Gazelle
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A gazelle is an antelope of the genus Gazella. Gazelles are known as swift animals; they can reach speeds of up to 100 km/hour, and maintain speeds of 50 km/h for a long time. Gazelles are mostly found in the grasslands and savannas of Africa, but also in south-west Asia. They live in large herds and eat grass.
A recognizable example of the gazelle is Thomson's Gazelle (Gazella thomsonii), which is around 60 to 90 cm in height at the shoulder and is coloured brown and white with a distinguishing black stripe (as in the picture on the right). The males have long, often curved, horns. Tommies, as they are familiarly called, exhibit a distinctive behaviour of stotting (that is running slowly and jumping high before fleeing) when they are threatened by predators such as lions or cheetahs. This is a primary piece of evidence for the handicap theory advanced by Amotz Zahavi in the study of animal communication and behaviour.
- Indian Gazelle, G. bennettii
- Cuvier's Gazelle, G. cuvieri
- Dama gazelle, G. dama
- Dorcas Gazelle, G. dorcas
- Mountain Gazelle, G. gazella
- Grant's Gazelle, G. granti
- Rhim Gazelle, G. leptoceros
- Red-fronted Gazelle, G. rufifrons
- Saudi Gazelle, G. saudiya
- Slender-horned Gazelle, G. leptoceros
- Soemmerring's Gazelle, G. soemmerringii
- Speke's Gazelle, G. spekei
- Goitered Gazelle, G. subgutturosa
- Thomson's Gazelle, G. thomsonii
This article is about the animal. See also Gazelle, California and GAZelle automobile.
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