Blue Wildebeest
Blue Wildebeest
Conservation status
Conservation Dependent (IUCN) [2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Genus: Connochaetes Species: C. taurinus
Binomial name
Connochaetes taurinus (Burchell, 1823)

The Blue Wildebeest is a large ungulate mammal of the genus Connochaetes which grows to 1.4 meters shoulder height and attains a body mass of up to 270 kilograms. They range the open plains, bushveld and dry woodlands of Southern and East Africa, realizing a life span in excess of twenty years. This herbivore is a grazing animal that is often sighted in open grasslands or clearings in a savanna. The male is highly territorial using scent markings and other devices to protect his domain. The largest population is in the Serengeti, numbering over one million animals. Photograph of a Blue Wildebeest (Gnu), see Wildebeest Although the animal on this picture was originally name a Black Wildebeest, it is most certainly a Blue Wildebeest. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn2. ... Conservation Dependent (LR/cd) was an IUCN category assigned to species or lower taxa which were dependent on conservation efforts to prevent the taxon becoming threatened with extinction. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Classes and Clades See below Male and female Superb Fairy-wren Vertebrates are members of the subphylum Vertebrata (within the phylum Chordata), specifically, those chordates with backbones or spinal columns. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the production of milk in female mammary glands and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in... Families Suidae Hippopotamidae Tayassuidae Camelidae Tragulidae Moschidae Cervidae Giraffidae Antilocapridae Bovidae The even-toed ungulates form the mammal order Artiodactyla. ... Subfamilies Bovinae Cephalophinae Hippotraginae Antilopinae Caprinae A bovid is any of almost 140 species of cloven-hoofed mammals belonging to the family Bovidae. ... Species Connochaetes taurinus Connochaetes gnou Reference: The Columbia Encyclopedia The wildebeest (from Dutch wild animal), also called gnu (pronounced or ), is a large hooved (ungulate) mammal of the genus Connochaetes, which includes two species, both native to Africa: the Black Wildebeest (), and the Blue & White-bearded Wildebeest or Blue Wildebeest... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... William John Burchell (1782 - 1863) was an English explorer and naturalist. ... Orders & Clades Order Perissodactyla Eparctocyona Order Arctostylonia (extinct) Order Mesonychia (extinct) Cetartiodactyla Order Cetacea Order Artiodactyla Bulbulodentata (extinct) Family Hyopsodontidae Meridiungulata (extinct) Order Litopterna Notoungulata (extinct) Order Toxodontia Order Typotheria Ungulates (meaning roughly being hoofed or hoofed animal) are several groups of mammals most of which use the tips of... For other uses of the word, please see Genus (disambiguation). ... “Gnu” redirects here. ... This article is about the body part. ... The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et... In geography, a plain is a large area of land with relatively low relief. ... The Bushveld is a geographic region of South Africa that encompasses most of Limpopo Province and part of the North West Province. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Southern Africa ...  Eastern Africa (UN subregion)  East African Community  Central African Federation (defunct)  geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ... A deer and two fawns feeding on some foliage A herbivore is often defined as any organism that eats only plants[1]. By that definition, many fungi, some bacteria, many animals, about 1% of flowering plants and some protists can be considered herbivores. ... Grazing To feed on growing herbage, attached algae, or phytoplankton. ... Savanna at Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania. ... In ethology, sociobiology and behavioral ecology, the term territory refers to any geographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics (and, occasionally, animals of other species). ... Scent marking can take two forms, the first the scent used to indicate territory, the second a scent that is released when the ferret is either happy or scared. ... The Serengeti is a region of grasslands and woodlands in Mara Region in Tanzania. ...

Naming

The name “Blue Wildebeest” derives from a conspicuous silvery blue sheen^[1] to his short haired hide, differentiating this species from the plainer black genus member Black Wildebeest. The name "gnu" originates from the Hottentot name for these animals, "gnou". Binomial name Connochaetes gnou Fouche, 1823 The Black Wildebeest or White-tailed gnu (Connochaetes gnou) natural populations of this species, endemic to the southern region of Africa, have been almost completely exterminated, but the species has been reintroduced widely, both in private areas and nature reserves throughout most of Lesotho...

Description

It has a beefy muscular front-heavy appearance with a distinctive robust muzzle, it strides with relatively slender legs and moves gracefully and quietly most of the time, belying the reputation for stampeding in herds; however the stampeding characteristic may sometimes be observed. Structure of a skeletal muscle Muscle is one of the four tissue types. ... A snout is the protruding portion of an animals face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw. ... A stampede is an act of mass impulse among herd animals or a crowd of people in which the herd (or crowd) collectively begins running with no clear direction or purpose. ...

