White-bearded Wildebeest - North America Introduced | Online Record Book Preview

Connochaetes taurinus albojubatus

Nu de barba blanca (Sp), Weissbartgnu (G), Gnou à barbe blanc (F).

DESCRIPTION (male) Shoulder height 50-55 inches (127-140 cm). Weight 500-550 pounds (230-250 kg).

A large antelope with massive shoulders that are slightly higher than the disproportionately slender hindquarters. The legs are slim. The head is large, with a long face and a large muzzle. There is a yellowish-white beard on the throat and a long mane on the neck and shoulders that is mostly black but has some white in it. Body color is a light grayish-brown with darker vertical stripes. The tail is long and black and nearly reaches the ground. The face is black, and some individuals may exhibit a whitish band or chevron below the eyes. The horns (both sexes) extend laterally, then curve upward and inward. Females are similar to males, but are smaller and have thinner horns.

DISTRIBUTION Private ranches in Texas and elsewhere.

REMARKS Native to southern Kenya and northern Tanzania.

Normally, we do not recognize subspecies such as this in introduced populations, as it can be impossible to keep them straight, but we do in this case because the distinctive appearance of the white-bearded wildebeest makes it easy to identify.

HYBRIDIZATION The white-bearded wildebeest is either known or believed to crossbreed, or to be the result of hybridization, when in a game ranch environment.