What is the Difference Between Wildebeest and Buffalo?

Wildebeest and buffalo are both bovine animals, but they have several differences in terms of appearance, behavior, and habitat. Here are the main differences between the two:

1. Size and Weight: Buffaloes are larger and heavier than wildebeests. Buffaloes can weigh between 1,300 and 2,000 pounds and stand 5.6 feet tall at the shoulder, while wildebeests weigh around 550 to 600 pounds and grow up to 4.8 feet tall at the shoulder.
2. Appearance: Buffaloes have brown, black, or reddish fur and large horns that form a boss on their heads. Wildebeests have gray or brown fur, sometimes with stripes, a shaggy mane, and a head carried above the shoulders.
3. Habitat: Buffaloes are found in most of sub-Saharan Africa, while wildebeests live in the southern third of Africa. Buffaloes are more widespread throughout Africa and the world compared to wildebeests.
4. Behavior: Wildebeests are wild animals and are known to be migratory, while buffaloes are mainly domestic and not migratory. Buffaloes are strong animals that can protect themselves from large predators like lions and wild dogs.
5. Species: Although both animals belong to the Bovidae family, they belong to different species. Buffaloes are part of the Syncerus caffer species, with several subspecies, while wildebeests belong to the Connochaetes taurinus species, also known as gnu, and have two subspecies: the black wildebeest and the blue wildebeest.

Comparative Table: Wildebeest vs Buffalo

Here is a table comparing the differences between wildebeest and buffalo:

Wildebeest and buffalo are both members of the Bovidae family, but they differ in size, habitat, migration patterns, and domestication.