Blue Wildebeest from rear angle showing stripes that look like wrinkles

Probably the most conspicuous feature of the Blue Wildebeest are the large horns shaped like parentheses, extending outward to the side and then curving up and inward . In the male the horns can attain a total span of almost 90 centimeters, while the female's horn width is about half the size of the male. These cow-like horns of both sexes are somewhat broad at the base and are without ridges. However, as further sexual dimorphism, the male horns have a boss-like structure joining the two horns. The male is larger than the female with a total body length of up to 2.5 meters. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 588 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1664 × 1696 pixel, file size: 417 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) author releases rights to wikipedia File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 588 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1664 × 1696 pixel, file size: 417 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) author releases rights to wikipedia File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Highland cow, a very old long-horned breed from Scotland. ... In rhetoric, a parenthesis (plural: parentheses; from the Greek word παρενθεσις) is (according to the Oxford English Dictionary) An explanatory or qualifying word, clause, or sentence inserted into a passage with which it has not necessarily any grammatical connexion, and from which it is usually marked off by round or square... The shield and spear of the Roman god Mars, which is also the alchemical symbol for iron, represents the male sex. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Female (left) and male Common Pheasant, illustrating the dramatic difference in both color and size between the sexes Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species. ...

Young Blue Wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult colouration at age nine weeks. The adult's hue actually varies from a deep slate or bluish gray all the way to light gray or even grayish-brown. The dorsal coat and flanks are slightly lighter in hue than the ventral hide and underparts. Dark brown vertical bands of slightly longer hair mark the neck and forequarters, and from a distance lend a perception of skin wrinkling. The manes of both sexes appear long, stiff, thick and jet black, a colour assumed by the tail and face as well. Sexual dichromism is exhibited by the males displaying decidedly darker colouration than the females. All features and markings of this species are bilaterally symmetric for both sexes. In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper or back side of an animal, as opposed to the ventrum. ... In zootomy, several terms are used to describe the location of organs and other structures in the body of bilateral animals. ... Beyond overall skin structure, refer below to: See-also. ... The mane is the term, when speaking of a horse, used to describe the line of hair along the spine of the neck, starting behind the ears and ending just above the withers. ... Female (left) and male Common Pheasant, illustrating the dramatic difference in both color and size, between the sexes Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species. ... Color is an important part of the visual arts. ... Sphere symmetry group o. ...

Range and habitat

Blue Wildebeest are found in open and brush-covered savanna in south and east Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. They can be found in places that vary from overgrazed areas with dense bush to open woodland floodplains. Wildebeests prefer the bushveld and grasslands of the southern savanna^[2]. The terrestrial biome designations for these preferred habitats are savanna, grassland, open forest and scrub forest. A biome is a major class of ecologically similar communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, often reffered to as ecosystems. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Scrubland is plant community characterized by scrub vegetation. ...

Blue Wildebeests, Lapalala Wilderness, Waterberg, South Africa

Large herds numbering into the thousands may be observed on the Tanzania Serengeti equatorial plain, in annual migration. Smaller herds of about thirty are found in northern Botswana, Zimbabwe^[3] and the South African locations of Waterberg, Kruger National Park and Mala Mala. Some herds can be found almost to the southern tip of South Africa. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1812x706, 260 KB) photographer: C. Michael Hogan May, 2006 Lapalala Wilderness, Waterberg, South Africa Small herd of Blue Wildebeests File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1812x706, 260 KB) photographer: C. Michael Hogan May, 2006 Lapalala Wilderness, Waterberg, South Africa Small herd of Blue Wildebeests File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... River gorge in the Lapalala Wilderness, Waterberg, South Africa, showing horizontal sandstone layering. ... The Serengeti is a region of grasslands and woodlands in Mara Region in Tanzania. ... World map showing the equator in red In tourist areas, the equator is often marked on the sides of roads The equator marked as it crosses Ilhéu das Rolas, in São Tomé and Príncipe. ... mtDNA-based chart of large human migrations. ... A herd of Wildebeest A gaggle of Canada geese For other uses, see Herd (disambiguation). ... River gorge in the Lapalala Wilderness, Waterberg, South Africa, showing horizontal sandstone layering. ... A zebra in the Kruger National Park Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve in South Africa. ... Mala Mala is a game reserve located near Sabi Sand Reserve, Mpumalanga province, South Africa. ...

