# Gazelle (*Gazella*)

Gazelles are graceful animals known for their speed and agility. They have beautiful, slender bodies and long, curved horns. Gazelles live in deserts, semi-deserts, hills and open plains, and can run very fast to escape from predators.

- **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Deserts and semi-deserts

![Gazelle](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426811/objects/6110.jpg)

## Appearance

The Gazelle has a slender, elegant build with long, thin legs built for running. Its coat is typically fawn to reddish-brown, with a white belly and a brown stripe along each flank that can be faint. Many species also feature ringed or ridged horns.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Artiodactyla
- **Family:** Bovidae
- **Genus:** Gazella

## Gazelle, up close

Gazelles of the genus Gazella are small, slender antelopes of the deserts, semi-deserts, hills and plains of North Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia. The model here is the Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas), which weighs about 15–20 kg and can get all the water it needs from its food. Famous savanna “gazelles” such as Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles now sit in separate genera, Eudorcas and Nanger.

Bouncing stots, horns that are never shed and a desert life without drinking. Spin it, tap it, then test yourself.

### Special abilities

- **Stot Signal** (Fewer chases for strong stotters (Thomson’s); still debated): When a gazelle spots a predator, it may bounce away in high, stiff-legged leaps with its head held up. This is stotting, and it seems to be a message to the hunter as well as to other gazelles. [1][11][12][13][8]
  - Dorcas gazelles stot to warn others that a predator is near.
  - In Thomson’s gazelles, biologist Tim Caro found evidence that stotting tells a cheetah it has been seen. It did not simply make cheetahs give up the chase.
  - African wild dogs were more likely to chase Thomson’s gazelles that stotted at lower rates. So stotting may be an honest sign that a gazelle is fit and hard to catch.
  - In goitered gazelles, mothers stot most at the end of the fawn-hiding period, perhaps to warn and teach their young. Who the message is really for is still debated.
- **Desert Dash** (70 km/h Thomson’s gazelle top speed): Gazelles escape by running in the open. The best-sourced figure is for Thomson’s gazelle, a savanna cousin: up to 70 km/h. [7][1]
  - That figure comes from the Animal Diversity Web. We found no measurement behind the popular claim of 97 km/h.
  - A Thomson’s gazelle can outrun a cheetah if it stays out of reach long enough, because the cat can only keep up its top speed for a short time.
  - We found no reliable top speed for the Dorcas gazelle, so the readout shows its cousin’s number.
- **Juicy Browse** (No drinking needed by Dorcas gazelles): Dorcas gazelles can get all the moisture they need from their food, so they never need to drink. [9][14]
  - When it is very dry, they mainly browse the leaves, flowers and pods of acacia trees, because these contain lots of moisture.
  - When it is very hot, they feed mainly at dawn, at dusk and at night.
  - Wild Arabian sand gazelles, another Gazella species, also lived through desert summers on the water already in their food, without becoming dehydrated.
- **Heat Bank** (2.6 °C daily body-temperature swing (sand gazelle, summer)): Instead of spending precious water to stay cool, Arabian sand gazelles let their bodies warm up by day and cool down again at night. [14][15]
  - In wild sand gazelles in Saudi Arabia, body temperature swung by about 2.6 °C a day in summer and 1.7 °C in winter, rising by more than 2 °C on hot days.
  - Losing that stored heat by sweating or panting would cost about 33.5 ml of water a day in summer.
  - Their evaporative water loss was only about 17% of what is expected for an animal their size, the lowest ever measured in a desert hoofed mammal.
  - After 4 months on less food and water, captive sand gazelles had smaller livers, hearts and muscles, and used less energy and water.
  - Water lost by evaporation, for its size: Arabian sand gazelle (measured) 17%; Expected for an animal its size 100%
- **Wide-Eyed Watch** (Side eyes for a wide view): A Dorcas gazelle relies mainly on its keen eyesight to spot predators across open ground. [1][4][5][8]
  - Its eyes sit on the sides of its head. Across mammals, the more sideways the eyes face, the less their views overlap in front.
  - Across 50 mammal species, faster runners tend to have bigger eyes.
  - In a group, many eyes share the watching, so each gazelle can spend more time feeding.
- **Lie Low** (2 weeks a Dorcas fawn spends hidden): A newborn Dorcas gazelle does not follow its mother. It lies hidden in a scrape or under a bush while she feeds nearby. [9][1][16]
  - Fawns are born with fur and open eyes and try to stand within an hour, but for their first 2 weeks they lie hidden.
  - The mother nurses her fawn for 1–2 minutes several times a day. At about 3 months it is weaned, and the two rejoin the herd.
  - Thomson’s gazelle fawns drop flat when danger comes. Fawns whose mothers spotted cheetahs from further away were more likely to survive.
  - If you ever see a fawn lying alone, leave it where it is and move away quietly. Its mother is probably close by.
- **Forever Horns** (20–24 rings on a male Dorcas’s horns): Gazelle horns grow from the skull and stay for life. Unlike deer antlers, they are never shed. [1][2][3][17]
  - Each horn is a bony core covered by skin and a sheath of keratin, the same tough protein as your fingernails.
  - Deer drop their antlers every spring and grow new ones. Gazelles, like other members of the cattle family, keep their horns.
  - Female Dorcas gazelles have horns too: 17–19 cm against 25–28 cm for males.
  - Across the cattle family, females are more likely to carry horns in bigger species that live in open country and cannot hide, which suggests horns help them fight off predators.
- **Dung Messages** (25 km² a male’s home range): In the mating season, male Dorcas gazelles guard territories marked with their droppings, probably a scent signpost for other gazelles. [1]
  - The mating season runs from September to November.
  - A male with a small group of females and young uses a home range of about 25 km².
  - Gazelles communicate with sight, sound and smell. Males without a group sometimes roam in bachelor groups of 4 or 5.

