Far-ranging and versatile, tiny goitered gazelles thrive under a wide variety of conditions, from hot summer sun to blustery winter snows. Their sandy coloration and swift feet help protect them from predators as they travel in search of plants to eat.

What They Eat
Goitered gazelles eat about 30% of their body weight in herbs and grasses each day. They get most of the water they need from their food.

Where They Live
Deserts, semideserts, hilly plains, and plateaus are the preferred habitat for these always-on-the-move animals. Goitered gazelles have the broadest distribution of any antelope, found from the sun-baked Arabian Peninsula in the western part of their range to the snow-blasted steppes of Mongolia in central Asia.

What They Do
Goitered gazelles spend most of their time walking and grazing, but can run when needed at a quick 36 miles per hour. In summer, they live in small family groups, avoiding the heat of the day by digging and lying shallow pits. To stay warm in winter they gather in larger herds and migrate to valleys protected from the fierce wind and cold.

How They’re Doing
Estimated numbers of 120,000–140,000 in 2001 seem sustainable and safe, but increasing habitat loss and illegal hunting suggest a different story. In Mongolia, for instance, populations that were stable for decades recently dropped 50% due to poaching.

• The goitered gazelle gets its name from the goiterlike swelling on the throat of the males during breeding season.
• Unlike other gazelles, goitered gazelles generally give birth to twins.
• The young lay camouflaged for the first two weeks of life. The mother grazes nearby and nurses her young about three times a day.
• Hunting for goitered gazelles is big business in Asia. A 10-day hunt costs more than $16,000.
• Other names for the goitered gazelle are the Persian gazelle and the black-tailed gazelle.

The goitered gazelle was listed as a vulnerable species by IUCN in 2006. Its range is shrinking, and populations declined more than 30% in 10 years due to hunting, poaching, and habitat loss.

Description
Goitered gazelles are tan with a white underbelly and rump and a black tail. Their coloration is very similar to that of the pronghorn. Adults have a white face, brown nose, and eye stripe. These tiny hoofed animals weigh 40–73 pounds and stand 2–2½  feet tall at the shoulder—about the size of a large dog. Males are larger then females, and have long (10- to 17-inch), curved black horns that twist outward and back in at the tip, forming an S shape. Females are usually hornless.  

Habits and Adaptations
Goitered gazelles are adapted to the wide range of weather conditions found in desert and semidesert areas on mountains, plains, and plateaus from Turkey to Mongolia. The eastern end of their range includes the Gobi desert. Throughout most of their range, goitered gazelles undergo seasonal migration. In the summer they live in small family groups of two to five. They are most active in early morning and late afternoon. During the day they take shelter in the shade and dig shallow, oval-shaped pits to lie in. In winter, goitered gazelles live in herds with dozens or even hundreds of animals and graze during the daytime. Goitered gazelles can run about 36 mph when threatened. Unlike other gazelles, they do not leap when running.

Eat and Be Eaten
Goitered gazelles consume large amounts of grasses, leaves, and shoots—about 30% of their body weight each day. Much of the moisture they need comes from their food. The gazelles in turn are eaten by leopards and wolves.  

Life History
Unlike most of their close relatives, goitered gazelles have a distinct breeding season. They mate during November, December, and January, and the young—often twins—are born in April and May. The young lay camouflaged for the first two weeks of life while their mothers are off feeding. The mothers return to nurse them about three times a day, weaning them after 4–5 months. Females are sexually mature about 9 months of age and males at 18 months of age. During the breeding season, adult males become territorial. They place dung middens in strategic locations to mark their territory. Males bellow hoarsely during the rut. Goitered gazelles live 12–15 years.