Gazella marica Thomas, 1897

97. Sand Gazelle (Reem), Gazella marica Thomas, 1897

( Fig. 106 View FIGURE 106 )

(IUCN Red List: VU)

Distribution: Status uncertain, probably common but in low numbers; confined to a narrow geographical range of arid plains west of Palmyra and in the southern of Al-Badia ( Fig. 107 View FIGURE 107 ).

Previous records: as-Sukhnah ( Maydon 1930), Palmyra ( Dollman & Burlace 1935), Palmyra, Jabal Al-Bilaas and Sabkhat al-Jabbul ( Evans 1994), Jazal, Gleighim and az-Zelif ( Habibi 1998), Jazal and Jabal Abu Rejmein ( Serra et al. 2009b), Jabal Al-Bilaas, and Jabal Al-Bishri ( Masseti 2000).

Recent records: Southern of Al-Badia, east and south of Sweida but in low numbers as they have been heavily persecuted by local poachers; az-Zelif (2011–2021); Al Muttaitah, Gleighim, Abu Sharshuh, Tell ad-Dab’e, and az-Zelif (2020–2021).

Remarks: The Sand Gazelle was first described as a full species ( Gazella marica Thomas 1897 ), but placed later as a subspecies of the Goitered Gazelle G. subgutturosa marica (Groves and Harrison 1967; Harrison and Bates 1991). More recently, it has been split into distinct species again ( G. marica ) based on skull morphometrics and mitochondrial DNA analyses ( Wacher et al. 2011; Groves & Grubb 2011; Bärmann et al. 2013). The gazelle populations in Syria are geographically separated by the Euphrates River, where G. marica occurs to the west of the Euphrates River while G. subgutturosa to the east ( Habibi 1998). Genetic analysis of two specimens originated from west Palmyra and southwest of Al-Badia proved they were G. marica .