Thomson's gazelle (''Eudorcas thomsonii'') is one of the best known species of

gazelle A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . This article also deals with the seven species included in two further genera, '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third ...

s. It is named after explorer

Joseph Thomson Joseph or Joe Thomson is the name of: *J. J. Thomson (1856–1940), physicist * Joseph Thomson (cricketer) (1877-1953), Australian cricketer *Joseph Thomson (explorer) Joseph Thomson (14 February 1858 – 2 August 1895) was a British geologist ...

and is sometimes referred to as a "tommie". It is considered by some to be a subspecies of the

red-fronted gazelle The red-fronted gazelle (''Eudorcas rufifrons'') is widely but unevenly distributed gazelle across the middle of Africa from Senegal to northeastern Ethiopia. It is mainly resident in the Sahel zone, a narrow cross-Africa band south of the S ...

and was formerly considered a member of the genus ''Gazella'' within the subgenus ''Eudorcas'', before ''Eudorcas'' was elevated to genus status. Thomson's gazelles can be found in numbers exceeding 200,000 in Africa and are recognized as the most common type of gazelle in East Africa. A small fast

antelope The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mammals ...

, the Thomson's gazelle is claimed to have top speeds up to . It is the fourth-fastest land animal, after the

cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...

(its main predator),

pronghorn The pronghorn (, ) (''Antilocapra americana'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American a ...

, and

springbok The springbok (''Antidorcas marsupialis'') is a medium-sized antelope found mainly in south and southwest Africa. The sole member of the genus ''Antidorcas'', this bovid was first described by the German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm v ...

Taxonomy and etymology

The current

scientific name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

of Thomson's gazelle is ''Eudorcas thomsonii''. It is a member of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Eudorcas ''Eudorcas'' is a genus of antelope; the species are commonly called gazelles. ''Eudorcas'' was originally considered a subgenus of the genus ''Gazella A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . This article also ...

'' and is classified under the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Bovidae The Bovidae comprise the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes cattle, bison, buffalo, antelopes, and caprines. A member of this family is called a bovid. With 143 extant species and 300 known extinct species, ...

. Thomson's gazelle was first described by British zoologist

Albert Günther Albert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther FRS, also Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther (3 October 1830 – 1 February 1914), was a German-born British zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. Günther is ranked the second-most productive re ...

in 1884. The relationships between Thomson's gazelle and the

congeneric Congener may refer to: * A thing or person of the same kind as another, or of the same group. * Congener (biology), organisms within the same genus. * Congener (chemistry), related chemicals, e.g., elements in the same group of the periodic table. ...

Mongalla gazelle The Mongalla gazelle (''Eudorcas albonotata'') is a species of gazelle found in the floodplain and savanna of South Sudan. It was first described by British zoologist Walter Rothschild in 1903. The taxonomic status of the Mongalla gazelle is wi ...

(''E. albonotata'') remain disputed; while some authors such as Alan W. Gentry of the (

Natural History Museum, London The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum an ...

) consider the Mongalla gazelle to be a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of Thomson's gazelle, others (such as

Colin Groves Colin Peter Groves (24 June 1942 – 30 November 2017) was a British-Australian biologist and anthropologist. Groves was Professor of Biological Anthropology at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. Education Born in Englan ...

) consider the Mongalla gazelle to be a full species. Zoologist

Jonathan Kingdon Jonathan Kingdon (born 1935 in Tanzania) is a zoologist, science author, and artist; a research associate at the University of Oxford. He focuses on taxonomic illustration and evolution of the mammals of Africa. He is a contributor to The Oxford B ...

treated

Heuglin's gazelle Heuglin's gazelle (''Eudorcas tilonura''), also known as the Eritrean gazelle, is a species of gazelle found east of the Nile River in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan. It was considered a subspecies of the red-fronted gazelle (''E. rufifrons'') or c ...

, sometimes considered a species of ''Eudorcas'' (''E. tilonura'') or a subspecies of the red-fronted gazelle (''E. r. tilonura''), as a subspecies of Thomson's gazelle. Thomson's gazelle is named after the Scottish explorer

; the first recorded use of the name dates to 1897. Another common name for the gazelle is "tommy". ''

Antilope ''Antilope'' is a genus of twisted-horn bovid that contains a single living species, the blackbuck of South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geog ...

'', ''

Gazella A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . This article also deals with the seven species included in two further genera, '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third ...

'', and ''

Nanger ''Nanger'' is a genus of antelopes, commonly called gazelles. ''Nanger'' was originally considered a subgenus within the genus ''Gazella A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . This article also deals with the ...

