The
black wildebeest or
white-tailed gnu (
Connochaetes gnou) is one of the two closely related
wildebeest species. It is a member of the
genus Connochaetes and
family Bovidae. It was first
described in 1780 by
Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann. The black wildebeest is typically between in head-and-body length, and the average weight is . Males stand up to approximately at the shoulder, while the height of the females is . The black wildebeest is characterised by its white, long, horse-like tail. It also has a dark brown to black coat and long, dark-coloured hair between its forelegs and under its belly.