Gazelle
Encyclopedia
A gazelle is any of many antelope
species in the genus
Gazella, or formerly considered to belong to it. Six species are included in two genera, Eudorcas
and Nanger
, which were formerly considered subgenera. The genus Procapra
has also been considered a subgenus of Gazella, and its members are also referred to as gazelles; however they are not dealt with in this article.
Gazelles are known as swift animals – some are able to maintain speeds as high as 60 miles per hour (96.6 km/h) for extended periods of time, or run at a speed of 30 mph for several kilometers. Gazelles are mostly found in the deserts, grasslands and savanna
s of Africa
, but they are also found in southwest
and central Asia
, and the Indian subcontinent
. They tend to live in herds and will eat less coarse, easily digestible plants and leaves.
Gazelles are rather small antelopes, most standing 2–3.5 ft (61–106.7 cm) high at the shoulder, and are generally fawn colored.
The gazelle species are classified in the Gazella, Eudorcas and Nanger. The taxonomy of these genera is a confused one, and the classification of species and subspecies has been an unsettled issue. Currently, the genus Gazella is widely considered to contain about 13 species. Four further species are extinct – the Red Gazelle
, the Arabian Gazelle
, the Queen of Sheba's Gazelle
, and the Saudi Gazelle
. Most surviving gazelle species are considered threatened to varying degrees. Closely related to the true gazelles are the Tibetan and Mongolian gazelles (species of the genus Procapra), the blackbuck
of Asia, and the African impala
and Springbok
.
One widely familiar gazelle is the African species Thomson's Gazelle
(Eudorcas thomsoni), which is around 52 to 67 cm (20.5 to 26.4 in) in height at the shoulder and is coloured brown and white with a distinguishing black stripe (as in the picture on the right). The males have long, often curved, horns. Like many other prey species, Tommies (as they are familiarly called) exhibit a distinctive behaviour of stotting
(running slowly and jumping high before fleeing) when they are threatened by predators such as lion
s or cheetah
s. This is a primary piece of evidence for the handicap principle
advanced by Amotz Zahavi
in the study of animal communication and behaviour.
, and the word entered the English language
around 1600 from the French
. Arab people traditionally hunted the gazelle. Appreciated for its grace, it is a symbol most commonly associated in Arabic literature
with female beauty. One of the traditional themes of Arabic love poetry involves comparing the gazelle with the beloved, and linguists theorize that ghazal
, the word for love poetry in Arabic, is related to the word for gazelle. It is related that the Caliph
Abd al-Malik (646-705) freed a gazelle he had captured because of her resemblance to his beloved:
O likeness of Layla, never fear!
For I am your friend, today, O wild deer!
Then I say, after freeing her from her fetters:
You are free for the sake of Layla, for ever!
Antelope
Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats...
species in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Gazella, or formerly considered to belong to it. Six species are included in two genera, Eudorcas
Eudorcas
Eudorcas is a genus of antelope. The species within the genus Eudorcas are often called gazelles. Eudorcas was originally considered a subgenus within the genus Gazella but has since been elevated to genus status. There are four species within the genus Eudorcas, one of which is extinct:* Genus...
and Nanger
Nanger
Nanger is a genus of antelope. The species within the genus Nager are often called gazelles. Nanger was originally considered a subgenus within the genus Gazella but has since been elevated to genus status. There are three species within the genus Nanger:* Genus Nanger** Dama Gazelle, N. dama**...
, which were formerly considered subgenera. The genus Procapra
Procapra
Procapra refers to a genus of Asian gazelles. It includes three living species:*Mongolian Gazelle Procapra gutturosa*Tibetan Gazelle Procapra picticaudata*Przewalski's Gazelle Procapra przewalskii...
has also been considered a subgenus of Gazella, and its members are also referred to as gazelles; however they are not dealt with in this article.
