Greater kudu average length of , with the record being . They diverge slightly as they slant back from the head. The horns do not begin to grow until the bull is between the age of 6–12 months, twisting once at around 2 years of age, and not reaching the full two and a half twists until they are 6 years old; occasionally they may even have 3 full turns. This is one of the largest species of antelope. Bulls weigh , with a maximum of , and stand up to tall at the shoulder. The ears of the greater kudu are
Greater kudu of the northwestern population, which may represent a third subspecies ("T. s. cottoni") was tested within this study. In Groves and Grubb's book "Ungulate Taxonomy", a recent taxonomic revision was made that evaluated all species and subspecies of kudu and other ungulates. This review split the genus "Tragelaphus" into 4 separate genera, "Tragelaphus" (bushbuck, sitatunga, bongo, nyala, and gedemsa or mountain nyala), "Ammelaphus" (lesser kudu), "Strepsiceros" (greater kudu) and their close relatives "Taurotragus" (elands). The greater kudu was split into four species based on genetic evidence and morphological features (horn structure and coat color). Each species was based on a