Cuvier's gazelle
Cuviergazelle
The Cuviergazelle ( Gazella cuvieri ) is a mammal in the genus of gazelles. She lives in the Atlas Mountains in North Africa and is considered threatened. It is one of the few bergbewohnenden gazelles of Africa and comes at altitudes up to 2,000 meters before.
Features
The Cuviergazelle one of the darkest species of gazelle. Their fur is gray brown on the top, from the bright underside of these is separated by a dark stripe. The horns are about 20 to 37 inches long and are larger than the females in the males as in all species of gazelle. The face is characterized by dark stripes running from the eyes to the muzzle are parallel within which white stripes. Cuviergazellen reach a body length of 95 to 105 centimeters, which must be added 15 to 20 inches dick come. The shoulder height is approximately 60 to 70 cm and weight 15 to 20 kg for females and 20 to 35 kg in males.
Distribution and habitat
The distribution of Cuviergazellen located in North Africa and stretches from Morocco to Tunisia. They live within the Atlas Mountains different habitats, including forests and rocky plateaus. One of the most important protected areas for this species is the Djebel - Chambi National Park, home to the largest population of Tunisia.
Way of life
Cuviergazellen live in small groups, which usually consist of less than eight animals and are usually composed of one male, one or more females and some juveniles. They spend the day hidden in higher altitudes to come down at dusk or at night in the valleys to food intake. Their diet consists of grasses and herbs.
Reproduction
The majority of births occur in the months of March to May, sometimes there is a second birth peak in October. The gestation period is around 160 days, unusual within the African gazelle is the high number of twin births. The life expectancy is up to 14 years.
Endangering
At the beginning of the 20th century Cuviergazelle was spread over much of North Africa, through the hunting and the restriction of their habitat by conversion to cattle pastures, the stocks have declined dramatically. Today, the species inhabits only a reduced and fragmented area. Estimates from the 2001 estimate that the total stock from 1500 to 2500 animals, of which about 500 to 1500 live in Morocco, Algeria and about 560 in less than 500 in Tunisia. The IUCN lists the species as threatened ( endangered ).