Rhim, Slender-horned gazelle, African sand gazelle, Loder's gazelle
The Rhim gazelle (Gazella leptoceros) is an endangered species of antelope well adapted to desert life. It is considered an endangered species.
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withGrowing to a length of 101 to 116 cm (40 to 46 in), this is the palest of the gazelles. Its upper parts are pale buff or cream and the limbs and under parts are white or pale buff. The horns on the male are slender and slightly S-shaped; those of the female are even thinner, lighter, and nearly straight. There are faint facial markings and an indistinct stripe along the side. The tail is brownish-black, about 15 cm (6 in) long, and contrasts with the pale rump.
Rhim gazelles are found in Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. They are found in isolated pockets across the central Sahara Desert. Rhim gazelles are nomadic species, moving across their desert range in search of vegetation, though they do not have a set migratory pattern. They inhabit sand dunes, the depressions between them, and other sandy areas, and can also be found in rocky areas.
Due to the extreme heat of their environment, Rhim galles are crepuscular and nocturnal, preferring to feed during the cooler times of the day. They can also sometimes move during the day but typically rest during hot hours in the shade or hollowed-out depressions. Rhim gazelles spend their time in small family groups, but males can also be seen singly or in pairs. These animals use a special type of temperature regulation called heterothermy to survive in this harsh desert climate. With heterothermy, gazelles increase in body temperature during the heat of the day which reduces the amount of evaporative cooling they would need to do in order to stay cool. By reducing evaporative cooling, gazelles minimize energy expenditure and conserve body water. During cooler temperatures at night, the stored heat can be released, allowing the gazelles’ body temperature to decrease back to a normal physiological range. Rhim gazelles maintain a normal skin temperature of about 35-°C in the summer and about 25-°C in the winter.
Rhim gazelles are herbivores (folivores, graminivores) and feed on leaves, grass, and other vegetation that grows in the desert. They get most of their water requirements from dew and plant moisture, relying little on open water sources.
Little information is available about this species's mating system and reproductive behavior. Females are known to give birth to 1, sometimes 2 offspring after the gestation period that lasts about 167 days.
Rhim gazelles have been endangered by the early 1970s and were in serious decline. They were hunted first by mounted and then by motorized hunters for sport, meat, or their horns, which were sold as ornaments in North African markets. The threats the animals face now include poaching, disturbance by humans, and loss of suitable habitat.
According to IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Rhim gazelle is 300-600 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red Lis and its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...