Slender-horned Gazelle
(Gazella leptoceros)
Facts
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IUCN ENDANGERED (EN)
Facts about this animal
The Slender-horned gazelles are the palest of all gazelles, and the most desert-adapted, able to survive on dew and the moisture in vegetation. The males' horns are long, almost straight and grow to ca. 41 cm, the females' are smaller. They have slightly enlarged hooves for walking on sand. The head-body length is about 1 m, the weight is 20-30 kg.
Their populations are highly fragmented and often isolated. The Slender-horned Gazelle-also named the Rhim Gazelle-has suffered through habitat loss and is hunted for meat and its horns.
Did you know?
that the slender-horned gazelle is one of the palest, and also the most desert-adapted, of all gazelle species ? Its creamy colour provides camouflage in its native desert habitat, and also gives this delicate ungulate its other name - the sand gazelle.
| Factsheet | |
|---|---|
| Class | MAMMALIA |
| Order | ARTIODACTYLA |
| Suborder | RUMINANTIA |
| Family | BOVIDAE |
| Name (Scientific) | Gazella leptoceros |
| Name (English) | Slender-horned Gazelle |
| Name (French) | Gazelle à cornes fines, Rhim |
| Name (German) | Dünengazelle |
| Name (Spanish) | Rhim |
| Local names | Thim, Riehm, Ghazal, Abiad (Arabic), Akukri (Tuareg) |
| CITES Status | Appendix I |
| CMS Status | Appendix I |
Photo Copyright by
FisherQueen
Distribution
| Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Range | Northern Africa |
| Habitat | Sandy and stony deserts |
| Wild population | Just a few hundred and decreasing (Red List IUCN 2011) |
| Zoo population | 109 reported to ISIS |
In the Zoo
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How this animal should be transported
For air transport, Container Note 73 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.
Find this animal on ZooLex
Photo Copyright by
Trisha Shears
Why do zoos keep this animal
The slender-horn gazelle is rated endangerd and populations in the wilkd are declining. Therefore, an International Studbook and, in North America, a regional coordinated breeding programme have been established with a view of maintaining a self-sustaining ex situ population.