Subspecies of Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus)
Red (A. b. caama) hartebeest often have dark markings on the upper parts of it's legs, forehead, and top of the muzzle. Like all subspecies of hartebeest, the reds do not only come in reddish tones, this page has quite a examples that don't live up to their name! This particular red only has a reddish patch on the top it's rump, with lighter tan underneath. One of the biggest differences between the subspecies is horn shape. The reds have upright "Z" shaped horns, according to wikipedia. [x]
This Swayne's (A.b. swaynei) is similar to the red, with dark legs and facial markings. It's neck and head base color are a darker brown, and the body a dark tan. The large dark area on it's side could be a natural marking, or discoloration from rubbing their pre-oribital glands on itself. The horns are set wider apart, and are lyre shaped, [x]
A solid reddish tan Lelwel (A.b. lelwel), it's horns are thicker and "V" shaped. [x]
This Western (A.b. major) is a pale tan, with thick, "U" shaped horns. [x]
This illustration helps compare the difference in horn shape across the subspecies. From the top left to right: red, Lelwel , Swayne's, Tora, bubal, Western, Coke's, Lichtensteins’s and Neumann's (not a "pure", unique subspecies, but a Lelwel x Swayne's) . [x]
A Lichtensteins’s (A.b.lichteinsteini ) that is sandy orange in color, with a reddish brown back and paler lower rump and tail, a dark pre-oribital rubbing stain on it's side, the horns seem shorter and form a rounded "O" shape. [x]
This Coke's (A.b. cokii) coat is a creamy, brownish red. It's face is a darker but still muted shade, not as intense as the dark points on the red or Swayne's. it's horns are also shorter, thick and bracket shaped. [x]
The tora (A.b. tora) is a critically endangered subspecies, with very few images and sightings. It is another reddish brown hartbeest, and more then likely had a great deal of color variation as well. the horns wider lyre shape than the Swayne's. [x]
The extinct bubal (A.b. buselaphus) was said to have been a light tan, with horns that were lyre shaped and lighter in color compared to other subspecies. The last was shot in sometime in the early 1900's, but there is conflicting information about the details.[x]
(I apologize for the lackluster descriptions of the horns, I could not for the life of me describe them well on my own, so fell back on wiki and other sources to help me out on some of them.)
