Grant's Gazelle
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Grant's gazelle (''Nanger granti'') is a relatively large
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of
gazelle A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . There are also seven species included in two further genera; '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third former subgenus, ' ...
antelope The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do ...
, distributed from northern
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
to
South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the ...
and
Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
, and from the
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
n coast to
Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropics, tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface are ...
. Its Swahili name is ''swala granti''. It was named for a 19th-century Scottish explorer, James Grant.


Taxonomy and genetics

Grant's gazelle is genetically related to Soemmerring's gazelle (''N. soemmerringii'') and
Thomson's gazelle Thomson's gazelle (''Eudorcas thomsonii'') is one of the best known species of gazelles. It is named after explorer Joseph Thomson (explorer), Joseph Thomson and is sometimes referred to as a "tommie". It is considered by some to be a subspecies o ...
(''Eudorcas thomsonii'') with Soemmering's gazelle being the closer relative. Grant's gazelle shows high genetic variation among its populations, although there is no geographic isolation. The differentiation of the species may have evolved during repeated expansion and contraction of arid habitats during the late
Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
era in which populations were possibly isolated. Grant's gazelle was formerly considered a member of the genus ''Gazella'' within the subgenus ''Nanger'' before ''Nanger'' was elevated to genus status. In 2021, the
American Society of Mammalogists The American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) was founded in 1919. Its primary purpose is to encourage the study of mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence ...
granted full species status to Bright's gazelle (''Nanger notatus'') and the Peters's gazelle (''Nanger petersii''), based (mainly) on recent genetic analysis. This article currently treats all three as a single species.


Subspecies

Listed alphabetically. * ''N. g. granti'' (Brooke, 1872) – southern Grant's gazelle * ''N. g. lacuum'' (Neumann, 1906) – northern Grant's gazelle * ''N. g. robertsi'' (Thomas, 1903) – Roberts' gazelle


Description

The Grant's gazelle stands at the shoulder. The females weigh from and males from . Its coat is a beige orange on the back with a white belly. The Grant's gazelle looks similar to a Thomson's gazelle, except it is much larger and has lyre-shaped horns which are stout at the base, clearly ringed, and measuring long. A useful field mark is the white on the rump that extends over the top of the tail in Grant's but not Thomson's gazelles. The subspecies are segregated by different morphological characters, such as horn shape and slight differences in coat colour. These differences are not indicative of ecological separation as with some species.


