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Range and Habitat: The goitered gazelle are found from Turkey to Mongolia. The eastern end of their range includes the Gobi desert. They live in desert and semi desert areas and can be found on mountains, plains and plateaus.
Habits and Adaptations: The goitered gazelles are most active gazing in early morning and late afternoon in the summer months. The gazelle herds take shelter in the shade and dig shallow oval-shaped pits to lie in. Throughout most of their range the goiterred gazelles undergo seasonal migrations.
It can run about 36 mph when threaten. Unlike other species of gazelle they do not leap when running. In the summer months the gazelles live in small family groups of 2-5 animals but in winter they live in large herds with dozens or even hundreds of animals.
Diet: The goitered gazelle eats grasses, leaves and shoots. They eat about 30 % of their body weight a day in vegetation and gets needed moisture from the grasses and plants it eats.
Breeding and Maturation: Unlike most species of gazelles, the goiterred gazelle have a definite breeding season. Breeding occurs from November to January. The gestation 5 to 6 mouths with the calves being born in April and May. It is very common for goiterred gazelles to give birth to twins. Twins are very rare for other species of gazelle. The young lay camouflage for the first 2 weeks of life while the mothers are off feeding. The mother will nurse the calf about 3 times a day. The young remain camouflage until they are strong enough to travel with the herd. The young are weaned at 4 to 5 months of age. Females are sexually mature about 9 months of age and males at 18 months of age. During the breeding season, adult males become territorial. He will make dung middens and placed them in strategic locations to indicate his territory. Males emit hoarse bellows during the rut. The average life span is 12 to 15 years of age.
Miscellaneous: The main predators of goiterred gazelle are leopards and wolves. The horns on a male goitered gazelle can grow 10 to 17 inches long. Other names for the goiterred gazelle are the Persian gazelle and the black tailed gazelle.
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