There are tens of thousands of photos labelled as impalas (Aepyceros) on the Web.
I spent today trawling through them, with two search-images.
Firstly, I sought photos particularly illustrative of various features of adaptive colouration.
Secondly, I sought the valuable photos among those of other bovids mislabelled as impalas or in other ways - of which there are thousands in their own right. These photos have been effectively 'buried' in the electronic record, but here I bring some of them back out into the light.
The following shows the VERTICALLY-PILOERECTED CAUDAL FLAG in Aepyceros melampus. The shape formed by the white hairs of the tail is similar to that of a butcher's cleaver. Unlike other ruminants, A. melampus possesses not a tassel but instead a jointed feather-tassel. The joint defines the right-angle distally, and the metaphorical blade of the cleaver is formed by piloerection perpendicular to the lateral plane:
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-tarangire-national-park-tanzania-image301986232
The following shows how completely the jointed feather-tassel of A. melampus can remain hidden (by a lack of piloerection), even when the tail is untucked:
https://www.dreamstime.com/young-impala-fawn-standing-its-head-turned-toward-camera-kruger-national-park-south-africa-aepyceros-melampus-image150292156
The following shows the PENICILLATE CAUDAL FLAG in Aepyceros melampus. The distal joint in the jointed feather-tassel is open, without any other piloerection. In this case, the behaviour being flagged is micturition in adult males:
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-male-impala-side-kruger-national-park-south-africa-image77200245
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-male-impala-side-kruger-national-park-south-africa-image77199044
The following show the PEDAL FLAG of Aepyceros melampus particularly clearly. A main point to note is that, although impalas have distinct, complex, and subtle colouration, it is the pallor on the pasterns that advertise the figures:
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-mother-young-masai-mara-park-kenya-image196850640
https://www.dreamstime.com/male-common-impala-stands-sunny-riverbank-image274387907
https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-impala-ram-image21409539
https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-young-impala-image24382208
Comments
Buccal semet in Alcelaphus cokii:
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-serengeti-national-park-tanzania-africa-image297339930
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-serengeti-national-park-tanzania-africa-image297339948
https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-impala-aeplyceros-melampus-three-mammals-grass-image36260748
https://www.dreamstime.com/young-female-impala-aepyceros-melampus-photographed-vertically-tall-grass-background-another-one-blurred-image121988595
https://www.dreamstime.com/majestic-male-impala-grooming-himself-displaying-his-horns-wild-meru-national-park-kenya-image225399341
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-impala-aepyceros-melampus-african-natural-park-serengeti-image94577174
https://www.dreamstime.com/identifying-m-symbol-butts-impala-image214110343
https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-impala-savanna-national-reserved-south-africa-kenya-image40584249
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-male-f-females-masai-mara-park-kenya-image289203498
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-male-f-females-masai-mara-park-kenya-image289203499
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-male-f-females-masai-mara-park-kenya-image289203500
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-herd-females-masai-mara-park-kenya-image289201108
Then following - like thousands of other photos - shows that the tail normally remains hidden (tucked) when Aepyceros flees:
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-females-running-masai-mara-park-kenya-image171233099
However, there is often an initial flick of the tail, as the animal begins to run:
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-jumping-male-thorny-bushes-green-savannah-impala-aepyceros-melampus-jumping-male-image202046390
https://www.dreamstime.com/male-impala-aepyceros-melampus-portrait-tarangire-national-park-tanzania-africa-male-impala-aepyceros-melampus-image165866547
Raphicerus campestris neumanni, showing the hiding of an ear pinna in mild alarm:
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-impala-serengeti-tanzania-image39041690
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photos-impala-ram-aepyceros-melampus-kruger-national-park-south-africa-image30655163
https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-impala-grazing-image37353926
https://www.dreamstime.com/closeup-shot-young-impala-grass-field-blurred-background-image188437613
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-impala-wild-migration-tanzania-image56269657
Use of ear pinna to shoo insects from the eye:
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-impala-watchful-bushs-aepyceros-melampus-south-africa-kruger-national-park-image86256423
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-young-female-impala-bushvelt-south-africa-image50876453
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-antelope-relax-time-image43408131
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-brown-female-antelope-head-close-up-image59076445
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-brown-female-antelope-head-close-up-image50732912
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-brown-female-antelope-grass-field-laying-green-image69365711
https://www.dreamstime.com/close-up-antelope-nature-image227878497
