Speke's gazelle
| Speke's gazelle | |
|---|---|
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| At the San Diego Zoo | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Antilopinae |
| Tribe: | Antilopini |
| Genus: | Gazella |
| Species: | G. spekei
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| Binomial name | |
| Gazella spekei Blyth, 1863
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Speke's gazelle (Gazella spekei) is the smallest of the gazelle species. It is confined to the Horn of Africa, where it inhabits stony brush, grass steppes, and semi deserts.[2] This species has been sometimes regarded as a subspecies of the Dorcas gazelle, though this is now widely disregarded.[3] Severe habitat fragmentation means it is now impossible to assess the natural migratory or nomadic patterns of G. spekei.[4] Its numbers are under threat, and despite an increase in population, the IUCN in 2007 announced its status had changed from vulnerable to endangered. A captive population is maintained, and the wild population exists in the lower tens of thousands. As of 2008, this gazelle is classified as endangered under the IUCN Red List.
Speke's gazelle is named after John Hanning Speke, a British explorer of Central Africa. It is notable for its distinctively narrow and pointed face, and its large, inflatable nasal passages which it uses to produce a loud honking sound, especially during the breeding season as part of a display to attract mates.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2016). "Gazella spekei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T8975A50187314. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T8975A50187314.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Kingdom 1982, 1997[full citation needed]
- ^ Groves 1969[full citation needed]
- ^ East 1996[full citation needed]
- ^ "Speke's Gazelle". Saint Louis Zoo. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
External links
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