Somali Soemmerring Gazelle Hunting African Safaris

Somali Soemmerring Gazelle

(Gazella soemmeringi berberana)

Current all time records
SCI: Score 53 5/8 - Ethiopia, Awash - 8/89
Rowland Ward: Score 23 - Somalia - 1906

Description: The upper body is a uniform tawny-red, with the head and neck lighter. The underside of the body, inside of legs, and tail are bright white, but one of the main recognizable features is the white rump patch which normally extends onto the sides. The different back and belly colours meet along the flank with a sharp, crisp line. The head has dark markings of the traditional gazelle pattern, including a wide dark stripe down the nose and dark lines running from the eyes to the nose, separated by white stripes. The tail is short and tapered and terminates with a black tuft. Both sexes carry the lyre-shaped horns, which turn inwards at the tips. Those in females are straighter, thinner, and smoother than those in males, and they may grow up to 40 cm / 1.3 feet long. The horns in males are considerably larger and heavier, strongly ridged and growing up to 58 cm / 1.9 feet in length.

Other Common Names:

Size:

Range: Ethiopia and Somalia; year around.

Natural History: Soemmerring's gazelles migrate annually in the Sudan, relocating to areas with more food and water. Males are territorial, though this may be on a temporary basis. Defended ranges are staked out via dung middens, while the small-slitted preorbital glands do not seem to play a role in marking. When confronting rival males, Soemmerring's gazelles flick their heads, and when fights arise they yank their hooked horns sideways in an attempt to make the opponent lose his balance. When herding females, males make a nasal croak. During the courting of a receptive female, the male drives her at a walking pace with his head raised. Instead of the typical gazelle foreleg kick, the male does a stiff-legged "trot in place". Copulation occurs while walking, with both partners keeping their heads up and the male trailing after the female on two legs.

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