| Mongolian gazelle | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Antilopinae |
| Genus: | Procapra |
| Species: | P. gutturosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Procapra gutturosa (Pallas, 1777) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
TheMongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa), ordzeren (Russian:дзерен), is a medium-sizedantelope native to the semiaridCentral Asiansteppes of Mongolia, southernSiberia and northernChina. The namedzeren is the Russian spelling and pronunciation of theBuryatzeeren (Buryat: зээрэн; akin to theMongolian wordzeer (Mongolian:зээр)).
While the dzeren and its two sister-species (theTibetan gazelle orgoa and the rarePrzewalski's gazelle ofQinghai, China) are commonly referred to as "gazelles", they are not technically "true" gazelles, as they are not placed within theGazella genus. Rather, these three procaprid antelope species are placed together in their own genus,Procapra, falling under the tribe ofAntilopini (of the subfamilyAntilopinae), under the greaterBovidae family of theArtiodactylaOrder. In general, the dzeren are fluffier-coated than true gazelles, possessing an almost "teddy bear"-like appearance, as opposed to the sleek and smooth,deer-like qualities ofGazella and other species. The dzeren's face is somewhat more comparable to aChinese water deer than a true gazelle.
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In the summer, the dzeren has coat of tawny light brown with pale pinkish tones, which grows thicker, longer and paler during the winter. It also has a distinctive, heart-shaped white patch on its rump area, divided by a median line of darker color. The male haslyre-shaped horns which curl backwards from the forehead. It is an extremely capable long-distance runner and a good swimmer.
Mongolian gazelles live insemi-arid,cold, andtemperate ecosystems. They thrive in flat or undulatingsteppes anddry grasslands, with a preference for steppe and desert steppe habitats adorned with clusters of vegetation.[3] The estimated global range of the Mongolian gazelle is 746,281km2, of which 91% is inMongolia (681,863 km2), 5% inChina (34,718 km2) and 4% inRussia (29,700 km2).[4]
In the winter, they are mostlydiurnal, but in the summer, they are active shortly after sunrise and before sunset. They tend to travel a lot, and migrations takes place in spring and autumn, but the distance and direction vary depending on the weather and food availability.
The groups usually consists of 20-30 individuals in the summer, and 100 in the winter. However, herds up to 5,000 individuals are not unusual. They still exist in large numbers, with a small captive population; the population trend is unknown. In 2007, a mega-herd of a quarter of a million Mongolian gazelles was seen gathering on the country's steppes, one of the world's last great wildernesses.[5]
The mating season is in the late autumn or winter; at this time, the males' throats swell in agoiter-like effect. Competition is vigorous, but fights rarely break out. The gestation period lasts for about 5–6 months. Births occur is June and July, when groups of dozens of females separate from the herd to give birth, rejoining the herd afterward. They usually give birth to a single young and occasionally twins. They weigh about 3 kg and can keep up with their mother after a few days. They will be able to mate after 17–18 months.[6]
The Mongolian gazelle is still one of the most numerous large animals in the world, with the total population around 1.5 million individuals, but roughly 100,000 are killed each year. However, the conservation status is at least concern. Whether the population is increasing or decreasing is unknown, but the population is known to be subject to significant fluctuations due to diseases and severe winters. They have been hunted for millennia: a passage in the 13th-centurySecret History of the Mongols tells how a youngShigi Qutuqu managed to round up a herd of gazelles in a winterblizzard.[7]
Media related toProcapra gutturosa at Wikimedia Commons
