An antelope is a fast, graceful animal that lives in Africa and parts of Asia. Antelopes are mammals with hooves, and most species have elegant curved or spiral horns. They range in size from the tiny dik-dik, which stands barely knee-high to an adult human, to the giant eland, which can weigh as much as a small car.

Antelopes are herbivores, meaning they eat only plants, and they've evolved to be incredibly fast runners because they need to escape predators like lions, cheetahs, and hyenas. A springbok can leap 13 feet into the air when startled, while a pronghorn (sometimes called an American antelope, though it's not technically a true antelope) can sprint at speeds over 55 miles per hour, making it the second-fastest land animal on Earth after the cheetah.

Most antelopes live in herds, traveling together across grasslands and savannas. Their keen eyesight and hearing help the herd spot danger early. When one antelope notices a predator, the whole group bolts together, their speed and agility making them difficult targets.

Scientists classify dozens of different species as antelopes, including gazelles, impalas, and gnus (also called wildebeest).