### Body parts

- **Horns** (25–28 cm male Dorcas horns) [1][2][3]
  - Both male and female Dorcas gazelles have horns. A male’s are 25–28 cm long with 20–24 rings; a female’s are shorter (17–19 cm), straighter and thinner, with 16–18 rings.
  - Dorcas horns are the most strongly curved of any gazelle in the genus Gazella.
  - A horn is a bony core covered by skin and a sheath of keratin. Horns stay for life, while deer drop their antlers every spring and grow new ones.
- **Eyes** (Eyesight its main predator alarm) [1][4][5]
  - A Dorcas gazelle relies mainly on its keen eyesight to watch for predators.
  - Its eyes sit on the sides of the head. Across mammals, the more sideways the eyes face, the less the views of the two eyes overlap.
  - In a study of 50 mammal species, faster runners tended to have bigger eyes, perhaps to see sharply and avoid obstacles at speed.
- **Face stripes** [6][7]
  - Many gazelles have a striped face. In the mountain gazelle, an off-white stripe runs down the face with a black edge below it.
  - In Thomson’s gazelle, a broad white stripe runs from the eye to the nose, bordered below by a black stripe.
  - Stripes, horn shapes and rump patterns help people tell gazelle species apart. We found no study that uses face stripes to recognise individual gazelles.
- **Voice** (Bark alarm call) [1][8]
  - A Dorcas gazelle’s alarm call sounds like a short bark. A louder call is used in extreme danger or pain.
  - Mothers call their young with a low grunt.
  - Goitered gazelles, another Gazella species, also give an alarm hiss. Mothers hiss more than males do.
- **Mouth** (Acacia dry-season favourite) [9][1]
  - In dry times, Dorcas gazelles mostly browse the leaves, flowers and pods of acacia trees, which hold lots of moisture.
  - In the wet season they eat more herbs and grasses, including freshly sprouted leaves after winter rains.
  - Along with other hoofed animals, they are the main seed spreaders for several acacias between the Red Sea and Israel.
- **Stomach** (Ruminant a cud-chewer, like goats) [10]
  - Gazelles are ruminants, like cattle, goats and deer: they chew the cud and have a stomach with several chambers, starting with a big one called the rumen.
  - When scientists measured the guts of Arabian sand gazelles, the layout looked more like that of leaf-eating ruminants such as moose, or in between, than like the gut of grass-eating cattle.
- **Legs** (70 km/h Thomson’s gazelle top speed) [1][7]
  - Long, thin legs make gazelles built for running.
  - Thomson’s gazelle, an East African cousin in the genus Eudorcas, can run at up to 70 km/h. It can outlast a cheetah, which can only keep up its top speed for a short time.
  - We found no reliable measured top speed for the Dorcas gazelle.
- **Coat** (White belly) [1][7]
  - A Dorcas gazelle is pale, with a white belly and a brown stripe along each side.
  - Colours change from place to place: ochre with darker side stripes in the northern Sahara, reddish-brown with fainter, light side stripes near the Red Sea.
  - Thomson’s gazelle has a much bolder black side stripe between its reddish-brown back and white belly.
- **Tail** [1][8]
  - Tail twitching and skin shivering are two of the signals a Dorcas gazelle uses to warn others that a predator is near.
  - Goitered gazelles may also wee and poo when alarmed. Scientists think this might work as an alarm signal too, but it needs more study.

