Status: Gazella dorcas is classified as Vulnerable (VU A1a) by the IUCN Red List 2003 and listed on Appendix III of CITES. The Moroccan dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas massaesyla) is classified as Endangered under IUCN criteria. Six subspecies have been described, but the validity and distribution of most of these subspecies are uncertain. DescriptionThe Dorcas gazelle is generally similar in appearance to the closely related Gazella gazella, but they are smaller, have longer ears and more strongly curved horns, which bow outwards then turn inwards and forwards at the tips. Individuals belonging to the Saharan subspecies (G. d. osiris) have a very pale fawn coloured coat, and the white underside is bordered with a brown stripe, above which there is a sandy stripe. The forehead and face are darker than the body. Subspecies from north of the Sahara tend to be more ochre in colour, and have dark flanks and face-stripes, while populations in Israel and around the Red Sea are darker and more reddish. Click for more information | click for more movies
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