Description
Males are an average 165 cm (65 in) long and 100–105 cm (39–41 in) tall at the shoulders, and weigh between 90 and 120 kg (200 and 260 lb), while females are an average 135 cm (53 in) long, 80–85 cm (31–33 in) tall at the shoulders, and weigh 60–90 kg (130–200 lb). Nile lechwes live an average of 10 to 11.5 years, and most uncommonly 19 years.
The coats are shaggy with the hair on the cheeks particularly long in both sexes, and males may have even longer hair on their necks. Nile lechwe exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism. Females are golden-brown (juveniles also have golden-brown coat, but the color changes to dark brown in young males when they reach two to three years of age) with a white underbelly and no horns. Males are chocolate brown to russet with a white 'hood' over the shoulders and small white patches over the eyes.
They have long, ridge-structured horns which are vaguely 'S' shaped in profile. The horns, 50–60 cm (20–24 in) long, are strongly ridged at their bases and are curved at the tips. Yearlings are usually infected by warble flies, which can also make them unhealthy.
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