### Stats

| Stat | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 15–20 kg | adult Dorcas gazelle; males average 16.5 kg, females 12.6 kg [9][1] |
| Shoulder height | 55–65 cm | Dorcas gazelle [9] |
| Length | 90–110 cm | head and body, Dorcas gazelle [9] |
| Horn length | 25–28 cm | males; females 17–19 cm [1] |
| Top speed | 70 km/h | Thomson’s gazelle (genus Eudorcas); no reliable figure for the Dorcas gazelle [7] |
| Water lost by evaporation | 17% | of the amount expected for its size, in the Arabian sand gazelle: the lowest measured in a desert hoofed mammal [15] |
| Pregnancy | ≈6 months | about 182 days; almost always one fawn [1] |
| Fawn hiding | 2 weeks | a newborn Dorcas fawn lies hidden while its mother feeds nearby [9] |
| Home range | 25 km² | a male Dorcas with his small group of females and young [1] |
| Lifespan | Up to ≈12 years | Dorcas gazelle; zoo animals have lived 15–17 years [9][1] |

### Photos

- [Dorcas gazelle, Souss-Massa National Park, Morocco](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maroccan_dorcas_gazelle_(Gazella_dorcas_massaesyla).jpg) (photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- [Dorcas gazelle near Ezuz in the Negev, Israel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gazella_dorcas%2C_Israel.jpg) (photo: MinoZig, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- [Dorcas gazelles in Bouhedma National Park, Tunisia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Groupe_de_gazelle_dorcas_-_parc_national_de_Bouhedma_2.jpg) (photo: Skander zarrad, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- [After the rains: spring flowers in Bouhedma National Park, Tunisia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gazelle_dorcas_-_parc_national_de_Bouhedma.jpg) (photo: Skander zarrad, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- [Dorcas gazelle in Morocco](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gazella_dorcas_290500434.jpg) (photo: Justin Philbois, CC0)
- [Dorcas gazelle in Algeria](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gazella_dorcas_63545556.jpg) (photo: Mourad Harzallah, CC BY 4.0)
- [Mountain gazelle in Israel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gazella_gazella_299408369.jpg) (photo: Ariel Shamir, CC BY 4.0)
- [Mountain gazelle, Hevel Lakhish, Israel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:G._g._gazella.jpg) (photo: MinoZig, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- [A fawn of the Arabian sand gazelle, a Gazella cousin, King Salman Royal Reserve, Saudi Arabia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arabian_Sand_Gazelle_Fawn_in_King_Salman_Bin_Abdulaziz_Royal_Reserve_(2025).jpg) (photo: Saudi Press Agency (SPA), CC BY-SA 4.0)

