| Rhim gazelle | |
|---|---|
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| At theCincinnati Zoo | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Antilopinae |
| Genus: | Gazella |
| Species: | G. leptoceros |
| Binomial name | |
| Gazella leptoceros (F. Cuvier, 1842) | |
| Subspecies | |
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| Distribution map | |
| Synonyms[3][4] | |
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Therhim gazelle orrhim (fromArabic غزال الريم) (Gazella leptoceros), also known as theslender-horned gazelle,African sand gazelle orLoder's gazelle, is a pale-coatedgazelle with long slender horns and well adapted todesert life. It is considered anendangered species because fewer than 2500 are left in the wild. They are found inAlgeria,Egypt,Tunisia[5] andLibya, and possiblyChad,Mali,Niger, andSudan.
According toRichard Lydekker, the namerhim is known inAlgeria andLibya, while inTunisian andEgyptian the animal is known as theghazal abiad, "white gazelle", owing to its pale coat. The namerhim is cognate with and perhaps derived from theHebrew termre'em found in theBible, which may refer to anaurochs,oryx or perhaps aunicorn.[6]
Although described and named byFrédéric Cuvier in 1842, the rhim gazelle was rediscovered byEdmund Giles Loder later in the same century, hence the synonymGazella loderi and the common name Loder's gazelle.[6]
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Growing to a length of 101 to 116 cm (40 to 46 in), this is the palest of the gazelles, and well adapted to desert life in many ways. The upper parts are pale buff or cream and the limbs and under parts white or pale buff. Thehorns on the male are slender and slightly S-shaped; those of the female are even thinner, lighter and nearly straight. There are faint facial markings and an indistinct stripe along the side. The tail is brownish-black, about 15 cm (6 in) long, and contrasts with the pale rump.[7]
The rhim gazelle is known from Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. It has also been reported from Niger and Chad, but these sightings seem doubtful and its precise range is unclear. The rhim gazelle is found in isolated pockets across the centralSahara Desert. The extreme heat of this environment limits their feeding to the early morning and evening, andG. leptoceros gains most of its water requirements from dew and plant moisture, relying little on open water sources. The rhim gazelle is a nomadic species, moving across its desert range in search of vegetation, though it does not have a set migratory pattern. Its typical habitat is sand dunes and the depressions between them and other sandy areas, but also rocky areas.[7]
Rhim gazelles use a special type of temperature regulation calledheterothermy to survive in this harsh desert climate. With heterothermy, animals no longer keep their body temperature within a narrow range.[8] Heterothermy in Rhim gazelles results in an increase in body temperature during the heat of the day that reduces the amount of evaporative cooling that gazelles would need to do in order to stay cool.[9] By reducing evaporative cooling, gazelles reduce energy expenditure and conserve body water. During cooler temperatures at night, the stored heat can be released, allowing the gazelles' body temperature to decrease back to a normal physiological range.[9] Rhim gazelles maintain a normal skin temperature of about 35-°C in the summer and about 25-°C in the winter.[9] When heterothermy is employed, the gazelle experiences a body temperature increase of 5–20°C depending on seasonal conditions.[9]
Endangered by the early 1970s, this species of gazelle was in serious decline. They were hunted firstly by mounted then by motorized hunters for sport, meat, or their horns, which were sold as ornaments in North African markets. The threats the animals face now include poaching, disturbance by humans and loss of suitable habitat. TheInternational Union for Conservation of Nature estimates there may only be 300 to 600 mature individuals in the wild, and has rated their conservation status as "endangered".[1]
On February 1, 1987, the LibyanGeneral Posts and Telecommunications Company, in cooperation withWorld Wide Fund for Nature, issued a set of four postage stamps illustratingGazella leptoceros.[10]
