less than 1 minute read

Gazelles

Mating And Breeding



The mating ceremony among gazelles is ritualized. The male lowers and stretches his head and neck, following the female closely in a march-like walk, lifting his head, and prancing. The lifting of a foreleg during the mating march is also characteristic and vocal noises are made by the male. The female responds to the male's low stretch by urinating. She may walk away, circle, and make sharp turns. When she is ready for mating, she will display submissive behavior by holding her tail out.



Gestation (pregnancy) lasts around six months for gazelles. During birthing, the mother alternates between standing and lying down. Twenty minutes after birth a Grant's gazelle has been seen to stand up and be nursed by its mother. In its early days a fawn (newborn) spends its time between feeding & hiding out in the grass. Typically they lie in a different hiding place after each feeding. The mother will keep watch over the newborn from a distance. Many gazelles reproduce twice a year when sufficient food supplies are available.


Additional topics

Science EncyclopediaScience & Philosophy: Gastrula to Glow dischargeGazelles - Territory And Social Arrangements, Mating And Breeding, Preservation And Adaptation