### Questions

- **How fast can a gazelle run?** Thomson’s gazelle, an East African species now in the genus Eudorcas, can run at up to 70 km/h. We found no reliable measured top speed for Gazella species such as the Dorcas gazelle, and no source for the popular claim of 97 km/h. [7]
- **Do gazelles need to drink water?** Dorcas gazelles never need to drink: they get all the moisture they need from their food, especially acacia leaves, flowers and pods. Arabian sand gazelles also live on the water in their food and save water by letting their body warm up during the day. [9][14]
- **Why do gazelles jump straight up when a predator is near?** That bouncing leap is called stotting. In Thomson’s gazelles it seems to tell a predator it has been seen, and wild dogs chose gazelles that stotted less, so it may show how fit a gazelle is. It also warns other gazelles. Scientists still debate its main purpose. [11][13][1][8]
- **Do female gazelles have horns?** In many species, yes. Female Dorcas gazelles have horns 17–19 cm long, and female mountain gazelles 8–15 cm, shorter than males’. In Thomson’s gazelle, females have small horns or none. [1][6][7]
- **Is Thomson’s gazelle a Gazella?** Not any more. DNA studies show the genus Gazella is closer to the Indian blackbuck than to Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, which are now placed in Eudorcas and Nanger. [21][7][22]
- **Are gazelles endangered?** Many are. The Dorcas gazelle is Vulnerable and the mountain gazelle Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and the Saudi gazelle and Queen of Sheba’s gazelle are Extinct. Hunting, habitat loss and overgrazing are the main threats. [18][20][26][28][9]
- **What eats gazelles?** Dorcas gazelles were hunted by cheetahs, lions, leopards, servals, caracals, wolves and hyenas, and fawns by foxes, eagles and jackals. Many of these predators have disappeared from where Dorcas gazelles live. Today adults are mainly threatened by people, wolves, caracals and golden jackals, and by domestic dogs near villages. [1][9]
- **Is a gazelle an antelope?** Yes. Gazelles are antelopes in the cattle family, Bovidae, in a group called Antilopini that also includes the springbok, the saiga and the blackbuck. [21]

### Gazelle myths and facts

Tap Myth or Fact for each claim, then check the answer.

- "Thomson’s gazelle and Grant’s gazelle are members of the genus Gazella." **Myth!** They used to be. DNA studies now put Thomson’s gazelle in Eudorcas and Grant’s gazelle in Nanger. Gazella turned out to be closer to the Indian blackbuck than to either of them. [21][7][22]
- "Gazelles can run at 97 km/h." **Not proven!** We found no measurement behind this popular number. The Animal Diversity Web gives up to 70 km/h for Thomson’s gazelle, and we found no reliable figure for the Dorcas gazelle. [7]
- "Stotting is just a gazelle showing off or playing." **Myth!** Gazelles stot when a predator is around. Studies of Thomson’s gazelles suggest it tells the predator “I’ve seen you”, and wild dogs chose gazelles that stotted less. Scientists still debate exactly who the message is for. [11][13][8]
- "A Dorcas gazelle never needs to drink." **Fact!** It can get all the moisture it needs from its food, such as juicy acacia leaves, flowers and pods. Wild Arabian sand gazelles also live through desert summers on the water in their food. [9][14]
- "Gazelles shed their horns every year, like deer." **Myth!** Deer shed their antlers each spring and grow new ones. Gazelle horns are a bony core inside a keratin sheath, and they stay for life. [3][2]
- "Only male gazelles have horns." **Myth!** Female Dorcas and mountain gazelles have horns too, just smaller ones. Across the cattle family, females living in open country are more likely to have horns, probably for defence. [1][6][17]
- "A gazelle fawn lying alone has been abandoned." **Myth!** Lying hidden is the plan. The mother feeds nearby and comes back to nurse it. If you find one, leave it alone and move away. [9][16]
- "Gazelles let their bodies heat up to save water." **Fact!** Wild Arabian sand gazelles warm up by more than 2 °C on hot days and lose the heat at night, which saves water they would otherwise lose keeping cool. [14]

### Gazelle records

Superlatives and record holders, each checked against its source.

- Thriftiest with water: Arabian sand gazelle (Gazella marica), 17% (of the evaporative water loss expected for its size: the lowest ever measured in a desert hoofed mammal) [15][23]
- Curviest Gazella horns: Dorcas gazelle, Most curved (the most strongly curved horns in the genus Gazella) [1]
- Desert specialist: Dorcas gazelle, Driest (the member of Gazella best equipped to live in dry areas) [1]
- Fastest sourced gazelle: Thomson’s gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii), 70 km/h (the best-sourced top speed we found for any gazelle) [7]
- Last of their kind in Israel: Arabian gazelle (Gazella arabica), ≈30 (animals left in Israel, even though they are protected from hunting and habitat loss) [24]
- Lost for good: Saudi gazelle (Gazella saudiya), Extinct (no sign of it even in captive herds once thought to be Saudi gazelles) [25][26]

### A year in the life of a Dorcas gazelle

From the autumn mating season to a fawn’s first months.