Ecology, distribution and behaviour

Grant's gazelle are found in several countries in
East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...
, including
Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
,
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
,
South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the ...
and
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
, where they live in small to midsized herds, separated into females with juveniles and bachelor groups; during the mating season, when males become territorial and protective over a harem of females to breed with, bachelor herds briefly married disperse before tensions die-down again. Confrontations between hormonal males rarely end in violence or death, with the 'loser' simply fleeing. Grant's gazelle prefer living on short, grassy plains where they can graze, but can also be found browsing and foraging in more sparse, arid scrublands; they avoid areas with excessively high, untrimmed grass with compromised visibility of predators. They also occur in semiarid areas, being relatively well-adapted to drier areas, relying on more arboreal
browse Browsing is a kind of orienting strategy. It is supposed to identify something of relevance for the browsing organism. In context of humans, it is a metaphor taken from the animal kingdom. It is used, for example, about people browsing open sh ...
or shrubby, leafy material during the dry seasons to supplement their intake of water. They are sometimes seasonally migratory, but do not travel along the same routes as most of the other savanna ungulates, such as the Cape buffalo,
plains zebra The plains zebra (''Equus quagga'', formerly ''Equus burchellii'') is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra. Its range is fragmented, but spans much of southern and eastern Africa south of the Sahara. Six or seven subspec ...
, Thomson's gazelle and the white-bearded gnu, which are all far more susceptible to dehydration. Grant's gazelle can subsist on vegetation in waterless, semiarid areas, where they face considerably less resource competition. The most common predators of the Grant's gazelle are the
cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...
and
African wild dog The African wild dog (''Lycaon pictus''), also called painted dog and Cape hunting dog, is a wild canine native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest wild canine in Africa, and the only extant member of the genus '' Lycaon'', which is disti ...
; the typical predatory threats of
hyenas Hyenas or hyaenas ( ; from Ancient Greek , ) are feliformia, feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the Family (biology), family Hyaenidae (). With just four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the orde ...
, leopards, and lions are also ever-present. African leopards may hunt Grant's gazelle, if given the opportunity, though they tend to prefer
impala The impala or rooibok (''Aepyceros melampus'', lit. 'black-footed high-horn' in Ancient Greek) is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The only extant member of the genus '' Aepyceros'', and tribe Aepycerotini, it ...
, an antelope which frequents the same open forest-grassland areas where leopards can sit in-wait in the trees. African lions could hunt Grant's gazelle, theoretically, though with their larger familial groups (
prides Prides are a Scotland, Scottish Independent music, indie band formed in Glasgow in 2013 and made up of Stewart Brock (lead vocals, keys), Callum Wiseman (guitar, keys, vocals), and Lewis Gardiner (drums, production). They released their debu ...
), they generally pursue larger, more substantial ungulates such as buffalo, gnu, and zebra. At rivers, streams and some lakes,
Nile crocodile The Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus'') is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the eastern, southern, and ce ...
s are a threat to nearly any mammal (excluding rhinos, hippos or elephants) that is unaware and comes to drink or cross to the other side.
Hippopotamus The hippopotamus (''Hippopotamus amphibius;'' ; : hippopotamuses), often shortened to hippo (: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Sahar ...
, while not carnivorous or outwardly predatory, are nonetheless extremely volatile beings with massive mouths and teeth, and are known to aggressively chase any other animal within their territory, including humans, at times resulting in the victim's death; a video was uploaded to
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
of an apparently lost Grant's gazelle attempting to swim across a river filled with dozens of hippos, all of which responded with hostility. It is unclear if the gazelle made it across or not. Another video showed a Grant's gazelle attempting to flee a pursuing carnivore by retreating to the water, only to be attacked and killed by a hidden submerged hippopotamus. Humans also hunt gazelle, the meat being fairly popular in some areas. In the
Serengeti The Serengeti ( ) ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning the Mara and Arusha Regions of Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game r ...
, Grant's gazelle is a potential prey item for the cheetah, but the smaller Thomson's gazelle is preferred; in
Nairobi National Park Nairobi National Park is a national park in Kenya that was established in 1946 about south of Nairobi. It is fenced on three sides, whereas the open southern boundary allows migrating wildlife to move between the park and the adjacent Kitenge ...
, Grant's gazelle are seemingly preferred by cheetahs over Thomson's gazelle, making them an important resource for the cheetah.
Black-backed jackal The black-backed jackal (''Lupulella mesomelas'') is a medium-sized Caninae, canine native to East Africa, eastern and southern Africa. These regions are separated by roughly . One region includes the southernmost tip of the continent, includin ...
s are major predators of fawns. The Grant's gazelle is a
gregarious Sociality is the degree to which individuals in an animal population tend to associate in social groups (gregariousness) and form cooperative societies. Sociality is a survival response to evolutionary pressures. For example, when a mother was ...
, territorial, and sometimes-migratory species. The home ranges of females overlap with those of the males. Only the male gazelles are territorial. Male gazelles will herd all females that cross their territories. When the females are in
estrus The estrous cycle (, originally ) is a set of recurring physiological changes induced by reproductive hormones in females of mammalian subclass Theria. Estrous cycles start after sexual maturity in females and are interrupted by anestrous phas ...
, they are strongly guarded by the dominant male, who prevents other males from mating with them. Any female that tries to leave is aggressively herded back. Most of the time, the male's stance in relation to her is enough to keep the female from leaving. The bachelor groups are composed of adolescent males and adult males not currently holding territory. Any potentially new members will perform mock-intimidation displays to enter the group. However, bachelor groups tend to be loose and members can come and go at-will. Grant's gazelle will sometimes join groups of Thomson's gazelle to protect themselves from predators. Predators are less likely to attack the Grant's gazelle when associated with these mixed groups, perhaps because the Thomson's gazelle provides an easier target. The larger, older males with thick horns have the best chance of establishing a territory. Conflicts between adult males are usually solved with intimidation displays. The bucks circle each other and swing their necks from side to side, displaying their neck power. Neck strength is important in an actual fight and the male that cannot keep up yields. Gazelles of nearly equal neck strength are more likely to engage in actual combat. Fighting occurs in young males more often than older ones. Dominant males can simply run off subordinates rather than having to display to them.


