Goitered gazelle

Kropf Gazelle ( Gazella subgutturosa )

The goiter Gazelle ( Gazella subgutturosa ) is an Asian gazelle and belongs to the subgenus Trachelocele. It owes its name to a thickened cartilaginous larynx of males to increase the volume of the rutting calls.

Dissemination

Of all the species of the genus Gazella gazelle penetrates the crop to the north most. It inhabits the steppes and semi- deserts of the Trans-Caucasus, Palestine and Arabia over Iran and Turkestan to the Gobi Desert, and North China.

Appearance

The Arab subspecies is almost white and is named in her home Rhim. The other subspecies are light brown to beige. The underside is always brighter. A face mask can be clearly seen only in younger animals. Gazelle are a bit more robust than other gazelles and reach a shoulder height of 50-65 cm and a weight of 30-40 kg. Usually just the bucks have the lyre-shaped horns bent backwards. Females are usually hornless. The gazelle are among the world's fastest land mammals and reach the 70 km / h

Stock

There are indications that were heavily hunted already in the Neolithic gazelle using so-called desert kites. Thus came the kind of under pressure. In some regions, such as the Fertile Crescent, already broke the stocks in this time together completely. In 1900, an estimated inhabited a million gazelle the steppes of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. With the increased use of firearms since the 1940s, the stocks increased in this region until today to less than 50,000 animals. Most of these scattered populations are small, isolated herds. In addition, living in Mongolia for about 100,000 gazelle. Also in Northwest China, parts of Iran and the Caucasus there are also even more stocks. The herds that are found on some islands in the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf, probably go back to imported animals. According to IUCN figures, the total stock was estimated in 2001 to 120000-140000 animals, but has since fallen sharply. The goiter Gazelle is therefore classified as " endangered".

Way of life

Since the crop gazelle lives further north than other gazelles is it more dependent on the seasons, and knows unlike their southern relatives a fixed rut period. As of September each some females the strong bucks gather around and defend it against rivals. A few weeks later the females close together again to form larger herds and the males leave their society. They leave early winter in the northern regions of the distribution area the snowy zones and collect in warmer valleys with lower rainfall. During the winter they form large flocks at times. The populations from Syria hiked once every autumn south to Saudi Arabia, and returned in the spring near the Euphrates back to their fawns to give birth. In contrast to most other species of gazelle twin births are not rare. Gazelle feed versatile of grasses, herbs, leaves and shoots.

Subspecies

The following subspecies have been described:

  • Arab goiter Gazelle ( Gazella marica subguttorosa ): Arabian Peninsula; endangered
  • Kropf Persian Gazelle ( Gazelle subgutturosa subgutturosa ): Transcaucasia, Persia, Mesopotamia, Russian Turkestan; In Persia and Mesopotamia largely eradicated, still secured in Russian Turkestan
  • Sistan - Kropf Gazelle ( Gazella subgutturosa seistanica ): Sistan in eastern Persia, Baluchistan, Afghanistan; largely eradicated
  • Jarkand - Kropf gazelle or Saikik Gazelle ( Gazella subgutturosa yarkandensis ): levels in Yarkant, Xinjiang; secured
  • Tibetan goiter Gazelle ( Gazella subgutturosa reginae ): northern Tibet, Northwest Tsaidam; secured
  • Mongolian gazelle goiter ( Gazella subgutturosa hilleriana ): Mongolia; endangered
  • Dzungarian goiter Gazelle ( Gazella subgutturosa sairensis ): Dzungaria and Eastern Balkhash, northward to Tarbagataigebirge; endangered
Caucasus Mountains
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