- **September–November**: Mating season. Males guard territories marked with their droppings. [1]
- **About 6 months later**: One fawn. After a pregnancy of about 182 days, the mother gives birth to a single fawn with fur and open eyes. [1]
- **First hour**: Wobbly legs. The newborn tries to stand within an hour of birth. [9]
- **First 2 weeks**: Lying out. The fawn lies hidden in a scrape or under a bush while its mother feeds nearby. [9]
- **Up to 3 months**: Milk breaks. The mother nurses it for 1–2 minutes several times a day. At about 3 months it is weaned and they rejoin the herd. [1][9]
- **After rain**: Green feast. Gazelles eat freshly sprouted leaves, herbs and grasses. [1][9]
- **Dry season**: Acacia time. They mostly browse acacia leaves, flowers and pods. On very hot days they feed at dawn, at dusk and at night. [9]
- **1–2 years**: Growing up. Young gazelles stay with their birth group for a year or more. Males can breed from about 19 months and females from about 2 years. [1]

### Dorcas gazelle vs mountain gazelle vs Thomson’s gazelle

Two true Gazella gazelles and a savanna cousin that now has its own genus.

| | Dorcas gazelle | Mountain gazelle | Thomson’s gazelle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific name [1][6][7] | Gazella dorcas | Gazella gazella | Eudorcas thomsonii |
| Genus [21] | Gazella | Gazella | Eudorcas (once Gazella) |
| Weight [9][6][7] | 15–20 kg | Males 17–29.5 kg, females 16–25 kg | 15–35 kg |
| Male horns [1][6][7] | 25–28 cm, 20–24 rings | 22–29 cm, thick, strongly ringed | Curve back, then forward at the tips |
| Female horns [1][6][7] | 17–19 cm, 16–18 rings | 8–15 cm, no rings | Smaller, or none |
| Stripes [1][6][7] | Brown side stripes, fainter in some regions | Off-white face stripe with a black lower edge | Bold black side stripe; white face stripe edged in black |
| Home [1][6][19][7] | Deserts, semi-deserts, dunes and wadis | Hills, scrub and grassland | Savanna and grassland |
| IUCN status [18][20][27] | Vulnerable | Endangered | Least Concern |

Thomson’s gazelle used to be called Gazella thomsonii. DNA shows that Eudorcas, like Nanger (Grant’s gazelle), is a separate branch from Gazella.

### Are gazelles endangered?

Many are. Of the 9 living Gazella species on this card, 8 are rated Vulnerable or Endangered, and two species have already died out.