'' form a

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

within their

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

Antilopini Antilopini is a tribe of bovids often referred as true antelopes like gazelles. They live in and around the Sahara, Horn of Africa, throughout eastern and southern Africa, and Eurasia. Depending on species, the females have either very short and ...

. A 1999

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

analysis showed that ''Antilope'' is the closest sister taxon to ''Gazella'', although the earliest phylogeny, proposed in 1976, placed ''Antilope'' as sister to ''Nanger''. In a more recent revision of the phylogeny of the Antilopini on the basis of

nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: * Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space *Nuclear ...

and

mitochondria A mitochondrion (; ) is an organelle found in the Cell (biology), cells of most Eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and Fungus, fungi. Mitochondria have a double lipid bilayer, membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosi ...

l data in 2013, Eva Verena Bärmann (of the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

) and colleagues constructed a cladogram that clearly depicted the close relationship between ''Nanger'' and ''Eudorcas''. ''Antilope'' and ''Gazella'' were found to have a similar relationship. Two subspecies are identified: *''E. t. nasalis'' ( Lönnberg, 1908) – Serengeti Thomson's gazelle ranges from the

Serengeti The Serengeti ( ) ecosystem is a Geography of Africa, geographical region in Africa, spanning northern Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game res ...

to the

Kenya Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is part of an intra-continental ridge system that runs through Kenya from north to south. It is part of the Gregory Rift, the eastern branch of the East African Rift, which starts in Tanzania to the south and continues no ...

. *''E. t. thomsonii'' (Günther, 1884) – eastern Thomson's gazelle ranges from east of the Rift Valley in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

, southward to

Arusha District Arusha Urban District (officially known as Arusha City Council) is one of the seven districts of the Arusha Region of Tanzania, and it contains the regional and economic capital; the city of Arusha. It is bordered to the south, west and north b ...

(Tanzania) and then southwestward to

Lake Eyasi Lake Eyasi (formerly german: Njarasasee, "Njarasa Lake", and ''Hohenlohesee'', "Hohenlohe Lake") is a lake located in Karatu District of Arusha Region in north Tanzania. Lake Eyasi is the largest body of water in Arusha region. It is a seasonal ...

, Wembere River, and

Shinyanga Shinyanga, also known as Shinyanga Mji in the local Swahili language, is a city in northern Tanzania. The city is the location of the regional headquarters of Shinyanga Region as well as the district headquarters of Shinyanga Urban District. The ...

Description

Gazella thomsonii Thomsons Gazelle in Tanzania 3446 cropped Nevit

Thomson's gazelle is a relatively small gazelle; it stands at the shoulder. Males weigh , while the slightly lighter females weigh . Facial characteristics of the gazelle include white rings around the eyes, black stripes running from a corner of the eye to the nose,

rufous Rufous () is a color that may be described as reddish-brown or brownish-red, as of rust or oxidised iron. The first recorded use of ''rufous'' as a color name in English was in 1782. However, the color is also recorded earlier in 1527 as a dia ...

stripes running from the

horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...

s to the nose, a dark patch on the nose, and a light forehead. Serengeti Thomson-Gazelle3

The coat is sandy brown to rufous; a black band runs across the flanks, from the upper foreleg to just above the upper hind leg. A buff band occurs above the black stripe. Short, black streaks mark the white rump. The black tail measures . Males have well-developed

preorbital gland The preorbital gland is a paired exocrine gland found in many species of hoofed animals, which is homologous to the lacrimal gland found in humans. These glands are trenchlike slits of dark blue to black, nearly bare skin extending from the med ...

s near the eyes, which are used for

scent-marking In ethology, territory is the sociographical area that an animal consistently defends against conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against animals of other species) using agonistic behaviors or (less commonly) real physical aggression. A ...

territories A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

. Both sexes possess horns that curve slightly backward with the tips facing forward. The horns, highly ringed, measure in males and in females. However, females have more fragile horns; some are even hornless.

Grant's gazelle Grant's gazelle (''Nanger granti'') is a species of gazelle distributed from northern Tanzania to South Sudan and Ethiopia, and from the Kenyan coast to Lake Victoria. Its Swahili name is ''swala granti''. Thomson's gazelle lives in East Africa's savannas and grassland habitats, particularly the Serengeti region of Kenya and Tanzania. It has narrow habitat preferences, preferring short grassland with dry, sturdy foundation. It does, however, migrate into tall grassland and dense woodland. Gazelles are mixed feeders. In the wet seasons, they eat mainly fresh grasses, but during the dry seasons, they eat more

browse Browsing is a kind of orienting strategy. It is supposed to identify something of relevance for the browsing organism. When used about human beings it is a metaphor taken from the animal kingdom. It is used, for example, about people browsing o ...

