Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.1 / 21 / 2Thomson's gazelles photographed at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in OhioThomson's gazelles photographed at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in OhioPhotograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo ArkAnimalsPhoto ArkThomson's GazelleShareTweetEmailCommon Name: Thomson's GazelleScientific Name: Eudorcas thomsoniiType: MammalsDiet: HerbivoreGroup Name: HerdAverage Life Span In The Wild: 10 to 12 yearsSize: Height at the shoulder: 20 to 43 inchesWeight: 26 to 165 poundsSize relative to a 6-ft man: IUCN Red List Status: ? Near threatened LCNTVUENCREWEX Least Concern Extinct Current Population Trend: DecreasingThomson's gazelles are medium-sized antelopes found in East Africa. HerdsThese grazing antelopes live in herds, which can consist of as few as ten or as many as several hundred animals. During the plentiful rainy season, thousands of animals can be seen gathering in large groups.Life on the Open PlainsGazelles typically frequent wide-open spaces and plains, where they browse on grasses, shoots, and leaves.Open plains make them visible to predators like cheetahs or wild dogs, but gazelles are fleet of foot. The Thomson's gazelle can reach speeds of 40 miles an hour.Some gazelle species eschew the grasslands for mountainous landscapes or even deserts. During the dry season some grassland gazelles will even take to the African bush in search of water.CharactertisticsGazelles are nimble and beautiful animals, with a variety of stripes and markings that accentuate their tan buff coats and white rumps. They also boast a impressive, ringed horns. These attributes make many gazelles attractive as game animals.ReproductionAfter a pregnancy of about six months, female gazelles give birth to one or two young and hide them in the plains grasses. These infants will remain out of sight for days or even weeks, being periodically nursed by their mother, until they are old enough to join the mother's herd, in the case of females, or a bachelor herd.ShareTweetEmailLegalTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyYour US State Privacy RightsChildren's Online Privacy PolicyInterest-Based AdsAbout Nielsen MeasurementDo Not Sell or Share My Personal InformationOur SitesNat Geo HomeAttend a Live EventBook a TripBuy MapsInspire Your KidsShop Nat GeoVisit the D.C. MuseumWatch TVLearn About Our ImpactSupport Our MissionMastheadPress RoomAdvertise With UsJoin UsSubscribeCustomer ServiceRenew SubscriptionManage Your SubscriptionWork at Nat GeoSign Up for Our NewslettersContribute to Protect the PlanetFollow usNational Geographic InstagramNational Geographic FacebookNational Geographic TwitterNational Geographic YoutubeNational Geographic LinkedinNational Geographic TiktokNational Geographic RedditUnited States (Change)Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright © 2015-2025 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved, Thomson's gazelles can be found in numbers exceeding 200,000 [1] in Africa and are recognized as the most common type of gazelle in East Africa. A small fast antelope, the Thomson's gazelle is said to have top speeds up to 80–90 km/h (50–55 mph). It is the fourth-fastest land animal, after the cheetah (its main predator), pronghorn, and springbok., What is a Thomson’s gazelle? These small gazelles, named for researcher Joseph Thomson, have light-brown coats with dark stripes running down their sides, a white patch on their rumps extending underneath the tail, and ridged horns that curve backward..