- **IUCN Red List:** Varies by species. Gazella species are assessed one by one. The Dorcas gazelle is Vulnerable and the mountain gazelle is Endangered. The Saudi gazelle and Queen of Sheba’s gazelle are Extinct. [18][20][26][28]
- IUCN Red List, via Wikidata and GBIF (October 2026)
- **Threat: Hunting**: Overhunting wiped mountain gazelles out of most of their old range, and hunting still threatens Dorcas gazelles. [19][9]
- **Threat: Farming and overgrazing**: Habitat is lost to farming and worn down by too many grazing livestock. [9]
- **Threat: Drought**: Long dry spells add to the pressure on desert gazelles. [9]
- **Threat: Roads, dogs and jackals**: In Israel, mountain gazelles are killed on roads and hunted by jackals and feral dogs. [19]
- **Threat: Tiny populations**: Only about 30 Arabian gazelles survive in Israel, even though they are protected from hunting and habitat destruction. [24]
- **Helping: Trade rules**: Dorcas gazelles are listed on CITES Appendix III for Algeria and Tunisia, which restricts trade from those countries. [9]
- **Helping: Nature reserves**: Scientists studying mountain gazelles in Israeli reserves found that cattle and gazelles eat quite different plants, which helps managers plan grazing. [19]
- **Helping: DNA checks**: DNA from old museum specimens showed which captive herds were not Saudi gazelles, so breeding and release plans can use the right animals. [25]
- **Mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella)** (EN): Once common across the Levant. [20][19]
- **Arabian gazelle (Gazella arabica)** (VU): Gone from large parts of Arabia; about 30 left in Israel. [29][24]
- **Arabian sand gazelle (Gazella marica)** (VU): The record-breaking water saver. [23][15]
- **Goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa)** (VU): Mothers seem to stot and hiss to warn their fawns. [30][8]
- **Chinkara (Gazella bennettii)** (LC): The only living Gazella on this list rated Least Concern. [31]
- **Rhim gazelle (Gazella leptoceros)** (EN): Also called the slender-horned gazelle. [32]
- **Cuvier’s gazelle (Gazella cuvieri)** (VU): Listed as Vulnerable. [33]
- **Speke’s gazelle (Gazella spekei)** (EN): Listed as Endangered. [34]
- **Saudi gazelle (Gazella saudiya)** (EX): Closest relative of the Dorcas gazelle; no evidence it survives. [26][25]
- **Queen of Sheba’s gazelle (Gazella bilkis)** (EX): Listed as Extinct. [28]

### Gazelle signals

- A short bark: Alarm call: danger spotted. [1]
- A loud call: Extreme danger or pain. [1]
- A mother’s low grunt: Calling her fawn. [1]
- Skin shivering and tail twitching: A predator is near: a warning to the group. [1]
- Stotting: bouncing leaps, head held high: A warning to other gazelles, and probably a message to the predator that it has been seen. [1][11]
- Hissing (goitered gazelle): Alarm, given mostly by mothers with young fawns. [8]
- Dung piles in one area: A male marking his territory in the mating season. [1]

### Looks

- **Dorcas gazelle (male)**: Pale sandy fawn with a white belly and a brown stripe on each side. Thick, strongly curved horns 25–28 cm long, with 20–24 rings. (Vulnerable (IUCN)) [1][18]
- **Dorcas gazelle (female)**: Smaller: about 12.6 kg on average, against 16.5 kg for males. Her horns are shorter (17–19 cm), straighter and thinner, with 16–18 rings. (Lives in small groups of up to 4 females and their young with 1 or 2 males) [1]
- **Dorcas fawn**: Born with fur and open eyes after about 6 months in the womb. There is almost always just one fawn. (Lies hidden for its first 2 weeks; weaned at about 3 months) [1][9]
- **Mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella)**: Larger: males 17–29.5 kg. Off-white face stripe with a black lower edge. Males have thick, ringed horns 22–29 cm long; females have shorter, unringed horns of 8–15 cm. (Endangered (IUCN)) [6][19][20]

### Gazelle quiz

1. Which genus is the Dorcas gazelle in? **Gazella.** Its scientific name is Gazella dorcas. [1]
2. Thomson’s gazelle now belongs to which genus? **Eudorcas.** DNA studies moved it to Eudorcas. Grant’s gazelle went to Nanger. [21][7]
3. What is stotting? **Bouncing leaps with the head held high.** Gazelles stot when a predator is near, as a warning and probably a message to the hunter. [1][11]
4. Which predator was more likely to chase Thomson’s gazelles that stotted less? **African wild dogs.** So stotting may be an honest sign that a gazelle is fit and hard to catch. [13]
5. Where does a Dorcas gazelle get its water? **From its food.** Juicy acacia leaves, flowers and pods give it all the moisture it needs. [9]
6. Do female Dorcas gazelles have horns? **Yes, shorter and straighter than males’.** Females’ horns are 17–19 cm long; males’ are 25–28 cm. [1]
7. What happens to a gazelle’s horns each year? **They are kept for life.** Horns are never shed. Deer antlers are the ones that fall off every spring. [2][3]
8. For how long does a newborn Dorcas fawn lie hidden? **2 weeks.** It lies in a scrape or under a bush while its mother feeds nearby. [9]
9. How do Arabian sand gazelles save water on hot days? **They let their body warm up and cool down at night.** Their body temperature can rise by more than 2 °C during a hot day. [14]
10. Which top speed has a source for Thomson’s gazelle? **70 km/h.** We found no measurement behind the popular 97 km/h. [7]
11. Which of these gazelles is listed as Extinct? **Saudi gazelle.** The Saudi gazelle was the Dorcas gazelle’s closest relative. [26][25]
12. What do male Dorcas gazelles use to mark their territory? **Droppings.** In the September–November mating season, males guard territories marked with dung. [1]