, particularly foliage from woody plants bushes and herbaceous

forb A forb or phorb is an herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in biology and in vegetation ecology, especially in relation to grasslands and understory. Typically these are dicots without woo ...

Thomson's gazelles are dependent on short grass. Their numbers can be highly concentrated at the beginning of the rains when the grass grows quickly. In the Serengeti, they follow the larger herbivores, such as

plains zebra The plains zebra (''Equus quagga'', formerly ''Equus burchellii''), also known as the common zebra, is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra. Its range is fragmented, but spans much of southern and eastern Africa south of ...

s and

blue wildebeest The blue wildebeest (''Connochaetes taurinus''), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus '' Connochaetes'' and family Bovidae, a ...

s as they mow down the taller grasses. In the wild, Thomson's gazelles can live 10–15 years. Their major predators are

s, which are able to attain higher speeds, but gazelles can outlast them in long chases and are able to make turns more quickly. This small antelope can run extremely fast, up to , and zigzag, an adaptation which often saves it from predators. Sometimes, they are also taken by

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

African wild dog The African wild dog (''Lycaon pictus''), also called the painted dog or Cape hunting dog, is a wild canine which is a native species to sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest wild canine in Africa, and the only extant member of the genus '' Ly ...

s, hyenas,

Nile crocodile The Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus'') is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the central, eastern ...

s and

African rock python The Central African rock python (''Python sebae'') is a species of large constrictor snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of 11 living species in the genus ''Python''. Africa's largest snake and ...

s, and their fawns are sometimes the prey of

eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

jackal Jackals are medium-sized canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word "jackal" has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-backed ...

s, and

baboon Baboons are primates comprising the genus ''Papio'', one of the 23 genera of Old World monkeys. There are six species of baboon: the hamadryas baboon, the Guinea baboon, the olive baboon, the yellow baboon, the Kinda baboon and the chacma ba ...

s. A noticeable behaviour of Thomson's gazelles is their bounding leap, known as

stotting Stotting (also called pronking or pronging) is a behavior of quadrupeds, particularly gazelles, in which they spring into the air, lifting all four feet off the ground simultaneously. Usually, the legs are held in a relatively stiff position. M ...

pronking Stotting (also called pronking or pronging) is a behavior of quadrupeds, particularly gazelles, in which they spring into the air, lifting all four feet off the ground simultaneously. Usually, the legs are held in a relatively stiff position. Ma ...

, used to startle predators and display strength.

Social behavior

Thompson's Gazelles, squaring off, Serengeti

Gazella thomsonii Thomsons Gazelle in Tanzania 2573 Nevit

During the wet season, a time when grass is abundant, adult male gazelles graze extensively. They spread out more and establish breeding territories. Younger males usually spend their time in bachelor groups, and are prevented from entering the territories. Females form migratory groups that enter the males' territories, mostly the ones with the highest-quality resources. As the female groups pass through and forage, the territorial males may try to herd them, and are usually successful in preventing single females from leaving, but not whole groups. Subadult males usually establish dominance through actual combat, while adults are more likely to do rituals.Estes, R. (1991). ''The Behavior Guide to African Mammals, Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates.'' Los Angeles, The University of California Press. pgs. 70-75 If a bachelor male should be passing through a territorial male's region, the male will chase the offender out of his territory. When patrolling his territory, a male may use his horns to gore the grass, soil, or a bush.Walther, Fritz (1995). In the Country of Gazelles, Chapter 1; "Short-tail and Roman", pp. 1-37. Indiana University Press. Males also mark grass stems with their preorbital glands, which emit a dark secretion. Territories of different males may share a boundary. When territorial males meet at the border of their territories, they engage in mock fights in which they rush towards each other as if they are about to clash, but without touching. After this, they graze in a frontal position, then in parallel and then in reverse, and move away from each other while constantly grazing. These rituals have no victor, but merely maintain the boundaries of the territories. Territorial males usually do not enter another male's territory. If a male is chasing an escaping female, he will stop the chase if she runs into another territory, but the neighboring male will continue the chase.

Reproduction and parental care

A male gazelle follows a female and sniffs her urine to find out if she is in estrus, a process known as the

Flehmen response The flehmen response (; from German ''flehmen'', to bare the upper teeth, and Upper Saxon German ''flemmen'', to look spiteful), also called the flehmen position, flehmen reaction, flehmen grimace, flehming, or flehmening, is a behavior in which ...

