About Gazella gazella (Pallas, 1766)
Gazella gazella, commonly called the mountain gazelle, has horns in both sexes. Males have noticeably larger horns marked with rings, while females have thinner, smoother, and shorter horns. Mountain gazelles are also sexually dimorphic in overall size, with males growing larger than females. Mature males weigh between 15 and 25 kg, and mature females weigh between 13 and 20 kg. Mountain gazelles can reach running speeds up to 80 km/h, or 50 mph. Historically, mountain gazelles ranged across the entire Levant. Today, they are most abundant in Israel, and also occur in the West Bank (Palestine), the Golan Heights, and Turkey. Small, isolated populations exist in parts of Jordan and the Gaza Strip, and the species may still be present (though this is considered unlikely) in Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria outside of the Golan Heights. The species is protected as endangered under Israeli law, and Israel is described as "the last stronghold" of the mountain gazelle in the Levant. Mountain gazelles are adapted to live in dry, arid conditions. They get most of the moisture they need from the vegetation they eat, but still cannot go very long without water. They spend most of their time on the flat tops and crests of mountains, hills, and valleys. They are adapted to an annual average temperature of 21–23 °C, and prefer to rest on breezy, elevated areas to escape the heat of the day. Around dawn and dusk, these antelope move cautiously through hills to feed in open forests, fields, or rocky plateaus. Because of their preference for elevated terrain, mountain gazelles appear to be less well adapted to hot, dry conditions than other ungulates such as the Dorcas gazelle; the smaller Dorcas gazelle outcompeted the mountain gazelle across parts of the mountain gazelle's range during the late Holocene, a period of climatic warming. In the wild, mountain gazelles rarely live past the age of eight, but can live up to 15 years in captivity when given proper care. Female mountain gazelles reach breeding maturity at 12 months old, while males begin breeding at 18 months old. The species is polygamous, meaning individuals do not mate for life. Their typical breeding season falls in early winter. Females give birth to one offspring per year, most often between April and May. A few days before giving birth, the pregnant female leaves her herd to live alone for a time. Newborn mountain gazelles are especially vulnerable to predation. The mother and her newborn stay alone together for up to two months; the mother keeps her baby well-hidden in vegetation while she goes to forage. The baby does not usually join its mother to graze for several weeks, relying entirely on camouflage and remaining perfectly still to avoid being detected by predators. When the mother returns to the baby, she watches closely for potential threats. Young males leave their mother after six months to join herds of other young males, while young females sometimes join their mother in the herd of adult females. Grasses and shrubs are the mountain gazelle's most common food, and grazing is their preferred foraging method. They also browse on low-hanging branches and young shoots, especially when their range includes acacia trees. They can survive for long periods without an open water source, instead getting water from succulent plants and dew droplets.