Behaviour

Blue Wildebeests can tolerate arid regions, as long as a potable water supply is available. Since all Wildebeests require a long drink every day or two, they must have water within about 15 or 25 kilometers distance. Their blunt muzzles are best equipped for biting short green grasses, since a wide incisor row prevents more selective feeding. Short grasses of these type are usually only found on alkaline or volcanic soils. Incisors are the first kind of tooth in heterodont mammals. ... The common (Arrhenius) definition of a base is a chemical compound that either donates hydroxide ions or absorbs hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. ... This article is about volcanoes in geology. ...

The Serengeti herds are purely migratory and abandon the usual plains after the rainy season has ended, in order to seek higher grasses in wetter areas. Grasslands bordering alkaline lakes or pans are particularly choice dry season (winter) habitats^[4]. Herds may be mixed gender with a dominant male, female only or bachelor only. Sometimes Blue Wildebeest graze together with other species such as Plains zebras for purposes of mutual protection. Zebras in particular are beneficial to coexist with since they mow down highly vegetated areas leaving the wildebeests to eat the lower part of the plants which they prefer. A Blue Wildebeests can attain a speed of up to 65 kilometers per hour. A man-made lake in Keukenhof, Netherlands A lake (from Latin lacus) is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size contained on a body of land. ... Binomial name Boddaert, 1785 Range map of The Plains zebra subspecies E. q. ...

Territoriality

Blue Wildebeest are unusually territorial, adult males occupying their territories for a month or for the entire year. The physical size of territories ranges from one to two hectares. The bucks mark territory boundaries with dung heaps, preorbital gland secretions, hoof scent glands and pawing of the earth. When competing over territory, males grunt quite loudly, make a thrusting motion with their horns and perform other displays of aggression. Human submaxillary gland. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Territories are advertised by actions of the bull as well as scent marking. Body language used by the territorial male include standing at an erect posture, profuse ground pawing and horning, frequent defecation, rolling on his back and bellowing the sound "ga-noo". To attract the opposite sex at the beginning of courtship the male (and less frequently the female) will rub its preorbital gland on a tree and then proceed with a destructive horning of said tree. This behaviour is not only effective in enticing a mate, but serves the function of providing more grassland for future Wildebeest generations by promoting grassland extent. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Reproduction

Males exhibit rivalry when staking out territory and when competing for females. In the actual clashes between males, they face off resting on bent front knees, exchanging horn thrusts for brief periods. Elaborate individual displays are made in the rivalry and courtship process, where males bellow, snort and protrude their horns into the soil. The mating process is thought to begin at the first full moon at the end of the rainy season. Once territory is established, the male attempts to lure or corral the female into his domain. A female may copulate with several different males, visiting several different territories. Most mating occurs during a three to four week period at the end of the rainy season (March to April), when this species is at its maximum vigour. For other uses, see Knee (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Composite image of the Moon as taken by the Galileo spacecraft on 7 December 1992. ... A pair of lions having sexual intercourse in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. ...

The female reaches sexual maturity at age three, and the male at age four; however, it is more typically age five when the male has developed sufficient strength and experience to defend territory. Generally fewer than half of the adult males create territories in a given year. In the Serengeti, population densities are so high that there may be 270 territorial bulls within one square kilometer. Estes terms the total volume of noise created during the Serengeti rutting season as “indescribable” in its amplitude and variety of snorting, bellowing and fighting. When the dry season is well underway about August, territories cease to exist. Sexual maturity is the stage at which an organism can reproduce. ...

The gestation period is approximately 8.5 months, with calves able to stand within seven minutes and run with the herd in less than two hours from birth. These precocial features are warranted since the Blue Wildebeest is a staple of the lion's diet; however the spotted hyena, cheetah, leopard, and the Nile crocodile also take Wildebeest as prey. To escape predation calves remain close to the mother for a significant time, and in fact may suckle for up to one year. In large herds 80 percent of Wildebeest offspring survive the first month, compared to a 50 percent survival rate within small herds. In biology, precocial species are those that are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Distribution of Lions in Africa Synonyms Felis leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The lion (Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. ... Subfamilies and Genera Hyaenidae Crocuta Hyaena Parahyaena Protelinae Proteles Hyenas or Hyænas are moderately large terrestrial carnivores native to Africa, Arabia, Asia and the Indian subcontinent. ... Binomial name (Schreber, 1775) Type species Acinonyx venator Brookes, 1828 (= Felis jubata, Schreber, 1775) by monotypy The range of the Cheetah The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a vulnerable member of the cat family (Felidae), a poor climber that hunts by speed and stealth. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis pardus Linnaeus, 1758 The Leopard (Panthera pardus) is is an Old World mammal of the Felidae family and one of the four big cats of the genus Panthera, along with the tiger, the lion and the jaguar. ... Binomial name (Laurenti, 1768) The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is one of the 3 species of crocodiles found in Africa, and the second largest species of crocodile. ... A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk eating a California Vole In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator organism feeds on another living organism or organisms known as prey. ... In biology, offspring are the product of reproduction, a new organism produced by one or more parents. ... A herd of Wildebeest A gaggle of Canada geese For other uses, see Herd (disambiguation). ...

