Blue Wildebeest - perhaps the most famous representatives of African antelopes. These are large ungulate mammals that combine grace and strength at the same time. They have violent disposition and unpredictable behavior. What do blue wildebeests look like? You will find photos and descriptions of these unusual animals in our article.
General information
Wildebeest is a genus of ruminant ungulates that belong to the antelope subfamily. Their horns are a bone process of the skull, on which a hollow horn cover is "put on". Due to this feature, antelopes, along with buffaloes, gazelles, goats and rams, are reckoned to be gentle.
The genus wildebeest includes only two species: white-tailed and blue, whose genetic branches dispersed a million years ago. Since then, blue antelopes have remained mainly within their historical range and have retained many similarities with ancient ancestors. The white-tailed species spread south. The development of new biotopes required great metamorphoses from him, so his differences with his ancestors are much more noticeable.
Between themselves, the species differ in habitat, size, color and shape of the horns. Their closest relatives are marsh antelopes, chirols, white-headed Bubals and shlesboks.
Blue Wildebeest: appearance description
Wildebeests are large animals with high slender legs and a powerful muscular body. They have a rather peculiar appearance, due to which they are attributed to the subfamily of cow antelopes. They have a large heavy head with a narrow and elongated facial section. The horns are thick and rounded, with ends pointing at each other. In the area of the forelimbs there is a small hump on the back of the animal, which is clearly visible in the photo.
Blue Wildebeest is larger than the white-tailed. Its growth reaches from 1.20 to 1.50 meters, and the body length is about 2 meters. The antelope weighs 150-275 kilograms. Males are more massive and stronger than females and have thicker horns.
From the neck to the middle of the back stretches a long, but not too thick mane of black color. A strip of wool is also present on the throat. A characteristic feature of blue wildebeest is a thick black tail with a length of 60 to 100 centimeters. Animals are painted in a bluish-gray hue, which is why they got their name. From the neck to the ribs in the coloring, there are vertical dark brown stripes. Antelopes are born brown, acquiring an adult color at the age of two months.
Habitat
Blue Wildebeest is one of the most numerous species of antelopes on the African continent. Only in the Serengeti park there are about 300 thousand. They live in various reserves and reserves, but are widely found outside their borders, for which they received the status of animals "causing the least concern."
Blue wildebeest is common in South and East Africa. It is typical of Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, Mozambique, Angola, Swaziland, South Africa. The lower limit of its range is the Orange River, the upper - Mount Kenya and Lake Victoria.
The antelope lives in moderately humid areas among savannahs, prickly bushes and light forests. It can graze both on low grassy plains and on hilly hills covered with meadows.
What do they eat?
Blue Wildebeest - ruminant herbivores, very picky in choosing food. They eat a limited list of products. They are suitable for crops on sunny low grass glades, growing on alkaline or volcanic soils. Nutrition occurs both day and night. When grass is in short supply, animals switch to shoots of shrubs and trees.
Antelopes drink 9 to 12 liters of water per day. Despite this, they are also found in the Kalahari desert, where they receive water from gourds saturated with moisture from plant roots.
The life of blue wildebeest is subject to seasonal climate change. Twice a year, animals make long migrations, moving after heavy rains. Moving north, they visit the meadows and savannas, which only irrigated the rains, and then begin to return back. In some places, for example, in the area of the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, they do not migrate far, but move from lowlands to hills.
Lifestyle
Blue Wildebeest do not live alone. They stray into small groups consisting separately of males and females with cubs. During the period of migration, they are combined into large herds, but even in them they usually stay in groups. Thanks to this, a herd of wildebeest sometimes stretches for tens of kilometers.
Like many other ungulates, they slowly move from place to place, lie on the ground for a long time, chew grass and often play. Their breeding season coincides with the rainy season and begins in April. At this time, males become strictly territorial. They select a site with a diameter of about 100 meters, mark it with the secret of the eye glands and vehemently protect it from rivals. They enter the battle, lowering their front legs to their knees.
A calf is born fully formed and can immediately walk. This skill is very important, because the herd is constantly moving, and there are a huge number of dangers around. For the first 8 months, the cub follows the mother everywhere, feeding on its milk. At the age of two and a half years they are already able to start their own offspring.
The difficult nature of antelopes
Blue Wildebeest is very unpredictable. Either they peacefully graze among the grasses, then abruptly break away and gallop along the savannah. They are characterized by short temper and aggressiveness. Females only allow their own groups, and the attempt of a new antelope to enter their “company" ends in a fight and persecution.
They have many natural enemies, the meeting with which ends in different ways. The strongest and most dangerous for them are lions and crocodiles. A large number of antelopes die at the crossings, so animals always carefully approach the water and do not dare to go there. Frightened wildebeest scatter all over, making high jumps. But they do not always run away. In the afternoon, they may well repel a hyena, leopard or cheetah, starting to butt in horns and kick with powerful legs.
Sometimes antelopes are the first to attack other animals, frightening and perplexing even elephants. Sometimes, for no reason they begin to perform a “wild dance”, kicking, bouncing and running in a circle, stopping the riot in just a few minutes. The reasons and motives for such behavior can only be guessed at.