The hartebeest, also known as kongoni, is an African antelope, first described by the German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas in 1766. Eight subspecies have been described, including two controversial ones. The hartebeest is a large antelope, with a particularly elongated forehead and oddly shaped horns. It stands just over at the shoulder, and has a typical head-and-body length of . The weight ranges from . The distinctive features of the hartebeest are its long legs (often with black markings), short neck, and pointed ears. The western hartebeest is the largest subspecies. The coat is generally short and shiny. Coat colour varies by the subspecies, from sandy brown of the western hartebeest to the chocolate brow of the Swayne's hartebeest. Both sexes of all species have horns, with those of females being more slender. Horns can reach lengths of . Apart from its long face, the large chest and the sharply sloping back differentiate the hartebeest from other antelopes.