Overview
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Endangered |
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Interesting Facts
Common Names
Common Names in English:
Addra Gazelle, Dama Gazelle
Description
Physical Description
Species Gazella dama ruficollis
The Addra gazelles of both sexes usually have horns which are ringed
and are medium to long in length
and curved
like an "S".
Their heads
are rather small with narrow muzzles
, and their eyes
are relatively large. Glands
near the eyes are well developed.
Addra Gazelles fit this description
well. The males' horns are about
14 inches long; females horns are much shorter. They have longer
necks and legs
than most gazelles, and a characteristic white spot
under their chins. Their necks and most of the back and flanks are
reddish or chestnut. Hindquarters and undersides of their bodies
are white and the tails are short and white, with black tips
. Dama
or Addra gazelles are the tallest and largest of gazelle species.
Their body lengths
range
from 36-68 inches, shoulder
heights
from
34-42 inches (88 - 108 cm), and body weights
up to 160 pounds
.
Their senses of sight and hearing are well developed.
Habitat
Biome: Terrestrial
Biology
Diet
Addra Gazelles migrate in response to seasonal changes in vegetation and climate. They feed on dry bushy plants and grasses and need more water than some of their desert relatives, although they can withstand fairly long periods of drought . Sometimes they graze, but they are basically browsers .
Reproduction
Males establish territories, and during breeding season they actively exclude other mature males. They mark their territories with urine and dung piles and secretions from glands near their eyes. The animals breed seasonally so that births peak with early spring rains, and the females have adequate feed while nursing.
Behavior
Addra Gazelles are active
during the day. In former times they could
be seen in herds
of as many as 500. The average herd size is now
15-20 animals. The drastic reduction is due largely to poaching.
Gazelles have an unusual pronging gait. When they are playing or
alarmed they bounce
along stiff-legged with all four limbs landing
together. Pronging may confuse predators
and probably communicates
alarm to other gazelles.
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Animalia
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
()
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Deuterostomia
()
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Chordonia
()
- (Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Phylum:
Chordata
()
- Bateson, 1885
- Chordates
- Subphylum:
Vertebrata
()
- Cuvier, 1812
- Vertebrates
- Infraphylum:
Gnathostomata
()
- auct.
- Jawed Vertebrates
- Superclass:
Tetrapoda
()
- Goodrich, 1930
- Class:
Mammalia
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- Subclass:
Theriiformes
()
- (Rowe, 1988) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
- Infraclass:
Holotheria
()
- (Wible et al., 1995) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
- Superlegion:
Trechnotheria
()
- McKenna, 1975
- Legion:
Cladotheria
()
- McKenna, 1975
- Sublegion:
Zatheria
()
- McKenna, 1975
- Infralegion:
Tribosphenida
()
- (McKenna, 1975) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
- Supercohort:
Theria
()
- (Parker & Haswell, 1897) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
- Cohort:
Placentalia
()
- (Owen, 1837) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
- Magnorder:
Epitheria
()
- (Mckenna, 1975) M.c. Mckenna & S.k. Bell, 1997
- Superorder:
Preptotheria
()
- (McKenna, 1975) McKenna, in Stucky & McKenna, in Benton, ed., 1993
- Grandorder:
Ungulata
()
- (C. Linnaeus, 1766) McKenna, 1975
- Mirorder:
Eparctocyona
()
- McKenna, 1975
