Fecal progesterone metabolites and ovarian activity in cycling and pregnant mountain gazelles (Gazella gazella)

Fecal reproductive progestagen monitoring in the mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella) provided a non-invasive method for tracking reproductive cycling, estimating age of sexual maturity and diagnosing pregnancy in this species of gazelle. Fresh fecal samples were collected from eight female mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella) for a period of two months. Two of the animals were pregnant while the other six were not. Using the progestagen profile the luteal phase, interluteal (follicular) phase and estrous cycle in adult female gazelles were determined to be 12.5 ± 1.2, 5.9 ± 0.59 and 18.8 ± 0.98 days respectively. Significant inter-animal differences in fecal progestagen concentration were observed in both the luteal and follicular phases. Significant differences were observed in the levels of fecal progestagen between cycling females and females in late pregnancy. Low concentrations of fecal progestagen in females aged less than 18 months old indicated that sexual maturity in captivity is not attained before that age.     

Post-mortem semen cryopreservation and characterization in two different endangered gazelle species (Gazella gazella and Gazella dorcas) and one subspecies (Gazella gazelle acaiae)

Both Gazella gazella and Gazella dorcas are endangered species with continually dwindling population size, yet basic knowledge on their spermatozoa is missing. Semen collected post-mortem (PM) from the cauda epididymis of five adult gazelles (three Gazella gazella gazella, one Gazella gazella acaiae and one G. dorcas) was cryopreserved using directional freezing of large volumes (8 mL) with egg-yolk-free extender. Sperm size measurements and SYBR-14/propodium iodide (PI) viability stain validation for use in gazelles were conducted. Post-thaw characterization included motility, viability, acrosome damage evaluation, computerized motility characterization and morphology and sperm motility index (SMI) was calculated. Extracted sperm motility was 71.67+/-11.67% (mean+/-S.E.M.). Post-thaw motility ranged between 15% and 63%, viability was 57.49+/-3.24%, intact acrosome was detected in 63.74+/-2.6% (median 64.8%, upper/lower quartiles 71.79%, 61.82%), and normal morphology ranged between 41% and 63%. Motility characterization showed two sub-groups-highly active and progressively motile spermatozoa with SMI of 62.75+/-0.38 and low activity and poorly progressive with SMI of 46.16+/-1.53. Our results indicate that PM preservation of gazelle spermatozoa with satisfactory post-thaw viability is possible and cryobanking is achievable.     

Taxonomic status of the Farasan Island gazelle

The taxonomy of Arabian gazelles has been confused by single specimen collected from the Farasan Islands in the Red Sea in the 1820s. There is still population of gazelles on the islands. They form distinct taxon most closely related to the mountain gazelle Gazella gaiella , which is characterized by small size, grey-brown colouring, very short horns in the female and rounded upper tooth-row in the male. This gazelle bears no resemblance to the type specimen of G. arabica , said to come from the Farasan Islands. In this paper the Farasan gazelle is described as Gazella gazella Jarasani n. ssp.     

Wild Gazelles of the Southern Levant: Genetic Profiling Defines New Conservation Priorities

The mountain gazelle (Gazella gazelle), Dorcas gazelle (Gazella Dorcas) and acacia gazelle (Gazella arabica acacia) were historically abundant in the southern Levant, and more specifically in Israel. Anthropogenic and natural changes have caused a rapid decline in gazelle populations, raising concerns about their conservation status and future survival. The genetic profile of 111 wild gazelles from Israel was determined based on three regions of mitochondrial DNA (control region, Cytochrome b and 12S ribosomal RNA) and nine nuclear microsatellite markers. Genetic analysis of the mountain gazelle population, the largest known population of this rare species, revealed adequate diversity levels and gene flow between subpopulations. Nevertheless, ongoing habitat degradation and other human effects, such as poaching, suggest the need for drastic measures to prevent species extinction. Dorcas gazelles in Israel displayed inbreeding within subpopulations while still maintaining considerable genetic diversity overall. This stable population, represented by a distinctive genetic profile, is fragmented and isolated from its relatives in neighboring localities. Based on the genetic profile of a newly sampled subpopulation in Israel, we provide an alternative hypothesis for the historic dispersal of Dorcas gazelle, from the Southern Levant to northern Africa. The small acacia gazelle population was closest to gazelles from the Farasan Islands of Saudi Arabia, based on mitochondrial markers. The two populations did not share haplotypes, suggesting that these two populations may be the last remnant wild gazelles of this species worldwide. Only a dozen acacia gazelles survive in Israel, and urgent steps are needed to ensure the survival of this genetically distinctive lineage. The genetic assessments of our study recognize new conservation priorities for each gazelle species in the Southern Levant.     

