Arabian gazelle

Species of mammal

The Arabian gazelle (Gazella arabica) is a species of gazelle from the Arabian Peninsula. There are approximately 5,000 7,000 mature individuals in the wild.

Until recently, it was only known from a single lectotype specimen mistakenly thought to have been collected on the Farasan Islands in the Red Sea in 1825. A 2013 genetic study of the lectotype specimen revealed that skull and skin do not stem from the same individual but belong to two distinct lineages of the mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella), necessitating restriction of the lectotype to the skin to conserve nomenclatural stability. A later study formalized the use of Gazella arabica for the Arabian lineage of the mountain gazelle, and synonymized Gazella erlangeri with G. arabica.

The Arabian gazelle lives in grassland, shrubland, and desert habitat types. They share their habitat with many other herbivores, including Dorcas gazelles (Gazella dorcas), mountain gazelles (Gazella gazella), Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana), Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus), and Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx). Their main predators are Arabian wolves (Canis lupus arabs). Arabian gazelles are crepuscular, most active in the early morning and evening when temperatures are cooler. In the heat of midday, they rest to chew their cud. They have been found with antibodies to the parasite toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii). They contract gastrointestinal diseases including clostridiosis and salmonellosis, as well as chronic renal fibrosis.

Offspring survival becomes more likely as birth weight increases, and birth weight is more reliant on heritability than on maternal effects.

The arabian gazelle is classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The population is declining: estimated at 12,000 mature individuals in 2008, the species now numbers approximately 5,000 to 7,000 as of 2016.

In the 1990s, Oman's population was approximately 13,000 individuals, the majority living in the Jiddat al Harasis. However, the population has been in continuous decline since then due to poaching. They live in several nature reserves, including the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary, Wadi Sareen Tahr Reserve, Jebel Samhan Nature Reserve, and Al Saleel National Park.

Saudi Arabia has approximately 1,500–1,700 individuals, of which 1,000 live on the Farasan Islands, which are protected as a nature reserve. The Farasan Island gazelles are surveyed by the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development every 2–3 years. They are protected in other nature reserves, including the Ibex Reserve and Uruq Bani Ma’arid.

The United Arab Emirates contains several small and scattered populations.

Arabian gazelles are present in Yemen, but there is no recent population estimate due to ongoing conflict.