Queen of Sheba's gazelle
| Queen of Sheba's gazelle | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Antilopinae |
| Tribe: | Antilopini |
| Genus: | Gazella |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | †G. a. bilkis
|
| Trinomial name | |
| †Gazella arabica bilkis Groves & Lay, 1985
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| Synonyms | |
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The Queen of Sheba's gazelle or Yemen gazelle (Gazella arabica bilkis) is an extinct subspecies of the Arabian gazelle. It is sometimes regarded as its own species, such as by the IUCN. It was found on the mountains and hillsides in Yemen, but none have been sighted since 1951, when five specimens were collected in mountains near Ta'izz, where it was reportedly common at the time.[1] The American Society of Mammalogists considers it to be a subspecies.[2]
Extinction
Surveys in the area of their former occurrence have failed to find any sign of its presence.[3] In 1985, a photograph of gazelles was taken in a private collection, Al Wabra Wildlife Farm, in Qatar. Zoologist Colin Groves claims these could possibly be surviving Queen of Sheba's gazelles.[4] It is not confirmed whether these animals truly belong to this species. The cause of extinction is still uncertain.
References
- ^ a b IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2016). "Gazella bilkis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T8987A50188129. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T8987A50188129.en. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Explore the Database". www.mammaldiversity.org. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ Mallon, D.P. and Al-Safadi, M. 2001.Yemen. In: D.P. Mallon and S.C. Kingswood (compilers). 2001. Antelopes. Part 4: North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Global Survey and Regional Action Plans, pp. 63-68. IUCN, Gland.
- ^ Research in Arabia, 1987 and 1992: visits to King Khalid and National Wildlife Research Centres (Saudi Arabia), Al Wabra Wildlife Farm (Qatar), Al-Areen Wildlife Park and Reserve (Bahrain) and Al Ain Zoo (United Arab Emirates). Downloaded on 29 December 2006 from "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 16, 2006. Retrieved December 29, 2006.
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