Ecology and behaviour Blue wildebeest

plains zebra , blue wildebeest grazing @ ngorongoro crater

the blue wildebeest active during morning , late afternoon, hottest hours of day being spent in rest. these extremely agile , wary animals can run @ speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph), waving tails , tossing heads. analysis of activity of blue wildebeest @ serengeti national park showed animals devoted on half of total time rest, 33% grazing, 12% moving (mostly walking) , little social interactions. however, there variations among different age , sex groups.

the wildebeest rest close others of kind , move in loose aggregations. males form bachelor herds, , these can distinguished juvenile groups lower amount of activity , spacing between animals. around 90% of male calves join bachelor herds before next mating season. bulls become territorial @ age of 4 or 5 years, , become noisy (most notably in western white-bearded wildebeest) , active. bulls tolerate being close each other , square kilometre of plain can accommodate 270 bulls. territories of temporary nature , fewer half of male population hold permanent territories. in general, blue wildebeest rest in groups of few thousands @ night, minimum distance of 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft) between individuals (though mothers , calves may remain in contact). major prey item lions, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, hyenas, , crocodiles.

bulls mark boundaries of territories heaps of dung , secretions scent glands. territories advertised behaviour physical marking. body language used territorial male includes standing tall erect posture, profuse ground pawing , horning, frequent defecation, rolling , bellowing, sound ga-noo being produced. when competing on territory, males grunt loudly, paw ground, make thrusting motion horns, , perform other displays of aggression.

diet

the blue wildebeest herbivore, feeding on short grasses commonly grow on light, , alkaline soils found in savanna grasslands , on plains. animal s broad mouth adapted eating large quantities of short grass , feeds both during day , night. when grass scarce, eat foliage of shrubs , trees. wildebeest commonly associate plains zebras latter eat upper, less nutritious grass canopy, exposing lower, greener material wildebeest prefer. whenever possible, wildebeest likes drink twice daily , due regular requirement water, inhabits moist grasslands , areas available water sources. blue wildebeest drinks 9 12 litres of water every 1 2 days. despite this, can survive in arid kalahari desert, obtains sufficient water melons , water-storing roots , tubers.

in study of dietary habits of wildebeest, animals found feeding on 3 dominant grasses of area, namely : themeda triandra, digitaria macroblephara , pennisetum mezianum. time spent grazing increased 100% during dry season. though choice of diet remained same in both dry , wet season, animals more selective during latter.

reproduction

blue wildebeest fighting dominance



wildebeest calf

male blue wildebeest become sexually mature @ 2 years of age while females can conceive @ sixteen months if adequately nourished. nevertheless, females not start breed until year later. mating season, lasts 3 weeks, coincides end of rainy season. means animals in condition, having been feeding on highly nutritious new grass growth, , conception rate high 95%. mating season, or rut, typically begins on night of full moon, suggesting lunar cycle influences breeding. @ time, testosterone production peaks in males, resulting in increased calling , territorial behaviour. activities of these sexually excited males may stimulate female come estrus.

as stake out territories , compete females, males exhibit rivalry. when clash, face each other bent knees , exchange horn thrusts. elaborate individual displays made during rivalry , may bellow, snort , dig horns ground. once dominance has been established, each male attempts lure female domain. during courtship, urination , low-stretch common activities , male attempts mount female. receptive female holds tail 1 side , stands still while copulation takes place. matings may repeated several times , may take place twice or more times within minute. male neither eats nor rests when female present in territory , during time, female keeps close male, rubbing head on torso , sniffing penis. while in season, female may visit several territories , mate several different males.

the gestation period 8 , half months , between 80 , 90% of calves born within three-week time period. female wildebeest give birth in middle of herd rather alone, , typically in middle of day. allows time newborn become steady on feet before night falls , predators become more active. calves weigh 19 kg (42 lb) @ birth, , can stand on own within few minutes of birth. escape predation, calves remain close mothers significant time, , may continue suckling until next year s calf due. calves leave mother @ 8 months , form herds other juveniles. in large female herds, 80% of wildebeest offspring survive first month, compared 50% survival rate in smaller herds.