
Photo: (c) harrier, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Gazella bennettii
Diet
Leaves and grasses
Habitat
Arid plains and hilly country, deserts, dry scrub and light or open forest
Range
India, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan
Size
About 65cm tall
Weight
About 23kg
The chinkara, or Indian gazelle, stands about 65 cm tall and weighs about 23 kg. It has a smooth, glossy reddish-buff summer coat, and in winter the white belly and throat contrast more. Dark chestnut stripes run from the corner of each eye to the muzzle, bordered by white stripes. The straight, prominently ringed horns can exceed 39 cm (Wikipedia, general species account).
It lives on arid plains and hilly country, in deserts, dry scrub and light or open forest, and occurs in more than 80 protected areas in India. It is most common in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, with sparser populations in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. It is a swift, agile browser of leaves and grasses, mostly nocturnal and crepuscular, usually seen alone or in small groups. Males are territorial, and calves stay with their mother for up to 12 months (Wikipedia, general species account).