From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dorcas Gazelle
Dorcas Gazelle
Dorcas Gazelle ft) and a weight of 15-20 kg (33-44 lb). The numerous
subspecies of the Dorcas Gazelle survive on vegetation in
grassland, steppe, wadis, mountain desert and in semi-
desert climates of Africa and Arabia. About 35,000 -
40,000 exist in the wild. The extinct Saudi Gazelle from
the Arabian Peninsula has been previously considered as
a subspecies of the Dorcas Gazelle.
Subspecies
• Gazella dorcas beccari Eritrean Dorcas Gazelle
• Gazella dorcas dorcas Egyptian Dorcas Gazelle
• Gazella dorcas isabella Isabella’s Gazelle
• Gazella dorcas massaesyla Moroccan Dorcas gazelle
• Gazella dorcas osiris Saharan Dorcas gazelle
• Gazella dorcas pelzelni Pelzeln’s gazelle
Description
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Antilopinae
Genus: Gazella
Species: G. dorcas
Binomial name
Gazella dorcas
(Linnaeus, 1758)
The Dorcas Gazelle (Gazella dorcas), also known as the Horns of a dorcas gazelle (above) and rhim gazelle (below)
Gazelle,
Ariel Gazelle is a small and common gazelle. The Dorcas
Gazelle stands approximately 55-65 cm (1.8-2.1 ft). Dorcas
gazelle have a head and body length of 90-110 cm (3-3.6
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dorcas Gazelle
Behaviour
Dorcas Gazelles
The Dorcas Gazelle is highly adapted to the desert. They
can go their entire lives without drinking, as they can get
all of the moisture they need from the plants in their di-
et, though they do drink when water is available. They
are able to withstand high temperatures, but when it is
very hot they are active mainly at dawn, dusk and dur-
ing the night. In areas where they face human preda-
tion, they tend to be active only at night in order to min-
imise the risk of falling prey to hunters. These gazelles
feed on leaves, flowers and pods of many species of Aca-
cian trees, as well as the leaves, twigs and fruits of var-
ious bushes. They occasionally stand on their hind legs
to graze on trees, and after rain they have been observed
digging out bulbs from the ground. Dorcas Gazelles are
Skull able to run at speeds of up to 70 km per hour (43 mph),
and when threatened they tail-twitch and make bounc-
The Dorcas gazelle is similar in appearance to, yet small- ing leaps with the head held high (stotting) to announce
er than, the closely related Mountain Gazelle (Gazella that they have seen a predator.
gazella). Dorcas have longer ears and more strongly
curved horns, which bow outwards then turn inwards
and forwards at the tips. Individuals belonging to the Sa-
Breeding
haran subspecies (G. d. osiris) have a very pale fawn col- When conditions are harsh, Dorcas Gazelles live in pairs,
ored coat. The white underside is bordered with a brown but when conditions are more favorable they join togeth-
stripe, above which there is a sandy stripe. The forehead er in family herds with one adult male, several females
and face are darker than the body. Subspecies from north and young. During the breeding season, adult males tend
of the Sahara tend to be more ochre in color, and have to be territorial, and mark their range with dung mid-
dark flanks and facial stripes. Populations in Israel and dens. In most parts of their range, mating takes place
around the Red Sea are darker and more reddish. In the from September to November. Gestation takes six
last century the populations of Dorcas gazelle were par- months; a single fawn is typical, although twins have
tially destroyed in all the countries that was its subsis- been reported in Algeria. The newborn is well developed
tence. at birth, with fur and open eyes. Within the first hour,
Currently, there are large populations of Dorcas the fawn attempts to stand, and it will suckle on this first
gazelles in the Negev and the Arava. There are other day of life. In the first two weeks, the young gazelle lies
large populations in Sudan, Iraq and the southern part of curled up in a scrape on the ground or beneath bushes
the eastern desert of Egypt. while the mother grazes close by. The young then starts
In Israel there are only between 1000-1500 gazelles. to follow its mother around and begins to take solid food.
After around three months, the fawn stops suckling and
is fully weaned. Some Dorcas are also known for their
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dorcas Gazelle
dangerous behaviors when surrounded. There have been
many reports of deaths involving the Dorcas Gazelles.
Threats
The population of this gazelle has declined throughout
its range. The natural predators of Dorcas Gazelles in-
clude the human, cheetah, leopard, and lion, but due to
human hunters, few large cats remain to eat Dorcas
gazelles. The Serval and Caracal are also prey on this
species. The main modern threat to this gazelle is ever-
expanding human civilization, which shrinks the
gazelle’s habitat by converting it to farmland for growing
crops, and by introducing new flocks of domestic sheep
and goats which compete with the gazelle for vegetation.
External links
• IUCN Red List entry for Dorcas gazelle -
www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/8969/
summ Range of the Dorcas gazelle
• ARKive - images and movies of the Dorcas gazelle
(Gazella dorcas)
• Science magazine - Mass Killings of Gazelles Marked
Rise of Human Civilization
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dorcas_Gazelle&oldid=467909643"
Categories:
• IUCN Red List vulnerable species
• Gazella
• Fauna of Burkina Faso
• Fauna of Egypt
• Fauna of Sudan
• Mammals of Ethiopia
• Fauna of the Sahara
• Fauna of West Africa
• Fauna of Iran
• Mammals of Africa
• Mammals of Asia
• Mammals of Egypt
• Animals described in 1758
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