Blue wildebeest
The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest.
| Blue wildebeest Temporal range: Middle Pleistocene – present | |
|---|---|
 | |
| C. t. albojubatus In the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Alcelaphinae |
| Genus: | Connochaetes |
| Species: | C. taurinus |
| Binomial name | |
| Connochaetes taurinus (Burchell, 1823) | |
| Subspecies | |
|
C. t. albojubatus (Thomas, 1912) | |
 | |
| Distribution of the subspecies: C. t. taurinus C. t. cooksoni C. t. johnstoni C. t. albojubatus C. t. mearnsi | |
The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to have their adult coloration at the age of 2 months.
Both sexes have a pair of large curved horns. The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding mainly on short grasses.
References
- IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2016). "Connochaetes taurinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T5229A163322525. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T5229A163322525.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
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