Goitered Gazelle

The Goitered Gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) is a gazelle found in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, parts of Iraq and Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and northwest China and Mongolia. It runs at high speed, without the leaping, bounding gait seen in other gazelle species. Throughout much of its range, the goitered gazelle migrates seasonally. The specific name, meaning "full below the throat", refers to the male having an enlargement of the neck and throat during the mating season.

Goitered gazelle live in a variety of semiarid and desert habitats that are found in foothills and mountain valleys. They stay away from cultivated land and cattle grazing areas and feed at the fringe of such areas. Clayey and sandy soil, basalt deserts, and salt flats are all examples of their environments. They can live everywhere from virtually vegetated environments to places where grasses, forbs, and shrubs can grow. The northern distribution of goitered gazelles is constrained by regions with 10 to 15 cm of wintertime snowfall. They live in windy, snow-free regions and seek protection from the wind in deep valleys, low mountain canyons, or thick vegetation during the winter.