The Dorcas gazelle Gazelle dorcas
The Dorcas gazelle, also known as the ariel gazelle, is a small antelope; its body length is 90 to 110 cm, shoulder height ranges from 55 to 65 cm and weight is just 15 to 20 kilograms. These gazelles are found in northern Africa, Israel, Libya, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, west of Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Their sandy colour makes them inconspicuous in desert and semi-desert environment. Lyre-shaped horns of the Dorcas gazelle have prominent rings that are especially pronounced at the base of the horns. The horns of the males bow outwards then turn inwards and forwards at the tips; their length reaches 25 to 38 cm. The females’s horns are straighter and smaller (15-25 cm), and the rings are less prominent. Dorcas gazelles have perfectly adapted to desert habitats; they can live without water, consuming dew and getting moisture from grasses, leaves, flowers, and young shoot that form their diet. Dorcas gazelles are able to withstand high temperatures, but when it is very hot they are active mainly at dawn, dusk and during the night. Looking for forage, the herds of these gazelles can cover long distances and gather in the places with abundant vegetation. Not many predators are able to catch up with these antelopes, as when startled, they are able to run at speeds of up to 100 km per hour. Adult males mark the boundaries of their territory with faeces and urine. Dorcas gazelles live in family groups, periodically gathering in large herds consisting of up to hundred animals. Gestation lasts six months; a single fawn is normally born, although sometimes females give birth to twins. Young gazelles are nursed until they are two or three months old. Females reach sexual maturity by the age of 9 months, and males, by 18 months. The Dorcas gazelle is included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as vulnerable, but in Arab countries these animals are still killed in the course of motorized hunt.