Conservation implications of midden selection and use in an endangered gazelle (Gazella gazella)

This study examines midden selection and use by mountain gazelles Gazella gazella in central Saudia Arabia and the implications of middens (dung piles) for the conservation of this species. Specifically, we tested poachers' claims that mountain gazelles are easy to kill because midden use was predictable and conspicuous. We found that midden selection in mountain gazelles is non-random, with middens typically located at the base of the most conspicuous and largest trees, although the choice of midden sites is also influenced by tree species. Middens clearly have olfactory importance; the majority of mountain gazelles that visited middens were observed sniffing the ground. Mountain gazelles visit middens at night, which corroborates poachers' claims that the animals are easily hunted at night through spotlighting. Although the use of open habitats that are accessible to automobiles makes gazelles vulnerable to hunting and being run down, our data suggest that midden use is also an attribute that makes gazelles susceptible to hunting. Poachers can locate gazelles because of middens' predictable locations, as they are placed at prominent landmarks, are visually conspicuous as large dung piles, and are visited at night, which allows the animals to be found through spotlighting. Other taxa that use predictable and prominent landmarks, or communicate through visually conspicuous methods could also be susceptible to poaching.     

Characterization of the spatial distribution of latrines in reintroduced mountain gazelles: do latrines demarcate female group home ranges?

Mountain gazelle Gazella gazella in Saudi Arabia are listed as 'vulnerable' by the IUCN. At present, the species' survival is secured by extensive captive-breeding programmes and reintroductions into protected areas. Two reintroduction attempts (Ibex Reserve and Uruq Bani Ma'Arid protected areas) in Saudi Arabia have been undertaken in the past two decades. Post-monitoring of released individuals is essential for the success of such reintroduction programmes; however, cryptic species like mountain gazelles are extremely difficult to observe directly. As radio-tracking is a cost-intensive and invasive post-monitoring technique, we asked: how can reintroduced or remnant pockets of natural gazelle populations be monitored indirectly ? Here, we propose the use of latrine mapping as an effective, cost-efficient and non-invasive tool to survey the social organization of reintroduced mountain gazelles as an indicator for repatriation success. In this study, we used released radio-collared animals to characterize the spatial distribution of latrines within female group home ranges. Distance to the next latrine, latrine size, as well as numbers of fresh faecal pellet groups per latrine or presence of urination marks were used as dependent variables for step-wise backward multiple regressions and were correlated with various ecological factors. Most dependent variables were correlated with distance or direction from the nearest tree, but not indicative of home-range cores. Only latrine densities were distinctly higher in core areas of female group home ranges, and no pattern of peripheral marking was detected. Hence, latrine density is a good indicator of home-range use in female group home ranges. Mapping latrines and determining latrine densities are therefore the methods of choice to survey mountain gazelle populations.     

A multivariate statistical study of skull measurements of five taxa of gazelles

A multivariate analysis using canonical variates and the D² test show that five taxa of Palaearctic gazelles examined are distinct. Several forms of gazelles of dubious taxonomic position were also compared on the canonical axes, with conclusions not dissimilar to those of recent workers on the Arabian gazelles, viz. that there are three distinct species in the Arabian peninsula; Gazella dorcas saudiya, Gazella gazella arabica and Gazella subgutturosa marica. Gazella dorcas populations in Somalia have a local form in G. dorcas pelzelni distinct in horns but not in skull measurements from Gazella spekei in the nearby highlands.     

