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Thomson's Gazelle-graceful runner
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The Thomson's Gazelle is the smallest, the most graceful and the fastest of all gazelles. This gazelle is also called 'Tommy', and its name was dedicated to the Scottish explorer, Joseph Thomson who explored the African continent in 1890. These beautiful antelopes are still one of the most common gazelles in East Africa and although numbers may populate some other regions of Africa. The Thomson's Gazelle still enjoys its life on farmland, grasslands and savannas in the Eastern Africa.
Interesting facts about the Thomson’s Gazelles
Thomson's Gazelles have a length of about 70 - 90 centimetres and are 60 to 90 centimetres tall. They weigh around 12 to 85 kilograms. Male Thomson's Gazelles are a little bit larger than females gazelle. These incredible animals feature a light brown coat and white underparts. They look different compared with the Grant's Gazelle and can be distinguished by their dark stripe which extends across their flanks. The Thomson’s Gazelle rump is white which goes underneath their tale.
These remarkable gazelles have a thin black stripe on their face which runs down from the eye, and also a dark marking on their nose and a pale patch on their forehead. Males include long pointed horns, marked with more than 20 rings and are curved backwards with the tips curving forwards.
Thomson's Gazelles have slim legs and a short, black tail which is permanently in move swinging back and forth more like a window blade wiper. These gazelles have large ears and eyes and a small muzzle. Their heads are small and they have a lightweight body that offers them the possibility to run fast and make sharp turns. They have a well developed sense of hearing and thanks to it can get the alarm signals from a long distance. They have great smell and sight which is the most important source of communicating with each other.
Thomson's Gazelles can be seen on dry, grassy plains in Sudan, Tanzania and the serengeti lands of Kenya. They like grasslands and shrubby steppes with trampled grass. Thomson's Gazelles are herbivores and can eat grass and other low vegetation. They will also browse on shrubs. Most of their required water comes from the vegetation they eat. Thomson's Gazelles form large herds to feed, perhaps because they prefer to live in safety and protection.
This gazelle is the main prey for many savanna predators such as lions, leopards, hyenas, hunting dogs and cheetahs. Thomson's Gazelles are very fast small runners and very often can outrun their predators. During their first flight from their predators, the gazelle can sprint at up to 80 kilometres per hour for more than 15 minutes. These adorable sprinters also run in different special ways to let know about the danger to the rest of their herd and confuse their attacker. They jump and form high arches and create a very interesting spectacle of jumpings. This behaviour is called 'pronking' making it more difficult for the gazelle to be brought down by their attackers.
Thomson's Gazelles are social and active animals and form large herds of over 200 individuals. Thomson's Gazelles sometimes gather with other hoofed animals such as zebra, wildebbest and other species of antelope. During the great migration, thousands of gazelles travel together seeking the water, especially during the dry season. Their territories can be shared with other species of ungulates with no problems. Thomson's Gazelles mark the edges of their own territories with a small secretion from scent glands located beneath their eyes. The gazelle hide the secretion onto a blade of grass around 20 feet apart every day.
Thomson's Gazelle Reproduction
Female gazelles usually give birth after the rainy season. The females give birth only to a single baby, known as a Fawn, after a gestation period of 5 - 6 months. After birth, for a short period of about 3 weeks the mother hides the fawn in tall grass and returns twice daily to take care of it until it is old enough to come close to their herd.
Fawns have a tawny camouflaged color that helps them to stay hidden in open land. Although adult gazelles can outrun a lion or cheetah, unfortunately almost half of all fawns will be attacked by predators before reaching adulthood. These gazelle are adorable animals that are spectacular when run and try to avoid the predators.
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By Eugenia Cvasov
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If something moves, someone else wants to know how fast it moves and the speed that is registered.
We cannot deny - the need for speed is in our blood.
To be fast in the animal kingdom is a very important factor when it comes to surviving.
To have a fast pair of legs can save the animals life and help catch up their food.
This case is valid in the human world also, not only in the animal kingdom.
The animals can move in a different way, but they all fight for one thing, just to stay alive.
Several animals can run extremely fast and keep peace in their natural environment.
These are really unique animals that enchant our eyes with spectacular races and fights.
Take a deep look how far some creatures have to be in order to get away.
For true lovers of animals we will recommend a list of the fastest animals in the world with a lot of useful and interesting information.
We cannot deny - the need for speed is in our blood.
To be fast in the animal kingdom is a very important factor when it comes to surviving.
To have a fast pair of legs can save the animals life and help catch up their food.
This case is valid in the human world also, not only in the animal kingdom.
The animals can move in a different way, but they all fight for one thing, just to stay alive.
Several animals can run extremely fast and keep peace in their natural environment.
These are really unique animals that enchant our eyes with spectacular races and fights.
Take a deep look how far some creatures have to be in order to get away.
For true lovers of animals we will recommend a list of the fastest animals in the world with a lot of useful and interesting information.
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Thomson's Gazelle-graceful runner - Clever animals
Thomson's Gazelle-graceful runner - Enchanting fight
Thomson's Gazelle-graceful runner - Amazing herd
Thomson's Gazelle-graceful runner - Beautiful animal
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