Gazelles are known as swift animals – some are able to maintain speeds as high as 60 miles per hour (96.6 km/h) for extended periods of time, or run at a speed of 30 mph for several kilometers. Gazelles are mostly found in the deserts, grasslands and savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
s of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, but they are also found in southwest
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...
and central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, and the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. They tend to live in herds and will eat less coarse, easily digestible plants and leaves.
Gazelles are rather small antelopes, most standing 2–3.5 ft (61–106.7 cm) high at the shoulder, and are generally fawn colored.
The gazelle species are classified in the Gazella, Eudorcas and Nanger. The taxonomy of these genera is a confused one, and the classification of species and subspecies has been an unsettled issue. Currently, the genus Gazella is widely considered to contain about 13 species. Four further species are extinct – the Red Gazelle
Red Gazelle
The red gazelle was thought to be an extinct species of gazelle. It was formerly considered a member of the genus Gazella within the subgenus Eudorcas before Eudorcas was promoted to a full genus...
, the Arabian Gazelle
Arabian Gazelle
The Arabian gazelle was an elusive gazelle that was apparently hunted to extinction in its Middle Eastern homeland, Saudi Arabia. It is only known from a single specimen collected on the Farasan Islands in the Red Sea in 1825...
, the Queen of Sheba's Gazelle
Queen of Sheba's Gazelle
The Queen of Sheba's Gazelle or Yemen Gazelle , is an extinct subspecies of the Arabian Gazelle, which is also extinct. It is sometimes regarded as a species in its own right: Gazella bilkis...
, and the Saudi Gazelle
Saudi Gazelle
The Saudi Gazelle, Gazella saudiya, is an extinct species of gazelle that was once found in the Arabian peninsula. It is extinct due to hunting by humans of its native lands....
. Most surviving gazelle species are considered threatened to varying degrees. Closely related to the true gazelles are the Tibetan and Mongolian gazelles (species of the genus Procapra), the blackbuck
Blackbuck
Blackbuck is a species of antelope native to the Indian subcontinent. Their range decreased sharply during the 20th century. Since 2003, the IUCN lists the species as near threatened....
of Asia, and the African impala
Impala
An impala is a medium-sized African antelope. The name impala comes from the Zulu language meaning "gazelle"...
and Springbok
Springbok
Springbok can have the following meanings:* Springbok , a small antelope inhabiting southern and western Africa.* South Africa national rugby union team, known as the Springboks....
.
One widely familiar gazelle is the African species Thomson's Gazelle
Thomson's Gazelle
The Thomson's gazelle is one of the best-known gazelles. It is named after explorer Joseph Thomson and, as a result, is sometimes referred to as a "tommie"...
(Eudorcas thomsoni), which is around 52 to 67 cm (20.5 to 26.4 in) in height at the shoulder and is coloured brown and white with a distinguishing black stripe (as in the picture on the right). The males have long, often curved, horns. Like many other prey species, Tommies (as they are familiarly called) exhibit a distinctive behaviour of stotting
Stotting
Stotting is a gait of quadrupeds, particularly gazelles , involving jumping high into the air by lifting all four feet off the ground simultaneously. This may occur during pursuit by a predator...
(running slowly and jumping high before fleeing) when they are threatened by predators such as lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
s or cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
s. This is a primary piece of evidence for the handicap principle
Handicap principle
The handicap principle is a hypothesis originally proposed in 1975 by biologist Amotz Zahavi to explain how evolution may lead to "honest" or reliable signaling between animals who have an obvious motivation to bluff or deceive each other...
advanced by Amotz Zahavi
Amotz Zahavi
Amotz Zahavi is an Israeli evolutionary biologist, a Professor Emeritus at the Zoology Department of Tel Aviv University, and one of the founders of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel...
in the study of animal communication and behaviour.
Etymology and name
Gazelles belong in the group mammals. Gazelle is derived from the Arabic (). The first Latin language to adopt it was Middle FrenchMiddle French
Middle French is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from 1340 to 1611. It is a period of transition during which:...
