Rainfall determines the quantity and availability of food and can widely fluctuate from year to year. To survive, the wildebeest must be adaptable to find new food supplies when food and water are in short supply.
Because of the abundance and availability of food on the plains during the wet season, the wildebeest's range may be only a mile. During the dry season in the woodlands, the wildebeest must be able to detect feeding sites daily, thus its grazing range changes constantly. It may cover 30 miles per day during the dry season searching for food and water.
Its long, slender legs ending in [G 10 / cloven-hooves] are well suited for covering great distances over the hard, volcanically-formed terrain of the Serengeti [G 43 / savannah]. It is also very efficient in covering distances, using the same amount of energy to run and walk.