Effect of guard dogs on the behavior and reproduction of gazelles in cattle enclosures on the Golan Heights

Cattle on the Golan Heights are kept in enclosures and some of these enclosures have guard dogs. We studied the effect of such dogs on the behavior and breeding success of mountain gazelles Gazella gazella living within enclosures. We found that guard dogs have both direct and indirect effects on gazelles. Gazelles living in enclosures with dogs spent more time in vigilance behavior and running, and less time resting and walking, in comparison with gazelles in dog-free enclosures. In the absence of dogs, gazelle female herds in enclosures tended to stay closer to the cattle, but shunned away from them in the presence of the dogs, which, in turn, remained near the cattle. The percentage of fawns per female was higher in enclosures without dogs in comparison with those with dogs, but the difference was not significant. However, the largest of the enclosures with dogs, which had the largest number of gazelles, had only an average number of dogs in it. Hence, the gazelles in this enclosure were better able to avoid the dogs in comparison with those in smaller enclosures. Removing this enclosure from the overall calculation revealed that guard dogs have a significant negative effect on gazelle reproductive success. In two of the four enclosures with dogs no fawn still survived 6 months after birth, while in each of the four enclosures without dogs some fawns did survive to that age and beyond, suggesting that the dogs themselves may predate the fawns.     

The postnatal ontogeny of the sexually dimorphic vocal apparatus in goitred gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa)

This study quantitatively documents the progressive development of sexual dimorphism of the vocal organs along the ontogeny of the goitred gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa). The major, male‐specific secondary sexual features, of vocal anatomy in goitred gazelle are an enlarged larynx and a marked laryngeal descent. These features appear to have evolved by sexual selection and may serve as a model for similar events in male humans. Sexual dimorphism of larynx size and larynx position in adult goitred gazelles is more pronounced than in humans, whereas the vocal anatomy of neonate goitred gazelles does not differ between sexes. This study examines the vocal anatomy of 19 (11 male, 8 female) goitred gazelle specimens across three age‐classes, that is, neonates, subadults and mature adults. The postnatal ontogenetic development of the vocal organs up to their respective end states takes considerably longer in males than in females. Both sexes share the same features of vocal morphology but differences emerge in the course of ontogeny, ultimately resulting in the pronounced sexual dimorphism of the vocal apparatus in adults. The main differences comprise larynx size, vocal fold length, vocal tract length, and mobility of the larynx. The resilience of the thyrohyoid ligament and the pharynx, including the soft palate, and the length changes during contraction and relaxation of the extrinsic laryngeal muscles play a decisive role in the mobility of the larynx in both sexes but to substantially different degrees in adult females and males. Goitred gazelles are born with an undescended larynx and, therefore, larynx descent has to develop in the course of ontogeny. This might result from a trade‐off between natural selection and sexual selection requiring a temporal separation of different laryngeal functions at birth and shortly after from those later in life. J. Morphol. 277:826–844, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Use of a neuroleptic in assisted reproduction of the critically endangered Mohor gazelle (Gazella dama mhorr)

Stress is a limiting factor in assisted reproduction in wild animals maintained in captivity and measures to reduce it should improve reproductive success. The effect of the long-acting neuroleptic (LAN) perphenazine enanthate was assessed on ovarian stimulation for the recovery of immature oocytes from Mohor gazelle (Gazella dama mhorr) and their subsequent in vitro maturation, fertilization and embryo culture. The viability of embryos after transfer was also examined. Perphenazine enanthate decreased activity levels and facilitated handling of treated animals when compared to controls. LAN-treated animals showed a more regular pattern of respiratory and heart rates and body temperature than controls; no major differences were found in hematological and biochemical parameters between groups. Perphenazine-treated females had lower plasma cortisol levels during the days of intense handling. No significant differences were found in the number of punctured follicles and recovered oocytes between groups. The percentage of mature oocytes per female was significantly higher in the LAN-group. Fertilization and cleavage rates were not significantly different between groups. Embryos developed in culture but none reached the blastocyst stage, and those transferred to the oviduct of synchronized recipients did not develop to term. In conclusion, treatment of females with perphenazine enanthate during ovarian stimulation did not have negative effects on maturation, fertilization and embryo development in vitro. Moreover, an increase in oocyte maturation rate per female was observed. Thus, the use of LANs could be useful to alleviate the effects of handling-stress during assisted reproductive procedures in wild ungulates.     