, and the word entered the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
around 1600 from the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Arab people traditionally hunted the gazelle. Appreciated for its grace, it is a symbol most commonly associated in Arabic literature
Arabic literature
Arabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is adab which is derived from a meaning of etiquette, and implies politeness, culture and enrichment....
with female beauty. One of the traditional themes of Arabic love poetry involves comparing the gazelle with the beloved, and linguists theorize that ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
, the word for love poetry in Arabic, is related to the word for gazelle. It is related that the Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Abd al-Malik (646-705) freed a gazelle he had captured because of her resemblance to his beloved:
O likeness of Layla, never fear!
For I am your friend, today, O wild deer!
Then I say, after freeing her from her fetters:
You are free for the sake of Layla, for ever!
Species
- Genus Gazella
- Cuvier's GazelleCuvier's GazelleCuvier's Gazelle is a species of gazelle found in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. It is also known as the Edmi. It is one of the darkest species of gazelle in coloring, due to its partial woodland habitat. It is sometimes placed in a separate genus, Trachelocele, from other gazelles, together with...
, G. cuvieri - Dorcas GazelleDorcas GazelleThe Dorcas Gazelle , also known as the Ariel Gazelle, is a small and common gazelle. The Dorcas Gazelle stands approximately 55-65 cm . Dorcas gazelle have a head and body length of 90-110 cm and a weight of 15-20 kg...
, G. dorcas - Goitered GazelleGoitered GazelleThe Goitered, Black-tailed or Persian gazelle is a gazelle found in the north part of Azerbaijan, in a large area of central Asia, including part of Iran and southern west Pakistan in the western end of the range, as well as the Gobi desert...
, G. subgutturosa - Indian Gazelle, G. bennettii
- Mountain GazelleMountain GazelleThe mountain gazelle is a species of gazelle that is widely but unevenly distributed across the Arabian Peninsula. It inhabits mountains, foothills and coastal plains. Its range coincides closely with that of the acacia trees that grow in these areas. It is mainly a grazing species, though this...
, G. gazella - Slender-horned Gazelle, G. leptoceros
- Speke's GazelleSpeke's GazelleSpeke's Gazelle is the smallest of the gazelle species. It is confined to the horn of Africa where it inhabits stony brush, grass steppes, and semi deserts . This species has been sometimes regarded as a subspecies of the dorcas gazelle though this is now widely disregarded...
, G. spekei
- Cuvier's Gazelle
- Genus EudorcasEudorcasEudorcas is a genus of antelope. The species within the genus Eudorcas are often called gazelles. Eudorcas was originally considered a subgenus within the genus Gazella but has since been elevated to genus status. There are four species within the genus Eudorcas, one of which is extinct:* Genus...
- Mongalla GazelleMongalla GazelleThe Mongalla Gazelle is a species of gazelle found in the floodplain and savanna of southeastern Sudan. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the well-known Thomson's Gazelle...
, E. albonotata - Red-fronted GazelleRed-fronted GazelleThe Red-fronted gazelle is a species of gazelle that is widely but unevenly distributed across the middle Africa from Senegal to north-eastern Ethiopia. It is mainly resident in the Sahel zone, a narrow cross-Africa band south of the Sahara, where it prefers arid grasslands, wooded savannas and...
, E. rufifrons - Thomson's GazelleThomson's GazelleThe Thomson's gazelle is one of the best-known gazelles. It is named after explorer Joseph Thomson and, as a result, is sometimes referred to as a "tommie"...
, E. thomsoni
- Mongalla Gazelle
- Genus NangerNangerNanger is a genus of antelope. The species within the genus Nager are often called gazelles. Nanger was originally considered a subgenus within the genus Gazella but has since been elevated to genus status. There are three species within the genus Nanger:* Genus Nanger** Dama Gazelle, N. dama**...
- Dama GazelleDama GazelleThe Dama Gazelle is a species of gazelle. It lives in Africa in the Sahara desert and migrates south in search of food during the dry season. Their habitat includes open steppes, bushy, grassy steppes, semi-desert, and deserts, while their diet includes grasses, leaves, shoots, fruit, and...
