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Gazelle Facts

A gazelle is a small, swift antelope, a mammal from the genus Gazella and two related genera, and some can sprint as fast as 60 mph in short bursts.

Class
Mammal

About the gazelle

Speed defines these slender grazers. Some gazelles can hit 100 km/h (60 mph) in a burst and hold about 50 km/h (30 mph) over longer runs. Most stand 60 to 110 cm (2 to 3.5 ft) tall at the shoulder and wear a fawn-colored coat. They gather in herds and pick fine, easy-to-digest plants and leaves, mainly across Africa's savannas, grasslands and deserts, with more populations in the Indian subcontinent and in central and southwest Asia.

Sorting them out is messy. Besides Gazella, which holds about 10 species, scientists place gazelles in Eudorcas and Nanger, and their classification is still unsettled. Thomson's gazelle, nicknamed the tommie, is a familiar African example: brown and white with a bold black stripe, while males carry long, often curved horns. When a predator shows up, tommies stot, bouncing high into the air before they bolt.

Did you know?

  • Thomson's gazelle measures only about 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in) tall at the shoulder.
  • The Queen of Sheba's gazelle is one gazelle species that has gone extinct.
  • Close cousins of the true gazelles include the African springbok and the Asian blackbuck.

Questions about the gazelle

Where do gazelles live?

Mostly on African savannas, grasslands and deserts, plus the Indian subcontinent and parts of central and southwest Asia.

Are gazelles endangered?

Most living gazelle species face some level of threat, and one species has already died out.

More mammals

Sources

Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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