Thomson’s Gazelle - Gazella Thomsoni
Habitat:
Open plains and grasslands
Range:
Southern Kenya to northern Tanzania
Activity Cycle:
Diurnal
Features:
Notably smaller than the Grant’s gazelle, but similar in shape and color. A dark side stripe runs from the shoulder to the flanks, with a white patch on the backside, which distinguishes its jet black tail. It has a dark tan coloring on the topside and a white underbelly.
Size:
Weight: 30 to 65 pounds. They can be between 23-28 inches tall at the shoulder.
Social Structure:
Live in herds of up to 200 members.
Life Expectancy:
10 to 15 years
Diet:
Browser – herbivore; eats short grass left behind by larger ungulates such as wildebeest and zebras, which trample the tall grass. Grasses make up 90% of the diet in the dry season, but it also eats seeds and browses on shrubs.
Reproduction:
They breed twice a year. Gestation is around 6 months long. Birthing takes place year round, but most births come right after the rainy seasons. After giving birth the mother hides the newborn in the grass, returning several times a day to nurse it. The young are capable of remaining still for long periods of time and their camouflage keeps them relatively invisible in the brush.
Status:
They are Near Threatened according to the IUCN and are part of an AZA Species Survival Plan.
AZA cooperatively manages this species as a Species Survival Plan® Program.
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