. If so, he continues to court and mount her. Females leave the herd to give birth to single fawns after a five- to six-month gestation period. Birthing predominantly occurs after the rainy season, with newborn fawns weighing . They give birth twice yearly with one or two fawns.Kingdon, J. (1979). ''East African Mammals: An Atlas of Evolution in Africa, Volume 3, Part. D: Bovids''. University Chicago Press, Chicago pgs. 403–413. When giving birth, a female gazelle crouches as the newborn fawn drops to the ground, tearing the umbilical cord.Walther, Fritz (1995). ''In the Country of Gazelles'', Chapter 6: "On mothers and their young", pp. 94-113. Indiana University Press. The mother then licks the fawn clean of amniotic fluid and tissues. In addition, licking possibly also serves to stimulate the fawn's blood circulation, or to "label" it so its mother can recognize it by scent. In the first six hours of the fawn's life, it moves and rests with its mother, but eventually spends more time away from its mother or hides in the grass. The mother stays in the vicinity of the fawn and returns to nurse it daily. Mother and fawn may spend an hour together before the fawn goes and lies back down to wait for the next nursing. Mother gazelles may associate with other gazelle mothers, but the fawns do not gather into "kindergartens". Mothers defend their young against jackals and baboons, but not against larger predators. Sometimes, a female can fend off a male baboon by headbutting him with her horns to defend her fawn. Females exhibit pre-retrieval peaks in maternal vigilance. This behavior is conspicuous. Females all but cease other activities in favor of vigilance. They move slowly in the direction of the fawn’s hiding spot, stopping frequently to scan the environment. Several females in our observations engaged in “sham” feeding behavior, in which they lowered their heads to the ground as if to feed before quickly raising them back up to scan. In one instance, a female appeared to actively search for predators by climbing to the top of a slight hill to scan prior to approaching her fawn’s hiding spot. As the fawn approaches two months of age, it spends more time with its mother and less time hiding. Eventually, it stops hiding. Around this time, the fawn starts eating solid food, but continues to nurse from its mother. The pair also joins a herd. Young female gazelles may associate with their mothers as yearlings. Young males may also follow their mothers, but as they reach adolescence, they are noticed by territorial males, so cannot follow their mothers into territories. The mother may follow and stay with him, but eventually stops following him when he is driven away; the male will then join a bachelor group.

Physiological adaptations

In an experiment studying the effects of dehydration and heat stress on food intake and dry matter digestibility, Thomson’s gazelle exhibited metabolic adaptations for desert environments. When exposed to heat stress alone, neither the food intake nor digestion of Thomson’s gazelle was affected. Compared to some other East African ruminant species that did change their food intake and digestion in response to heat stress, Thomson’s gazelle appears relatively well-adapted to periodic heat stress. However, Thomson’s gazelle is a water-dependent species, and when exposed to dehydration, its food intake decreased. Food intake was further depressed when gazelles were exposed to dehydration in addition to heat stress. Some of this reduction can be attributed to decreased metabolism, which can help the animals conserve water. In another study comparing Thomson’s gazelles and Grant’s gazelles in foraging and behaviors to avoid predators, it was found that Thomson’s gazelle adjusted its diet during drought to eat more trees and shrubs of

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

species rather than undigestible dried grasses. Acacia species are high in tannins, anti-nutritional factors that can decrease metabolic performance. However, gazelles appear to have the ability to detoxify and metabolize some tannins and moderate levels of condensed tannins may even be beneficial to ruminants by increasing amino acid absorption in the gut.

Status

The population estimate is around 550,000. The population had declined 60% from 1978 to 2005. Threats to Thomson's gazelles are habitat modification, fire management, and road development. Surveys have reported steep declines (60-70%) over periods of about 20 years dating from the late 1970s in several places, including the main strongholds for the species: Serengeti,

Masai Mara Maasai Mara, also sometimes spelled Masai Mara and locally known simply as The Mara, is a large national game reserve in Narok, Kenya, contiguous with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. It is named in honor of the Maasai people, the ancest ...

, and

Ngorongoro The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (, ) is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Ngorongoro District, west of Arusha City in Arusha Region, within the Crater Highlands geological area of northern Tanzania. The area is n ...

Cultural references

References to the Thomson's gazelle were an occasional running gag in '' Monty Python's Flying Circus''. The 2016

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

film ''

Zootopia ''Zootopia'' (titled ''Zootropolis'' in various regions) is a 2016 American computer-animated buddy cop action comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 55th Disney animated feature film, ...

'' features an anthropomorphic Thomson's gazelle pop star, voiced by

Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...

. The Thomson's gazelle served as the inspiration for

Alexander McQueen Lee Alexander McQueen CBE (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier. He founded his own Alexander McQueen label in 1992, and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His achievements in fashio ...

's 1997 Autumn/Winter collection, ''It's a Jungle Out There''.