### Sources (checked 2026-10-16)

1. [Stoolman J. Gazella dorcas (Dorcas gazelle). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Gazella_dorcas/)
2. [Cappelli J, García AJ, Kotrba R, et al. (2018). The bony horncore of the common eland (Taurotragus oryx): composition and mechanical properties of a spiral fighting structure. Journal of Anatomy 232:72–79.](https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12708)
3. [Price JS, Allen S, Faucheux C, Althnaian T, Mount JG (2005). Deer antlers: a zoological curiosity or the key to understanding organ regeneration in mammals? Journal of Anatomy 207:603–618.](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7580.2005.00478.x)
4. [Heesy CP (2004). On the relationship between orbit orientation and binocular visual field overlap in mammals. Anatomical Record A 281:1104–1110.](https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.a.20116)
5. [Heard-Booth AN, Kirk EC (2012). The influence of maximum running speed on eye size: a test of Leuckart's Law in mammals. Anatomical Record 295:1053–1062.](https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.22480)
6. [Animal Diversity Web. Gazella gazella (mountain gazelle). University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Gazella_gazella/)
7. [Animal Diversity Web. Eudorcas thomsonii (Thomson's gazelle). University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Eudorcas_thomsonii/)
8. [Blank DA (2018). Alarm signals in goitered gazelle with special reference to stotting, hissing and alarm urination-defecation. Zoology 131:29–35.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.zool.2018.05.007)
9. [Marwell Zoo. Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas).](https://www.marwell.org.uk/animals/dorcas-gazelle)
10. [Sauer C, Bertelsen MF, Hammer S, Lund P, Weisbjerg MR, Clauss M (2016). Macroscopic digestive tract anatomy of two small antelopes, the blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) and the Arabian sand gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa marica). Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia 45:392–398.](https://doi.org/10.1111/ahe.12214)
11. [Caro TM (1986). The functions of stotting in Thomson's gazelles: some tests of the predictions. Animal Behaviour 34:663–684.](https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(86)80052-5)
12. [Caro TM (1986). The functions of stotting: a review of the hypotheses. Animal Behaviour 34:649–662.](https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(86)80051-3)
13. [FitzGibbon CD, Fanshawe JH (1988). Stotting in Thomson's gazelles: an honest signal of condition. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 23:69–74.](https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00299889)
14. [Ostrowski S, Williams JB (2006). Heterothermy of free-living Arabian sand gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa marica) in a desert environment. Journal of Experimental Biology 209:1421–1429.](https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02151)
15. [Ostrowski S, Mésochina P, Williams JB (2006). Physiological adjustments of sand gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa) to a boom-or-bust economy. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 79:810–819.](https://doi.org/10.1086/504614)
16. [FitzGibbon CD (1990). Anti-predator strategies of immature Thomson's gazelles: hiding and the prone response. Animal Behaviour 40:846–855.](https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(05)80985-6)
17. [Stankowich T, Caro T (2009). Evolution of weaponry in female bovids. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 276:4329–4334.](https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.1256)
18. [Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas): IUCN Red List category Vulnerable. Wikidata Q387240 (P141); also GBIF.](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q387240)
19. [Arnon A, Wronski T, Lalzar M, Landau SY, Izhaki I, Malkinson D (2025). Dietary composition and overlap between cattle and endangered mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella). Scientific Reports 15.](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04366-w)
20. [Mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella): IUCN Red List category Endangered. Wikidata Q754520 (P141); also GBIF.](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q754520)
21. [Bärmann EV, Rössner GE, Wörheide G (2013). A revised phylogeny of Antilopini (Bovidae, Artiodactyla) using combined mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 67:484–493.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2013.02.015)
22. [Grant's gazelle (Nanger granti): taxon record and IUCN category Least Concern. Wikidata Q735222 (P225, P141); also GBIF.](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q735222)
23. [Arabian sand gazelle (Gazella marica): IUCN Red List category Vulnerable. Wikidata Q27980450 (P141).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27980450)
24. [Shalmon B, Sun P, Wronski T (2019). Factors driving Arabian gazelles (Gazella arabica) in Israel to extinction: time series analysis of population size and juvenile survival. Biodiversity and Conservation.](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-019-01884-8)
25. [Hammond RL, Macasero W, Flores B, Mohammed OB, et al. (2001). Phylogenetic reanalysis of the Saudi gazelle and its implications for conservation. Conservation Biology 15:1123–1133.](https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1739.2001.0150041123.x)
26. [Saudi gazelle (Gazella saudiya): IUCN Red List category Extinct. Wikidata Q1068038 (P141).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1068038)
27. [IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2018, errata 2020). Eudorcas thomsonii. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species e.T8982A172360006 (Least Concern), as cited by Wikidata Q271705 and English Wikipedia.](https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T8982A172360006.en)
28. [Queen of Sheba's gazelle (Gazella bilkis): IUCN Red List category Extinct. Wikidata Q1100504 (P141).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1100504)
29. [Arabian gazelle (Gazella arabica): IUCN Red List category Vulnerable. Wikidata Q537428 (P141).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q537428)
30. [Goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa): IUCN Red List category Vulnerable. Wikidata Q460977 (P141).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q460977)
31. [Chinkara (Gazella bennettii): IUCN Red List category Least Concern. Wikidata Q430619 (P141).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q430619)
32. [Rhim gazelle (Gazella leptoceros): IUCN Red List category Endangered. Wikidata Q838554 (P141).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q838554)
33. [Cuvier's gazelle (Gazella cuvieri): IUCN Red List category Vulnerable. Wikidata Q744173 (P141).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q744173)
34. [Speke's gazelle (Gazella spekei): IUCN Red List category Endangered. Wikidata Q853403 (P141).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q853403)

