Mountain Gazelle
Encyclopedia
The 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 varies with food availability. It is less well adapted to hot, dry conditions than the Dorcas gazelle
which appears to have replaced the Mountain Gazelle through some of its range during the late Holocene
in a period of climatic warming. There are less than 15,000 mountain gazelles left within their natural range, more than 10,000 of these being of subspecies G. g. cora, less than 3,000 of the Israeli subspecies, G. g. gazella, less than 1,000 of G. g. farasani, less than 250 of G. g. muscatensis, and 19 of subspecies G. g. acaiae. Mountain gazelles can reach running speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph).
there are three subspecies:
The Israeli gazelle - G. g. gazella.
The Israeli gazelle is the most common gazelle in Israel, residing largely in three areas. Its population decreased greatly throughout its natural range in the first part of the 20th century due to poaching and successful breeding of Iranian wolves, but increased thereafter in Israel due to conservation efforts.
The Arava gazelle - G. g. acaciae.
The Arava gazelle is in critical danger with only 19 (counting made in 2007 of 17 plus two newborns) gazelle in a closed nature reserve near Yotvata
.
The merrill gazelle - G. g. merrilli.
The merrill gazelle lives in the mountains near Jerusalem.
Gazelle
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...
that is widely but unevenly distributed across the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
. 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 varies with food availability. It is less well adapted to hot, dry conditions than the Dorcas gazelle
Dorcas Gazelle
The 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...
which appears to have replaced the Mountain Gazelle through some of its range during the late Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
in a period of climatic warming. There are less than 15,000 mountain gazelles left within their natural range, more than 10,000 of these being of subspecies G. g. cora, less than 3,000 of the Israeli subspecies, G. g. gazella, less than 1,000 of G. g. farasani, less than 250 of G. g. muscatensis, and 19 of subspecies G. g. acaiae. Mountain gazelles can reach running speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph).
In Israel
In IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
there are three subspecies:
The Israeli gazelle - G. g. gazella.
The Israeli gazelle is the most common gazelle in Israel, residing largely in three areas. Its population decreased greatly throughout its natural range in the first part of the 20th century due to poaching and successful breeding of Iranian wolves, but increased thereafter in Israel due to conservation efforts.
- The southern Golan Heights, which has the largest population of Israeli gazelles, estimated at between 1,500 to 3,000. It is estimated that at the turn of the 21st century, there were 5000 to 6000 Israeli gazelle in the area.
- Ramot NaftaliRamot NaftaliRamot Naftali is a moshav in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, near Israel's border with Lebanon. It belongs to Mevo'ot HaHermon Regional Council....
contains the second largest population of Israeli gazelles in Israel. - The GalileeGalileeGalilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
population has hundreds of Israeli gazelles in the opens areas. - In the coastal plain, there is a small population of the gazelles but the numbers are continually decreasing because of the accelerated urbanizationUrbanizationUrbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
.
The Arava gazelle - G. g. acaciae.
The Arava gazelle is in critical danger with only 19 (counting made in 2007 of 17 plus two newborns) gazelle in a closed nature reserve near Yotvata
Yotvata
-External links:*...
.
The merrill gazelle - G. g. merrilli.
The merrill gazelle lives in the mountains near Jerusalem.