Gazelle
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Thomson's Gazelle |
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Scientific classification |
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Species |
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Several, see text |
This
article is about the antelope species. For other uses, see Gazelle
(disambiguation).
A gazelle is an antelope
of the genus Gazella. Gazelles are known as swift animals; they
are able to reach high speeds for long periods of time. Gazelles are mostly
found in the grasslands and savannas of Africa, but they are also found in
southwest Asia. They tend to live in herds and will eat less coarse, easily digestible
plants and leaves.
The gazelle species are
classified as part of the order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae and genus Gazella.
Members of the Articodacycla order are principally distinguished by the foot;
they have an even number of toes (The bovid family comprises 6 genera and 12
species.) The taxonomy of the genus Gazella is a confused one, and the
classification of species and subspecies has been an unsettled issue. Three
species—the Red Gazelle, the Arabian Gazelle, and the Queen of Sheba's Gazelle—are
extinct. All other gazelle species are listed as endangered, to varying
degrees.
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 (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 principle advanced by Amotz
Zahavi in the study of animal communication and behaviour.