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Black Wildebeest

Connochates gnou

Description - Other Names - Distribution - Taxonomy

Quick stats

• Diet: - Herbivore
• Shoulder Height: - 1.18 m
• Weight: - Male - 180 kg
• Weight: - Female - 165 kg
• Lifespan - 20 years

Description

The black wildebeest are found naturally only in South Africa in savannah grasslands. They stay in smallish herds of up to 50 head and tend to graze in the same area for long periods It is not necessary for them to drink water every day. They are robust and do not need shade and rarely look for shelter.

They have black to light brown hair, shorter hair in the summer and longer hair in winter with a distinctive long white tail. Females are lighter coloured than males. Both sexes have a dark beard and a shaggy mane with raised hair on top of their necks. Two cow-like horns protrude from the top of the head.

Male wildebeest are highly territorial and will fight over possession of a female. A single calf is born after a gestation period of 8 - 9 months. Calves are able to stand after 9 minutes and graze with the rest of the herd within a month.

Other Names

• White tailed Gnu
• Swartwildebees

Distribution

Distribution map
of the
Black Wildebeest

Taxonomy

• Order - Artiodactyla
• Family - Bovidae
• Sub Family - Alcelaphinae
• Genus - Connochaetes
• Species - Connochaetes gnou

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