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 90-150 cm
- **Weight:** 15-30 kg
- **Lifespan:** 10-15 years
- **Litter Size:** 1
- **Gestation:** 150-182 days

## Diet & Feeding

Gazelles munch on various plants like grasses, leaves, and shoots to stay healthy and energetic.

- **Primary Foods:** grasses, leaves, shrubs, forbs, shoots, herbs
- **Foraging Method:** Grazing

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Cheetah (*Acinonyx jubatus*) — a gazelle predator in open country, now rare
- **Eaten by:** Lion (*Panthera leo*) — former predator of these gazelles; lions are now largely gone from desert gazelle country
- **Eaten by:** [African Wild Dog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/african-wild-dog) (*Lycaon pictus*) — hunts savanna gazelles such as Thomson's gazelle
- **Eats:** Umbrella Thorn Acacia (*Acacia tortilis*) — browses leaves and pods from this hardy tree
- **Eats:** [Bermuda Grass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bermuda-grass) (*Cynodon dactylon*) — grazes on the plentiful shoots of this common grass
- **Eaten by:** Golden Jackal (*Canis aureus*) — In Israel, jackals hunt mountain gazelles.

## Traits

- [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.
- [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.
- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Horned](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/horned): Characterized by having one or more hard, permanent, pointed projections on the head.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Desert](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/desert): Desert habitats are arid regions characterized by extremely low precipitation and often extreme temperatures, supporting specialized flora and fauna.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel.

## Collections

- [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Admire gazelles from a safe distance and never approach them in the wild.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Gazelle?

Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Gazelle?

90-150 cm

### How much does Gazelle weigh?

15-30 kg

### How long does Gazelle live?

10-15 years

### What does Gazelle eat?

Gazelles munch on various plants like grasses, leaves, and shoots to stay healthy and energetic.

### Where is Gazelle usually found?

Deserts and semi-deserts

### How many babies does Gazelle usually have?

1

## More Mammals

- [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*)
- [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*)
- [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*)
- [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*)

---

Source: [Gazelle: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gazelle)