, N. dama - Grant's GazelleGrant's GazelleThe Grant's gazelle is a species of gazelle. Its populations are distributed from northern Tanzania to southern Sudan and Ethiopia, and from the Kenyan coast to Lake Victoria. Its Swahili name is Swala Granti.-Taxonomy and genetics:...
, N. granti - Soemmerring's GazelleSoemmerring's GazelleSoemmerring's Gazelle is a gazelle that lives in eastern Africa.-Subspecies:* Somali Soemmerring Gazelle Nanger soemmeringii berberana...
, N. soemmerringii - Taylor Crane
- Dama Gazelle
Extinct
Fossils of genus Gazella are found in Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits of Eurasia and Africa. The tiny Gazella borbonica is one of the earliest European gazelles, characterized by its small size and short legs. Gazelles disappeared from Europe at the start of Ice Age, but they survived in Africa and Middle East. Three species became extinct in recent times due to human causes.Recent extinctions
- Genus Gazella
- Arabian GazelleArabian GazelleThe Arabian gazelle was an elusive gazelle that was apparently hunted to extinction in its Middle Eastern homeland, Saudi Arabia. It is only known from a single specimen collected on the Farasan Islands in the Red Sea in 1825...
, G. arabica - Saudi GazelleSaudi GazelleThe Saudi Gazelle, Gazella saudiya, is an extinct species of gazelle that was once found in the Arabian peninsula. It is extinct due to hunting by humans of its native lands....
, G. saudiya
- Arabian Gazelle
- Genus EudorcasEudorcasEudorcas is a genus of antelope. The species within the genus Eudorcas are often called gazelles. Eudorcas was originally considered a subgenus within the genus Gazella but has since been elevated to genus status. There are four species within the genus Eudorcas, one of which is extinct:* Genus...
- Red GazelleRed GazelleThe red gazelle was thought to be an extinct species of gazelle. It was formerly considered a member of the genus Gazella within the subgenus Eudorcas before Eudorcas was promoted to a full genus...
, E. rufina
- Red Gazelle
Prehistoric extinctions
- Genus Gazella
- Gazella borbonica - European Gazelle
- Gazella thomasi - Thomas's Gazelle
- Gazella praethomsoni
- Gazella negevensis
- Gazella triquetrucornis
- Gazella negevensis
- Gazella capricornis'
- Subgenus Vetagazella
- Gazella sinensis
- Gazella deperdita
- Gazella pilgrimi- Steppe Gazelle
- Gazella leile - Leile's Gazelle
- Gazella praegaudryi - Japanese GazelleJapanese GazelleThe Japanese Gazelle was a prehistoric gazelle species that lived in Japan. It competed with deer, serow, and wild boar. Its predators were brown bears, tigers, and wolves. It went extinct in the beginning of the ice age....
- Gazella gaudryi
- Gazella paotehensis
- Gazella dorcadoides
- Gazella altidens
- Gazella mongolica - Mongolian Gazelle
- Gazella lydekkeri - Ice Age Gazelle
- Gazella blacki
- Gazella parasinensis
- Gazella kueitensis
- Gazella paragutturosa
- Subgenus Gazella
- Gazella janenschi
- Subgenus Trachelocele
- Gazella atlantica
- Gazella tingitana
- Subgenus Deprezia
- Gazella psoleaGazella psoleaGazella psolea is an unusual prehistoric species of gazelle that lived in Africa and Arabia; it is only known from fossils. It makes up the subgenus Deprezia due to its unique skull morphology: it had a long premolar row, and its nasal area is peculiar, with short nasal bones and a very large nasal...
- Gazella psolea
- Genus NangerNangerNanger is a genus of antelope. The species within the genus Nager are often called gazelles. Nanger was originally considered a subgenus within the genus Gazella but has since been elevated to genus status. There are three species within the genus Nanger:* Genus Nanger** Dama Gazelle, N. dama**...
- Nanger vanhoepeni