Thomson's gazelle is a small, fast antelope native to the grasslands and savannas of East Africa, particularly associated with the Serengeti and Maasai Mara ecosystems, recognized by its tan coat with a bold black horizontal stripe along its side and its constantly flicking, black-tipped tail. It is renowned for a behavior called stotting, in which it leaps stiff-legged into the air repeatedly, apparently signaling fitness and alertness to predators such as cheetahs, which are among its main threats given the gazelle's own considerable speed. Thomson's gazelles are grazers that favor short grasses and often follow larger migratory herds such as wildebeest, benefiting from the fresh grass regrowth left in their wake. The species remains numerous across its range and is classified as being of least concern.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status (w-bfill-g5-0924 browse backfill). Disputed
Population EstimateThe article gives two different figures: the lead paragraph says numbers exceeding 200,000 across Africa, while the dedicated population estimate later in the article gives around 550,000; this atlas records the more specific, directly-stated population-section figure rather than the vaguer lead-paragraph floor. Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceA small, very fast antelope capable of top speeds around 80 to 90 km/h, making it the fourth-fastest land animal after the cheetah, pronghorn and springbok. 1 Scientific Name Conservation StatusThe live English article prose never states the IUCN category in words; it is recorded only in the automatic taxobox status field, so no prose Quote is stored here rather than storing the raw infobox parameter itself as a quote. Connections
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Africa, found in there.
Sources
1. Thomson's Gazelle (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationTaxonomy and etymology section, sentence 1
The current scientific name of Thomson's gazelle is Eudorcas thomsonii.
- Automatic taxobox, status field (IUCN Red List, 2018 assessment, errata 2020, article-number e.T8982A172360006), article wikitext section 0
Population section, sentence 1
The population estimate is around 550,000.
Lead paragraph, sentence 2
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.
View the Source 2. EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014)
3. Thomson's Gazelle (Wikipedia)
4. GBIF Species API
Wikidata: Thomson's Gazelle
Wikidata Q271705, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Thomson's Gazelle (Wikidata)
WikidataWikidata Q271705 (P1034 main food source): grassQuote, Wikidata Q271705 (P1034 main food source): grass
Main food source (Wikidata property P1034): grass.
View the Source Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: ArtiodactylaView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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