- Order:
Cetartiodactyla
()
- Owen, 1848
- Suborder:
Ruminantia
()
- Scopoli, 1777
- Superfamily:
Bovoidea
()
- (Gray, 1821) Simpson, 1931
- Family:
Bovidae
()
- Gray, 1821
- Subfamily:
Antilopinae
()
- Tribe:
Antilopini
()
- Genus:
Gazella
()
- de Blainville, 1816
- Specific name:
dama
- Subspecies:
ruficollis
- Scientific name: - Gazella dama ruficollis
- Subspecies:
ruficollis
- Specific name:
dama
- Genus:
Gazella
(
- Tribe:
Antilopini
(
- Subfamily:
Antilopinae
(
- Family:
Bovidae
(
- Superfamily:
Bovoidea
(
- Suborder:
Ruminantia
(
- Order:
Cetartiodactyla
(
- Mirorder:
Eparctocyona
(
- Grandorder:
Ungulata
(
- Superorder:
Preptotheria
(
- Magnorder:
Epitheria
(
- Cohort:
Placentalia
(
- Supercohort:
Theria
(
- Infralegion:
Tribosphenida
(
- Sublegion:
Zatheria
(
- Legion:
Cladotheria
(
- Superlegion:
Trechnotheria
(
- Infraclass:
Holotheria
(
- Subclass:
Theriiformes
(
- Class:
Mammalia
(
- Superclass:
Tetrapoda
(
- Infraphylum:
Gnathostomata
(
- Subphylum:
Vertebrata
(
- Phylum:
Chordata
(
- Infrakingdom:
Chordonia
(
- Branch:
Deuterostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Similar Species
Members of the genus Gazella
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 39 species and subspecies in this genus:
G. arabica (Arabian Gazelle) · G. bennettii (Indian Gazelle) · G. bilkis (Queen of Sheba's Gazelle) · G. cuvieri (Cuvier's Mountain Gazelle) · G. dama (Addra Gazelle) · G. dama dama (Dama Gazelle) · G. dama mhorr (Addra Gazelle) · G. dama ruficollis (Addra Gazelle) · G. dorcas (Dorcas Gazelle) · G. dorcas dorcas (Dorcas Gazelle) · G. dorcas neglecta (Dorcas Gazelle) · G. dorcas pelzelni (Dorcas Gazelle) · G. gazella (Palastine Mountain Gazelle) · G. gazella acaciae (Acacia Gazelle) · G. gazella arabica (Arabian Gazelle) · G. gazella cora (Arabian Mountain Gazelle) · G. gazella dorcas (Dorcas Gazelle) · G. gazella farasani (Farasan Gazelle) · G. gazella gazella (Arabian Gazelle) · G. gazella muscatensis (Muscat Gazelle) · G. granti (Grant's Gazelle) · G. granti granti (Grant's Gazelle) · G. granti raineyi (Grant's Gazelle) · G. leptoceros (Slender-Horned Gazelle) · G. leptoceros leptoceros (Slender-Horned Gazelle) · G. rufifrons (Gazelles) · G. rufifrons laevipes (Heuglin's Gazelle) · G. rufifrons tilonura (Heuglin's Gazelle) · G. rufina (Red Gazelle) · G. saudiya (Saudi Arabian Gazelle) · G. soemmerringii (Sömmerring's Gazelle) · G. soemmerringii soemmerringii (Soemmerring's Gazelle) · G. spekei (Gazelles) · G. subgutturosa (Arabian Sand Gazelle) · G. subgutturosa marica (Arabian Goitered Gazelle) · G. subgutturosa subgutturosa (Goitered Gazelle) · G. thomsonii (Thompson's Gazelle) · G. thomsonii albonotata (Mongalla Gazelle) · G. thomsonii thomsonii (Thomson's Gazelle)
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
- Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. 83 1939 Cambridge, Mass.: The Museum, 1863- url p. 529.
- Catalogue of the ungulate mammals in the British Museum (Natural History) by R. Lydekker. London, Printed by order of the Trustees, 1913-16. url , , p. 106, p. 107, p. 271.
- Nature. London, etc., Macmillan Journals Ltd., etc. url p. 357.
- Proceedings of the United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.] url p. 582.
- The Annals and magazine of natural history; zoology, botany, and geology being a continuation of the Annals combined with Loudon and Charlesworth's Magazine of Natural History. London, Taylor and Francis, Ltd. url p. 126.
- Veröffentlichungen der Zoologischen Staatssammlung München. 3 1953 München: Die Staatssammlung, url p. 30.
Notes
Contributors
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 9, 2012.
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 6756779
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 975
