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) Relationship to People 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. Comparison
CITES Appendix 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
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
Source Thomson's Gazelle (Wikipedia)
In Ecosystem
Source Thomson's Gazelle (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
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.
In Ecosystem: Serengeti, Taxonomy and etymology
Two subspecies are identified: E. t. nasalis (Lönnberg, 1908), Serengeti Thomson's gazelle ranges from the Serengeti to the Kenya Rift Valley.
In Biome: Grassland, Ecology
Thomson's gazelle lives in East Africa's savannas and grassland habitats, particularly the Serengeti region of Kenya and Tanzania.
View the Source 2. EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014)
3. Thomson's Gazelle (Wikipedia)
4. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Eudorcas thomsonii (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyConservation Status: CITES
CITES No special status
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive (hunted-fished)
Thomson's gazelles may be hunted for skin and meat
View the Source 5. 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.
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: ArtiodactylaView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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