First confirmed record of Arabian Gazelle Gazella arabica Lichtenstein, 1827 (Mammalia: Artiodactyla: Bovidae) on Masirah Island, off the coast of eastern Oman in the Arabian Sea

Abstract

In Oman, the Arabian Gazelle Gazella arabica is known to be distributed in the Hajar mountains of the north, desert plains in central of Oman, and Jabal Samhan foothills & Nejd area in the south. We report the first confirmed record of the Arabian Gazelle on Masirah island, 15 km off the mainland of eastern Oman. This finding was part of a national survey of biodiversity in Oman in which 29 camera traps were set to survey the majority of the island which covers about 400 km2. Only two camera traps detected Arabian Gazelle, in an area covering only 22 km2. The survey on the island suggests that the population is small and isolated. Future research studies are required both in the field of ecology and genetics.