Connochaetes gnou photo © Vassil
The dead-pan ears of a menacing wildebeest
The black wildebeest is unique among African hoofed mammals in having the ear plain brown on both sides in adults. Most hoofed mammals show distinct markings on the ears in intraspecific communication, but the unique shape of the horns in the black wildebeest make this pointless: the ears are either obscured or shaded for much of the time.
Figure 1. Black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) ear colouration [photo from About animals]
Figure 2. Black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) brown ear colouration [photo by Willem Kruger]
Figure 3. Juvenile black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) ear colouration [photo from Biodiversity4all]
Robin and the Honey Badger, 22 March 2016