Gazella leptoceros (Artiodactyla: Bovidae)

Abstract

Abstract Gazella leptoceros (F. Cuvier, 1842) is a monotypic African gazelle, most commonly called the slender-horned gazelle. It is one of 21 species in the genus Gazella and is distinguished by its pale sandy coloration, fawn-colored markings, and namesake long, slender horns. Gazella leptoceros is a dune specialist that inhabits the hyperarid northern Sahara Desert between Algeria and Egypt. It feeds on shrubs and low desert plants and ranges over large distances in small groups of 1–5 animals. Because of its very small, isolated populations, G. leptoceros is classified as “Endangered” (EN) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species and is on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.