Diet

Grant's gazelles are generally mixed feeders that both browse and graze. In one study, their diet consisted of 66% browse and 34% graze. Rainfall seems to be a determinant of their diets. One way the Grant's gazelle withstands dehydration and heat stress is by being very efficient in digesting dry matter. Grant's gazelles consume a smaller amount of food than domesticated animals, but they are better-suited for extreme environments because they derive protein from forage more quickly. The Grant's gazelle's diet may be responsible for the slow growth rates of browsed plants. They get most of their moisture from the plants they eat, so they do not often have to drink water. Thus they can stay on the plains long after the rains end. In dry seasons, gazelles move deep into dense brush and wait for the next rains. They will eat red oat grass and small, tough plants, which are avoided by the other ungulates. This allows the gazelles to survive in the brush during the dry season. Grant's gazelles eat mainly
dicotyledon The dicotyledons, also known as dicots (or, more rarely, dicotyls), are one of the two groups into which all the flowering plants (angiosperms) were formerly divided. The name refers to one of the typical characteristics of the group: namely, ...
s during the dry season and grass in the wet season.


Reproduction

Grant's gazelles sexually mature at 18 months. Territory-holding males mate more than those in bachelor groups. The courting ritual begins with a male following a female, waiting for her to urinate. When she does, the male does the Flehmen response to determine if she is in estrus. If she is, he will continue to follow her. The female will lift her tail, signaling she is ready to mate, and the male will mount her. The gestation period for the gazelle lasts for 198 days. Births in the Serengeti peak in January and February. A female will leave her herd and find a well-hidden place to give birth. Afterwards, the female eats the afterbirth and other fluids to keep the fawn clean and scentless. Females that have recently given birth will stay together for protection. The females nurse their fawns four times a day. Fawns are immobile for the first few days, and the mother stays close by. When the fawn can walk, it leaves with its mother to join a herd. Around this time, fawns will associate with one another in peer groups. A gazelle is weaned at six months, but will continue to associate with its mother until adolescence.


Threats and conservation

The Grant's gazelle is still a common species, despite having been eradicated in certain areas. Major threats have been habitat destruction and poaching. The gazelle's status as an unthreatened species is dependent on protection of the national parks and reserves where it lives, including
Serengeti National Park The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania that stretches over . It is located in eastern Mara Region and northeastern Simiyu Region and contains over of virgin savanna. The park was established in 1940. The Se ...
and Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, and
Lake Turkana National Parks Lake Turkana National Parks is a group of three national parks located around Lake Turkana in Kenya. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 and expanded in 2001. Reasons for the park's importance include its use as a stopping po ...
in Kenya. Estimates of the population range from 140,000 to 350,000. While certain areas have stable populations, overall the population trend is going downward.


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q735222
Grant's gazelle Grant's gazelle (''Nanger granti'') is a relatively large species of gazelle antelope, distributed from northern Tanzania to South Sudan and Ethiopia, and from the Kenyan coast to Lake Victoria. Its Swahili name is ''swala granti''. It was named ...
Mammals of Tanzania Mammals of South Sudan Mammals of Somalia Mammals of Ethiopia Mammals of Kenya Mammals of Uganda Fauna of East Africa
Grant's gazelle Grant's gazelle (''Nanger granti'') is a relatively large species of gazelle antelope, distributed from northern Tanzania to South Sudan and Ethiopia, and from the Kenyan coast to Lake Victoria. Its Swahili name is ''swala granti''. It was named ...