subsp. johnstoni Thomas 1893

Subspecies Aepyceros melampus subsp. katangae Lönnberg 1914

Subspecies Aepyceros melampus subsp. petersi Bocage 1879

Subspecies Aepyceros melampus subsp. rendilis Lönnberg 1912

Subspecies Aepyceros melampus subsp. suara Matschie 1892

Distribution: S Angola, N and E Botswana, Burundi (extinct?), Dem. Rep. Congo ( SE Shaba Prov.), Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, N Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa (North-West, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga Provs. and KwaZulu-Natal; formerly in N Northern Cape Prov.), Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda (marginally in NE and SW), Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Conservation: U.S. ESA – Endangered as A. m. petersi; IUCN – Vulnerable as A. m. petersi, otherwise Lower Risk (cd).

Discussion: Synonymy and inclusion of petersi follows Ansell (1972:57). Nersting and Arctander (2001) found petersi haplotypes to be strongly isolated from haplotypyes of populations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and N Botswana. Cotterill (2003 a) considered petersi to be an evolutionary species.