Wildebeests | ||||||||||||||
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Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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Species | ||||||||||||||
Connochaetes taurinus Connochaetes gnou Reference: The Columbia Encyclopedia |
The wildebeest, also called gnu, is a large hooved (ungulate) mammal of the genus Connochaetes, which includes two species, both native to Africa: C. gnou, the "black" wildebeest, and C. taurinus, the "blue" wildebeest. The genus belongs to the family Bovidae, which includes antelopes, cattle, goats, and other even-toed horned ungulates.