https://www.dreamstime.com/close-up-antelope-nature-image227878496
https://www.dreamstime.com/single-female-impala-running-leaping-sideways-to-camera-savannah-kruger-female-impala-running-image267107029
https://www.dreamstime.com/close-up-female-common-impala-showing-tongue-image268841267
https://www.dreamstime.com/portrait-antelope-tongue-out-zoo-image166569989
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-close-up-image129040660
https://www.dreamstime.com/portrait-antelope-tongue-out-zoo-image166569979
https://www.dreamstime.com/antelope-seen-profile-savannah-samburu-park-central-kenya-image150875606
https://www.dreamstime.com/antelope-national-park-tsavo-west-antelope-national-park-tsavo-west-tsavo-west-kenya-africa-image220514348
https://www.dreamstime.com/close-up-female-impala-riverbank-chobe-national-park-botswana-impala-botswana-image153477830
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-maasai-mara-kenya-impala-aepyceros-melampus-image258305681
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-maasai-mara-kenya-impala-aepyceros-melampus-image248510397
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-maasai-mara-kenya-impala-aepyceros-melampus-image247811043
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-impala-aepyceros-melampus-maasai-mara-kenya-image247762721
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-maasai-mara-kenya-image247694253
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-wildebeest-wild-antelope-gnu-african-botswana-savannah-image96022119
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-maasai-mara-kenya-image247529085
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-maasai-mara-kenya-impala-aepyceros-melampus-maasai-mara-image247691005
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-antelope-background-green-grass-safari-image47280134
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-antelope-background-green-grass-safari-image51318489
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-wildebeest-wild-antelope-gnu-african-botswana-savannah-image96022338
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-wildebeest-wild-antelope-gnu-african-botswana-savannah-image96022119
https://www.dreamstime.com/antelope-walking-profile-view-antelope-walking-image102414559
https://www.dreamstime.com/antelope-walking-profile-view-antelope-walking-image102414550
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-grass-image-taken-north-germany-north-europe-impala-grass-image-taken-hamm-zoo-north-germany-europe-image242973054
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-running-antelope-image245850105
https://www.dreamstime.com/antelopes-impala-amazing-kruger-national-park-south-africa-antelopes-impala-kruger-national-park-south-africa-image100857875
https://www.dreamstime.com/antelope-background-green-meadow-wild-image123357432
https://www.dreamstime.com/antelope-middle-savannah-kenya-image145925105
https://www.dreamstime.com/antelope-middle-savannah-kenya-image145925206
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-image245849976
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-image245849985
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-running-antelope-image245849999
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-image245849990
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-running-antelope-image245849970
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-running-antelope-image245264607
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-image245850122
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-image245850117
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-running-antelope-image245850111
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-running-antelope-image245264486
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-running-antelope-image245264610
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-image245264736
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-running-antelope-image245264345
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-running-antelope-image245264348
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-running-antelope-image245264358
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-running-antelope-image245264365
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-running-antelope-image245264354
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-kruger-park-botswana-masai-mara-running-antelope-image245264351
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-image248645514
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-image248643823
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-image267296019
https://www.dreamstime.com/running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-running-antelope-waterbuck-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-african-savannah-namibia-image266649494
https://www.dreamstime.com/antelope-big-horns-standing-savannah-kenya-antelope-standing-savannah-kenya-image103812987
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-wild-antelope-mammal-african-botswana-wild-antelope-mammal-african-botswana-savannah-image96085196
https://www.dreamstime.com/impala-family-grass-landscape-kenyan-savannah-image147213431
https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-impala-wild-gazelle-topi-antelope-tanzania-national-parks-image33506246
https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-impala-wild-gazelle-topi-antelope-tanzania-national-parks-image33531177
https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-cheeky-impala-image9557499
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-jumping-impalas-image21043531
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-images-saiga-tatarica-herd-saigas-running-steppe-image30612854
Add a Comment