Gross Anatomy of the Blue Wildebeest Stomach (Connochaetes taurinus Burchell, 1823)

Abstract

Wildebeests, also called gnus, are antelopes belonging to the genus Connochaetes of the family Bovidae. The macroscopic anatomy of the stomach of an adult blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), was studied. The stomach of the blue wildebeest was composed of the four classic compartments of the ruminants. The weight of the full stomach was 47.0 kg. The ruminal papillae were distributed unevenly in the rumen. The maximum height of the Cristae reticuli was 0.7 cm. The Cellulae reticuli were divided and contained secondary and tertiary crests. The Curvatura omasi measured 41.5 cm and the omasum had 12 primary, 12 secondary, 21 tertiary and 16 quaternary Laminae omasi. The abomasum had about 16 Plicae spirales abomasi. We concluded that the stomach morphology of the blue wildebeest had characteristics of the other grazing feeders, i.e. ruminants, so we considered it as a ‘cattle-type’ ruminant.

Keywords

• Abomasum
• abdomen
• antelope
• forestomach