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gnu -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
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gnumammal also called wildebeest,

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A herd of gnu (Connochaetes taurinus) on the African savanna. Grazing along the way, the …[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]either of two African antelopes of the genus Connochaetes, family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla).

White-bearded gnu (Connochaetes taurinus albojubatus)[Credits : Leonard Lee Rue III]The gnu, which stands higher at the shoulder than at the rump, attains a shoulder height of 1–1.3 metres (3–4 feet). The southern African form, the white-tailed gnu, or black wildebeest (C. gnou), is dark brown with long black tufts on the snout, chin, throat, and chest, and it has a black mane and flowing white tail. The horns, present in both sexes, grow forward and downward, turning up at the tips. Now extinct in the wild, the white-tailed gnu is preserved in a number of national parks and reserves. The brindled gnu, or blue wildebeest (C. taurinus), is reasonably abundant over much of central and southeastern Africa, from northern South Africa to Kenya. It is silvery gray with dark vertical bands on the sides and has a black mane, tail, and face; whitish cheeks; and a tuft of dark hair on chin and throat. The horns of the brindled gnu, present in both sexes, spread sideways and turn up at the tips. The white-bearded gnu is a subspecies (C. t. albojubatus).

Gnu live in herds, often of large size, and graze on the grasses and scrub of open plains. Their herds are on the move almost continually as the animals seek pastures that have been renewed by the rains. They are the most abundant of all the wild grazing animals in eastern Africa. When gnu are disturbed, they dash away for a short distance and wheel around to gaze at whatever has frightened them. In flight, they toss their heads, prance about, and throw up their heels in a wild, erratic manner that is ludicrous to the human onlooker. They stay within 20–30 miles (32–48 km) of water sources, which they visit every two or three days. A single gnu calf is born after a gestation of eight to nine months. Virtually all the calves are born within a few days of each other once a year. This ensures the survival of the majority of them because lions, hyenas, and other predators can kill and eat only so many of the calves in the short span of time before the calves themselves become fast runners.

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gnu. (2008). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/236391/gnu

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More from Britannica on "gnu"
gnu (mammal)

either of two African antelopes of the genus Connochaetes, family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla).

The gnu, which stands higher at the shoulder than at the rump, attains a shoulder height of 1–1.3 metres (3–4 feet). The southern African form, the white-tailed gnu, or black wildebeest (C. gnou), is dark brown with long black tufts on the snout, chin, throat, and chest, and it has a black mane and flowing white tail. The horns, present in both sexes, grow forward and downward, turning up at the tips. Now extinct in the wild, the white-tailed gnu is preserved in a number of national parks and reserves. The brindled gnu, or blue wildebeest (C. taurinus), is reasonably abundant over much of central and southeastern Africa, from northern South Africa to Kenya. It is silvery gray with dark vertical bands on the sides and has a black mane, tail, and face; whitish cheeks; and a tuft of dark hair on chin and throat. The horns of the brindled gnu, present in both sexes, spread sideways and turn up at the tips. The white-bearded gnu is a subspecies (C. t. albojubatus).

Gnu live in herds, often of large size, and graze on the grasses and scrub of open plains. Their herds are on the move almost continually as the animals seek pastures that have been renewed by the rains. They are the most abundant of all the wild grazing animals in eastern Africa. When gnu are disturbed, they dash away for a short distance and wheel around to gaze at whatever has frightened them. In flight, they toss their heads, prance about, and throw up their heels in a wild, erratic manner that is ludicrous to the human onlooker. They stay within 20–30...

brindled gnu (mammal)

Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.

  • description gnu

    ...tail. The horns, present in both sexes, grow forward and downward, turning up at the tips. Now extinct in the wild, the white-tailed gnu is preserved in a number of national parks and reserves. The brindled gnu, or blue wildebeest (C. taurinus), is reasonably abundant over much of central and southeastern Africa, from northern South Africa to Kenya. It is silvery gray with dark vertical...

  • patterns of territoriality artiodactyl

    ...and groups of females and young move about the territories despite the efforts of individual males to detain them. The semi-arid Serengeti plains of northern Tanzania contain nomadic aggregations of blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), males of which defend temporary territories only while an aggregation remains stationary.

This topic is discussed at the following external Web sites.

Animal Diversity Web - Connochaetes taurinus
Brief information on this genre of antelope belonging to the family Bovidae. Provides notes on physical characteristics, reproduction, behavior, and food habits. Includes photographs....
white-bearded gnu (mammal)

Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.

  • description gnu

    ...and has a black mane, tail, and face; whitish cheeks; and a tuft of dark hair on chin and throat. The horns of the brindled gnu, present in both sexes, spread sideways and turn up at the tips. The white-bearded gnu is a subspecies (C. t. albojubatus).

white-tailed gnu (mammal)

Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.

  • description gnu

    The gnu, which stands higher at the shoulder than at the rump, attains a shoulder height of 1–1.3 metres (3–4 feet). The southern African form, the white-tailed gnu, or black wildebeest (C. gnou), is dark brown with long black tufts on the snout, chin, throat, and chest, and it has a black mane and flowing white tail. The horns, present in both sexes, grow forward and...

This topic is discussed at the following external Web sites.

Animal Diversity Web - Connochaetes gnou
Information on this genre of antelope belonging to the family Bovidae. Provides details on physical characteristics, geographic distribution, reproduction, behavior, and habitat.
GNU Project (computer science)

Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.

  • open source ( in computer: Operating system design approaches )

    ...it provided that use of the new version is not restricted. Linux is protected by the Free Software Foundation’s “GNU General Public License,” like all the other software in the extensive GNU project, and this protection permits users to modify Linux and even to sell copies, provided that this right of free use is preserved in the copies.

    in open source: Hacker culture )

    ...source codes, Stallman felt frustrated in his efforts to fix and improve these codes, so he decided that proprietary software must be publicly opposed. In 1984 he resigned from MIT to found the GNU Project, with the goal of developing a completely free UNIX-like operating system. (GNU is a recursive acronym for “GNU’s not UNIX.”) In 1985 he delivered the GNU...

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