Nomenclature and classification

A Blue Wildebeest grazing in Etosha National Park, Namibia

The Blue Wildebeest and Black Wildebeest or White-tailed Gnu (C. gnou) are the two species of the genus Connochaetes, within the family Bovidae, which includes antelopes, cattle, goats, and other even-toed horned ungulates. The Blue Wildebeest is sometimes called Brindled Gnu. The (plural of Wildebeest is denoted either Wildebeest or Wildebeests). Another common term for the Wildebeest is gnu (pronounced /nu/ or /nju/). This image (C) User:Pcb21, 1999. ... This image (C) User:Pcb21, 1999. ... Binomial name Connochaetes gnou Fouche, 1823 The Black Wildebeest or White-tailed gnu (Connochaetes gnou) natural populations of this species, endemic to the southern region of Africa, have been almost completely exterminated, but the species has been reintroduced widely, both in private areas and nature reserves throughout most of Lesotho... Subfamilies Bovinae Cephalophinae Hippotraginae Antilopinae Caprinae A bovid is any of almost 140 species of cloven-hoofed mammals belonging to the family Bovidae. ... Look up Plural in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Plural is a grammatical number, typically referring to more than one of the referent in the real world. ... The symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet can be used to show pronounciation in English. ...

C. taurinus is comprised of five distinct subspecies. C. t. taurinus (Blue Wildebeest or Brindled Gnu; central to southern Africa) individuals are silvery slate gray in colour, the origin of the common name "blue" wildebeest. C. t. johnstoni (Nyassaland Wildebeest), occurring in southern Tanzania and Mozambique), is the largest subspecies. The Western white-bearded wildebeest (C. t. mearnsi) is the smallest and is found only in Kenya and western Tanzania. C. t. mearnsi is the darkest hued wildebeest while C. t. albojubatus (Eastern White-bearded Wildebeest) is the palest in colouration and found in Kenya and eastern Tanzania. The last subspecies, Cookson's Wildebeest (C. t. cooksoni), is restricted to the Luangwa Valley.^[5] Luangwa River, Zambia, southern end near Ndevu The Luangwa River is one of the major tributaries of the Zambezi river. ...

Conservation and outlook

Bushveld habitat in Waterberg, South Africa

The Serengeti boasts over one million Blue Wildebeests, but Southern Africa's large herds have diminished over the last several centuries under pressure from hunting, cattle ranching and habitat intrusion stemming from overpopulation of humans. In southern Africa some efforts are being made to enhance grasslands and repair damage of cattle grazing and excessive fencing. These activities are particularly evident in the Waterberg Biosphere^[6], where invasive brush (induced by excess cattle grazing) is being extirpated and many fences are coming down to promote wildlife migration. While the species status is considered secure as a whole, there is concern for smaller herds in the southern Africa habitats which have already become marginalized.
Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (2804 × 1868 pixel, file size: 784 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) author releases rights to wikipedia May, 2006 Bushveld, Waterberg Biosphere, South Africa File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (2804 × 1868 pixel, file size: 784 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) author releases rights to wikipedia May, 2006 Bushveld, Waterberg Biosphere, South Africa File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version... The Bushveld is a geographic region of South Africa that encompasses most of Limpopo Province and part of the North West Province. ... Look up habitat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... River gorge in the Lapalala Wilderness, Waterberg, South Africa, showing horizontal sandstone layering. ... Map of countries by population density (See List of countries by population density. ... River gorge in the Lapalala Wilderness, Waterberg, South Africa, showing horizontal sandstone layering. ... Various species of deer are commonly seen wildlife across the Americas and Eurasia. ...

References

University of California Press, also known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. ... The University of Chicago is a private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• UltimateUngulate.com fact list for Connochaetes_taurinus
• Blue Wildebeest Photo and Fact Sheet
• University of Michigan Blue Wildebeest Fact Sheet
• Pictures of the Wildebeest

See also

• Invasive plant