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At dawn or at dusk, herds of Thomson's gazelles (Gazella thomsoni) move gracefully in Africa's savannas. They are easily identified by their small size and the large black stripe along the lower part of their body. Very playful, young gazelles race and jump very high. Sometimes others in the herd think that this jumping and racing is an alarm signal. The panicked gazelles then run off at top speed.
Basic Facts:
Length: 35 to 42 inches
Height: 23 to 28 inches
Weight: up to 65 pounds
Diet: grasses
Number of Young: 1
Home: Tanzania and Kenya
Thomson's gazelles are nervous and watchful. The smallest strange movement in the herd sends all the gazelles running. Even if only one member of the group starts to run around, flicking its tail, the rest flee.
They can run faster than 35 miles per hour and can outrun both lions and leopards. But the small gazelle cannot easily escape from the speedy cheetah. The gazelle tries to dodge the chasing cat by making sudden turns. But the cheetah usually wins because it can run faster than 40 miles per hour.
Thomson's gazelles graze on cut grass left behind by zebras and gnus. When the dry season comes, they also eat small fruits and seeds. During the mating season, males mark a territory and mate with all the females that cross into it. Sometimes there are fights between males, but the fights are usually not too serious.
Females can have two pregnancies each year. Females and their young assemble in herds of about 65, while young males form separate groups of about 500 animals.
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