ABSTRACT
Roan antelope are distributed throughout the African continent from south of the Sahel to the Republic of South Africa. They are notably absent from the tropical rain forest areas of central Africa. Subspecies have been recorded, usually based on color variations, but the behaviour and morphology of the species is generally consistent. Roan antelope are large, conspicuous animals, with a marked preference for lightly wooded grassland. They are most commonly found in herds of 10 to 20 animals, although herds of up to 50 have been recorded. Roan are predominantly grazers and need to drink each day. They are attracted to such grasslands as Setaria and Themeda, especially those with scattered low trees such as Acacia drepanolobium in East Africa or scrub mopane in southern Africa. Optimum transect width for ground-based transects will vary from 200 to several hundred meters, depending on time of year, grass height, and woodland density.