新疆卡拉麦里山有蹄类自然保护区鹅喉羚遗传多样性及系统发育地位

鹅喉羚是生活于亚欧大陆荒漠、半荒漠地区重要的有蹄类动物。2010年春季,新疆卡拉麦里山有蹄类自然保护区遭遇了60年不遇的雪灾,我们采集了野外救灾发现的130头死亡鹅喉羚肌肉样本,采用PCR和测序技术,研究了鹅喉羚线粒体 DNA 的 Cyt b 基因 1143 bp 核酸序列,发现新疆卡拉麦里山有蹄类自然保护区生存的鹅喉羚单倍型多样性较高(Hd=0.855),核苷酸多样性较低(π=0.00224)。采用邻接法(NJ)、最大似然法(ML)构建单倍型之间的系统发育树,以及network所构建的单倍型间中介网络图都显示出2个遗传分化程度很大的分支,且这2个分支都出现过明显的群体扩张和持续增长。将本研究获得的单倍型H1与Genebank检索获得的瞪羚属其他12个物种Cyt b基因进行了比较,分别采用邻接法(NJ)和最大似然法(ML)构建分子系统树,证明与鹅喉羚最接近的物种为印度瞪羚(Gazella bennettii),鹅喉羚与瞪羚属内物种的分歧时间大约为1.08-2.5百万年(Mya)(Million years ago, Mya)。     

The taxonomy of the gazelles (genus Gazella) of Arabia

The classification and relationships of the members of the genus Gazella occurring in the Arabian peninsula are discussed. Three species are considered to exist in the region and G. marica Thomas, 1897, is here considered to be a desert race of the Goitred gazelle, G. subgutturosa Guldenstaedt, 1870; the other species recognized are G. gazella , with three, possibly four valid local races, and G. dorcas saudiya.     

Food preferences and tooth wear in the sand gazelle (Gazella marica)

Food preferences of the sand gazelle (Gazella marica) from the Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area in Saudi Arabia were evaluated using focal animal sampling in conjunction with an eco-morphological method examining two parameters of tooth wear, i.e., occlusal relief and cusp shape. Observations of live, free-ranging animals (n = 53) showed that sand gazelles generally consumed more grass (58.4%) than browse (41.6%). However, during the dry season, gazelles spent significantly more time browsing (51.0%) and less time grazing (49.0%) than under wet conditions (browsing: 17.6%; grazing: 82.4%). Thus, consistent with predictions, sand gazelles are intermediate feeders but shift towards browsing when grass is scarce. The mesowear signature of the sand gazelle is consistent with a grazing signal in other ruminants. In other words, the browse component of the diets of live animals was not reflected in the tooth wear. This could have occurred because browse is less abrasive than grass, but more likely because all food types are heavily abrasive in this dusty habitat. We conclude that the sand gazelle population in Mahazat as-Sayd encounters a highly abrasive diet, which has implications for their ability to meet nutritional demands.     

Latrine survey as a method to estimate the population size of Arabian gazelles (Gazella arabica)

Arabian gazelle (Gazella arabica) populations have been decimated in most parts of their original range. As a cryptic, crepuscular species, Arabian gazelles are difficult to observe, rendering monitoring programs for conservation purposes a challenging endeavour. Latrine mapping has been suggested as an effective, time- and cost-efficient tool to survey and estimate the abundance of gazelles in remote areas with low population densities. In the present study we collected data from five populations in Saudi Arabia to address the question of how population estimates can be inferred from such latrine counts and uncovered a non-linear relationship between both variables. Methodologies applied during the five surveys differed between study sites, so caution is required when interpreting our data. Still, given the immediate threat to the survival of the species, there is an urgent need to establish a time- and cost-efficient sampling method that will be vital for the conservation of remnant pockets of natural populations and for the proclamation of new protected areas in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East, and the present data are the only available source of information in this context.     

Genetic diversity and relations of the Goitered gazelle (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gazella subgutturosa</Emphasis>) groups from Uzbekistan,Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan: Analysis of the D-loop of mitochondrial DNA

Polymorphism of the nucleotide sequence of a hypervariable fragment of the D-loop (985 bp) of mtDNA in 76 Goitered gazelles of subspecies Gazella subgutturosa subgutturosa from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan was studied. The genetic similarity of gazelles from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan has been identified. The population of gazelles from Shirvanskaya steppe reserve (Azerbaijan) is unique and strictly isolated from other groups studied. A high haplotypic (H = 0.9649 ± 0.0091) and relatively low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.0212 ± 0.0105) were noted for all investigated groups of gazelle based on this mtDNA fragment, which is probably related to ecological peculiarities of the species and the history of formation of regional populations.     

