What is "impala"

impala \im*pa"la\, n. An antelope ( Aepyceros melampus) of Southeastern Africa, the male of which has ringed lyre-shaped horns, which curve first backward, then sideways, then upwards. ALso called impalla and pallah.

1875, from Zulu im-pala "gazelle."

n. An African antelope ''Aepyceros melampus'' noted for its leaping ability; the male has ridged, curved horns,

n. African antelope with ridged curved horns; moves with enormous leaps [syn: Aepyceros melampus]

The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is a medium-sized antelope in eastern and southern Africa. The sole member of the genus Aepyceros, it was first described by German zoologist Martin Hinrich Carl Lichtenstein in 1812. Two subspecies are recognisedthe common impala, and the larger and darker black-faced impala. The impala reaches at the shoulder and weighs . It features a glossy, reddish brown coat. The male's slender, lyre-shaped horns are long.

Active mainly during the day, the impala may be gregarious or territorial depending upon the climate and geography. Three distinct social groups can be observedthe territorial males, bachelor herds and female herds. The impala is known for two characteristic leaps that constitute an anti-predator strategy. Browsers as well as grazers, impala feed on monocots, dicots, forbs, fruits and acacia pods (whenever available). An annual, three-week-long rut takes place toward the end of the wet season, typically in May. Rutting males fight over dominance, and the victorious male starts an elaborate courtship with a female in oestrus. Gestation lasts six to seven months, following which a single calf is born and immediately concealed in cover. Calves are suckled for four to six months; young males, forced out of the group, join bachelor herds, while females may stay back.

The impala occurs in woodlands and sometimes on the interface ( ecotone) between woodlands and savannahs; it inhabits places close to water. While the black-faced impala is confined to southwestern Angola and Kaokoland in northwestern Namibia, the common impala is widespread across its range and has been reintroduced in Gabon and southern Africa. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the impala as a species of least concern; the black-faced subspecies, however, has been classified as a vulnerable species; as of 2008, less than 1,000 individuals remain in the wild.

An impala is an African antelope.

Impala may also refer to:

In music:

• IMPALA Independent Music Companies Association, a European non-profit trade body
• The Impalas, an American 1950s doo-wop group
• The Impalas, the original name of the girl group The Jewels
• Impala (album), the second album by American band Songs: Ohia

Other uses:

• Chevrolet Impala, an automobile produced by General Motors
• Montesa Impala, a Spanish motorcycle from the 60-70's
• 1320 Impala, an asteroid
• Impala (DC Comics), a superhero in the DC Comics universe
• Impala (Marvel Comics), a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe
• Impala RFC, a Kenyan rugby club based in Nairobi, Kenya
• Impalas cricket team, representing minor South African provinces
• Impala, a licensed version of the Aermacchi MB-326 jet aircraft used by the South African Air Force
• Hotel Impala, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
• Cloudera Impala, a modern SQL query engine for Apache Hadoop
• Impala SAS, a French company

Impala, in comics, may refer to:

• Impala (DC Comics), a superhero affiliated with the Global Guardians
• Impala (Marvel Comics), a mercenary supervillain

Impala is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Super Friends #7 (October 1977), and was created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Ramona Fradon.

Kid Impala is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He first appears in JLA: Classified #2 (February 2005), and was created by Grant Morrison and Ed McGuiness.

Impala is the second album by Songs: Ohia. It was released on CD by Happy-Go-Lucky, and on LP by Secretly Canadian on April 1, 1998.