|Male in the Ngorongoro Crater| C. t. taurinus, blue wildebeest
or bridled gnu C. t. taurinus C. t. cooksoni C. t. johnstoni C.
t. albojubatus C. t. mearnsi The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes
taurinus), also called the common wildebeest or the white-
bearded wildebeest, is a large antelope and one of two species
of wildebeest. Males can grow to a 145 cm (57 in) shoulder
height and attain a body mass of over 275 kg (610 lb). They
range the open plains, bushveld, and dry woodlands of Southern
and East Africa, living for more than 20 years. 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. They are a major prey item
for lions, hyenas, and crocodiles. The name "blue wildebeest"
derives from a conspicuous silvery-blue sheen to its short-
haired hide, differentiating this species from the plainer black
wildebeest. (The plural is denoted either "wildebeest" or
"wildebeeste" or "wildebeests".) Othe