Overview
A small, slender gazelle. The upper parts are a uniform brownish-gray, faintly grizzled, paling on the legs to buffy gray, and turning yellowish-red at the edge of the large white rump patch. Underparts and inside of legs are white. There is no lateral flank band or dark facial markings. Tail is very short with a black tip. The winter coat is long, with a fringe of thick hair on the chest, and is pale fawn in color. The hoofs are narrow and delicate. There are no facial, groin or knee glands. The foot glands are small with a pore-like opening (similar to gorals and sheep). Males have glands behind the horns. The nasal bones are long and pointed. The slender, heavilyringed horns (males only) diverge slightly in a gentle S-curve, with the tips turning upward but not inward. Longest horns of record measured 14-1/8 inches (35.9 cm) (Rowland Ward, 1902, 1913, 1921).
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Bovidae
- Genus
- Procapra
Habitat
Plateau grassland and high-altitude barren steppes between 13,000-18,000 feet (4,000-5,500 m). Distribution- Most of Tibet and adjacent parts of Ladakh and Sichuan. Also-although rarely-in the Nan Shan mountains of Qinghai, but not east of Lake Qinghai (Koko Nor).
Diet
Primarily a grazer.
Behavior
Gregarious, traveling in small bands of up to 10-12. Not as shy as most other gazelles.
Conservation Status
Listed as Near Threatened by IUCN, with competition with livestock, increasing fencing of pastures, and human encroachment given as main reasons.