Black and Blue Wildebeest.. and not from fighting.

A comment on one of my posts gave me the idea for this one… What are the differences between the Black and Blue Wildebeest.??

The most notable differences are the horns, size and colouring as well as their habitat…

The blues horns go out to the side, then down before curving back up. The blacks horns go forward then down before curving back up..

Blue on left and black right..

The size and colour….

The Blue is much bigger reaching 150 cm at the shoulder and the black only 120 cm, the weight of the blue can reach 250 kg and the black 180 kg.

The blue is a greyish colour often showing a blue sheen and the black has a brown coloured furry skin… now one wonders why the one was not called the grey wildebeest and the other the brown wildebeest..????

The blue lives in a number of differing habitats, from woodlands and grasslands to semi desert areas.  The black likes only open grasslands… In parts of Africa the blue wildebeest still undertakes massive migration… the most well known that in East Africa… Where approx. 1 400 000 wildebeest, accompanied by approx. 200 000 Zebra, tracked by Africa’s Lions, migrate in a clockwise manner on a journey that covers 1 800 miles. From the Serengeti plains to the Masai Mara and back again… The black stays put.. no migration.

The wildebeest give birth between January and early March and with approx. 400 000 calves the journey begins in search of the ripening grasses… This is the world’s greatest wildlife migration… Well worth a Google search to read up more… fascinating facts and figures are available on so many sites… Back to our blue and black…   Blue on the left and Black on the right….