Mongolian gazelle
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| Mongolian gazelle | ||||||||||||||||
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| Procapra gutturosa (Pallas, 1777) |
The Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa), or Zeren, is a medium-sized antelope native to the semi-arid Central Asian steppes of Mongolia, as well as some parts of Siberia and China. The name zeren is Russian corruption of the Mongolian language name of zeer. Their population is thought to number around 2 million, but no comprehensive count has been undertaken.[1]
In the summer its coat is light brown with pinkish tones, becoming longer and paler during the winter. They also have a distinctive heart-shaped white patch on their rump area. The males have lyre-shaped horns which curl backwards from the forehead. During mating season the male's neck swells in a goiter-like effect. They are extremely fast runners and good swimmers. 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.
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ Great Plains. Planet Earth. BBC. Narrated by David Attenborough
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