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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
addra
gazelle, red-necked gazelle |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Artiodactyla |
| FAMILY: |
Bovidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Gazella
(wild goat) dama (deer) ruficollis |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Both
sexes usually have medium length ringed horns curved
like an "S"; males' horns are about 14
inches long; females horns are much shorter; heads
are small with narrow muzzles; eyes are relatively
large; glands near the eyes are well developed;
longer necks and legs than most gazelles; white
spot under chin; neck and most of back and flank
are reddish or copper-brown |
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| SIZE: |
Height
at shoulder = 90-120 cm (3-4 ft) |
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| WEIGHT: |
40-85
kg (90-190 lbs) |
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| DIET: |
Browser,
grasses, leaves, shoots, fruit, especially Acacia
leaves |
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| GESTATION: |
6-6.5
months; one offspring |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
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| MALE |
18-24
months |
| FEMALE |
9-12 months |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Up
to 12 years |
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| RANGE: |
Sahara
from Mauritania to Sudan |
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| HABITAT: |
Open
steppes, bushy, grassy steppes, semi-desert, deserts |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
2,500
individuals |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Critically
Endangered |
| CITES |
Appendix
I |
| USFWS |
Subspecies
not listed |
| AZA |
SSP
participant |
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| 1. |
Addra
are considered the largest type of gazelle, with
incredibly long legs, which provide extra surface
area on their body to dissipate heat, one of the
many ways they stay cool in their hot desert environment. |
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| 2. |
After
just a few days following birth, addra young are
strong enough to follow the herd, and after a week,
they are able to run as fast as the adults. |
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| 3. |
Addras
tend to need more water than some of their desert
relatives, although they can withstand fairly long
periods of drought. |
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| 4. |
In
earlier times, addras could be seen in herds of
as many as 500. The average herd size is now 15-20
animals. This drastic reduction is due largely to
poaching. |
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| 5. |
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. |
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| 6. |
Always
on the alert, addra use a behavior called "pronking"
to warn herd members of danger. "Pronking"
involves the animal hopping up and down with all
four of their legs stiff, so that their limbs all
leave and touch the ground at the same time. |
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| 7. |
Unlike
many other desert mammals, addra are a diurnal (active
during the day) species. |
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| 8. |
The
shade of red covering its body varies with this
species across its range, growing darker from east
to west. This is one of the main differences among
the three subspecies. |
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A
valuable source of food for humans throughout their
harsh range, addra have been hunted extensively
for their meat. Addra have also been hunted because
they are seen as competition with livestock for
the limited food and water in their region. Although
they are well adapted to harsh environments, addra
still heavily depend on tree cover for protection.
As agricultural expansion spreads throughout its
range, loss of such protection is of major concern
for this species. As browsers these gazelles help
keep vegetation from becoming overgrown. They also
serve as a food source for carnivores such as cheetahs,
African wild dogs, lions, leopards, hyenas, etc.
This is an endangered species that has become very
rare and is disappearing fast due to poaching.
In a cooperative effort with other AZA (American
Association of Zoos and Aquariums) institutions,
Busch Gardens closely manages addra populations
through a program called the Species Survival Plan
(SSP), which works to improve the genetic diversity
of managed animal populations. Busch Gardens currently
has 30 SSP animals. |
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| |
|
|
| Estes,
Richard D. The Behavior Guide to African Mammals:
Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates.
Berkeley: University of California Press. 1991. |
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| Estes,
Richard D. The Safari Companion. Vermont:
Chelsea Green Publishing Company. 1993. |
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|
Nowak,
Ronald M. Walker's Mammals of the World Fifth
Ed.. Vol. II. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University
Press. 1991.
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| Parker,
Sybil P. ed. Grzimeks Encyclopedia: Mammals.
Vol. 5. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.
1990. |
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| University
of Michigan. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu |
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