Sex ratio in goitered gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa Guldenstaedt, 1780)

We studied the sex ratio of goitered gazelles in the naturally arid environment of Kazakhstan over a 6-year period. The main methods in our study were taking transect counts and focal observations. The sex ratio of adult goitered gazelles has demonstrated a female bias due to a much higher mortality of males of all ages, especially during years with unusually severe winters. This phenomenon is typical for many polygynous ungulates, as well as other gazelle species. Surprisingly, our data demonstrated monthly fluctuations in sex proportions, along with a bias shift from a female-dominant population during most of the year to a male-dominant population during spring. We discovered, though, that our data did not reflect any real changes in the sex ratio of the population but, instead, revealed the radical changes in behavior of pregnant females before giving birth—hiding from danger in thick shrubs or broken terrain rather than fleeing. As a result, we were not able to see many pregnant females in our spring samples (before birthing), and so received a male-biased population. During the rest of the year (after birthing), females returned to their usual behaviors of fleeing from danger that then gave us a female-biased sex ratio that reflected a more accurate status in sex proportions of the population. So, our results discovered seasonal sex difference in hiding behavior which led to a bias based on visibility.     

Experimental transmission of gastro-intestinal nematodes between sheep (Ovis aries) and Thomson's gazelles (Gazella thomsonii).

Experimental cross-transmission of gastro-intestinal nematodes between Merino sheep (Ovis aries) and Thomson's gazelles (Gazella thomsonii) from similar but separate grazing habitats in Kenya was studied. Cross-transmission did occur with some species but the faecal egg counts of sheep were higher than the gazelles' following infection with larvae isolated from either sheep or gazelles. Of the 11 gastro-intestinal nematodes which became established in gazelles following infection with larvae cultured from nematodes in gazelles, only Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus probolurus and Cooperia hungi were infective for sheep. Following infection with larvae of either sheep or gazelle origin, the H. contortus recovered from the sheep at necropsy were more numerous and had greater average weights, lengths and spicule lengths than those recovered from the gazelles. This would suggest that H. contortus is primarily a sheep parasite. It is concluded that Thomson's gazelles probably would not contribute significantly to the problem of haemonchosis in sheep in areas of shared grazing, unless efforts were being made to eradicate the parasite from sheep, in which case the gazelles would act as a continuing reservoir of infection.     

Coagulation profile and platelet parameters of the Arabian sand gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa marica): comparison with humans and camels

During March 2009, we evaluated the hemostatic profile and platelet indices of 18 Arabian sand gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa marica) and compared the results with those from humans and camels (Camelus dromedarius). Gazelles and camels had shorter activated partial thromboplastin times, lower proconvertin and higher antihemophilic factor coagulation activity, and plasma fibrinogen levels than humans. Prothrombin time was longer in sand gazelles and shorter in camels than it was in humans. Plasma thromboplastin component, Stuart factor, and plasma thromboplastin antecedent were similar in gazelles, humans, and camels, whereas the platelet count of the sand gazelle was significantly higher than it was for camels and humans.     

Suckling behavior in goitered gazelle: do females invest more in twins or singletons?

The mother–offspring social unit is a universal feature in the social life of all mammals and nursing is the most direct and vital component of maternal investment in young. Living in diverse environments, various ungulate species have different strategies for rearing offspring, from bearing a single, relatively large newborn and supplying only limited amounts of milk, to bearing several relatively small newborns with intensive post-partum lactation. In this paper, we consider the rearing strategy of goitered gazelle with a focus on suckling behavior, which, until now, has never been a subject of special investigation. Adult females of this species in their reproductive prime typically bear twins when environmental conditions are favorable, but the proportion of singletons increases when conditions are unfavorable. We expected that in goitered gazelles suckling intensity would be maximal during the first weeks after birth, and then decrease with the growth of the young; we also expected that twins would demand more energy, but receive significantly less maternal investment per young than singletons. We found that, indeed, suckling behavior had similar dynamics as typical of all bovid species, but our expectation for less maternal investment in twins vs. singletons was wrong. In reality, female goitered gazelles suckled twins significantly more intensively and terminated suckling less often compared to singletons. We concluded that in favorable situations females of high quality have the ability to show significantly more maternal investment in each twin, while singletons are typically born to weaker females. This ability of females to produce mostly twins allows goitered gazelles to take advantage of any favorable opportunity to quickly increase their population in an environment with unpredictable and abrupt yearly changes typical of the arid regions of Central Asia.