Impala - Ecology

Ecology

Impalas are an ecotone species "living in light woodland with little undergrowth and grassland of low to medium height". They have an irregular distribution due to dependence on relatively flat lands with good soil drainage and water. While they stay near water in the dry season, they can go weeks without drinking if enough green fodder is available.

Impalas are adaptable foragers. They usually switch between grazing and browsing depending on the season. During wet seasons when grasses are fresh, they graze. During dry seasons, they browse foliage, shoots, forbs and seeds. They may switch between grazing and browsing depending on the habitat. Leopards, cheetahs, lions and wild dogs prey on impala.

Impala, like other small- to medium-sized African antelopes, have a special dental arrangement on the front lower jaw similar to the toothcomb seen in strepsirrhine primates, which is used during grooming to comb the fur and remove ectoparasites.