Artiodactyla in Tanzania

Reedbucks look similar to impalas. They have short, curved horns and generally tan bodies. A notable marking that identifies them as reedbucks is the black dot underneath the ears.

Thomson's Gazelle

Swahili Name: Swala Tomi
Species: Gazella thomsonii
Lifespan: 10 years
Weight: 35-55 lbs (15-25 kg)

Thomson's Gazelles are the most common gazelles in East Africa. The are somewhat smaller than Grant's Gazelle, and have a black stripe on the side.

They also congregate with zebras and wildebeest, which trample taller grass, making it easier for them to graze on short grass.

Similar to other antelopes, herds of females wander through fixed territories controlled by a single, dominant male.

Topi

Swahili Name: Nyamera
Species: Damaliscus lunatus
Lifespan: 15 years
Weight: 200-300 lbs (90-140kg)

Serengeti
The gregarious topi spend their days eating only grass, and they socialize in small herds, typically. One male will defend a small area as his, and will mate there. Female herds will wander around frequently. The coat of the topi is purplish-brown can be almost iridescent in bright sunlight.

The topi also has lighter hindquarters, and black thighs. The light tan lower legs make it look like the topi is wearing tube socks.

Though closely related to the hartebeest, they have different horns, thickly ringed.

Warthogs

Swahili Name: Ngiri
Species: Phacochoerus aethiopicus
Lifespan: 15 years
Weight: 120-250 lbs (55-105 kg)

Serengeti

Closely related to the pig, warthogs are able to live without water for months at a time, apparently having evolved similar water conserving mechanisms as camels (though unrelated). This family- a female and her young (perhaps with another female or two) paused to take a quick look at us before scurring on.

Ngorongoro
This was the long warthog we saw in Ngorongoro Crater. Again, it was scurrying amongst the wildebeest. The warthog grazes, eating grass for it's food. It will also kneel on it's stubby legs and use it's tusks to dig up roots and tubers. High-placed eyes allow it to keep a watch out for predators while grazing.

Wildebeest

Swahili Name: Nyumbu Ya Montu
Species: Connochaetes taurinus
Lifespan: 20 years
Weight: 260-600 lbs (120-280 kg)

Serengeti

The wildebeest are a major draw to the Serengeti. They exist in large numbers, and migrate seasonally in a circular motion throughout the Serengeti into Kenya's Masai Mara preserve. They follow the rains, keeping up with the food source. Although the rainy season was past in our location (it was July), there was still a lot of drier grass for them to eat, and plenty of water still around. There were in the process of migrating north towards Kenya. In the summer months (January-March), they will be in the southern Serengeti.

We saw large numbers of wildebeest, also called gnus, in the Western Arm of the Serengeti. They freely mixed with like-minded grazers, finding safety in numbers. At times, we saw hundreds of wildebeest, crossing the road behind us and in front of us.

The white-bearded subspecies of wildebeest in the Serengeti is called Connochaetes taurinus mearnsi, or C. t. mearnsi, for short.

Ngorongoro
	I nabbed this really good close-up in Ngorongoro Crater. You can see good color-shading detail, and the punctuated tufts that define the mane on the back of the neck.

Wildebeest cannot go for more than a couple of days without water, especially in the dry season when the grasses have dried up. They hang out relatively close to Lake Magadi, visible in white in this photo. Also, here, the lake is full of flamingos.

And finally, four wildebeest mingle with a small herd of Thomson's Gazelles, with Lake Magadi in the background. Behind the lake, you can see Ngorongoro Crater's wall rising up.