Wildlife
Thomson's gazelles are found mainly in Tanzania and Kenya, and there's a small population in southern Sudan. They form herds of up to 200 individuals, but form much looser groups while migrating. Like other gazelles they perform 'stotting' or 'pronking' when alarmed by a predator. This involves jumping repeatedly with legs stiff and back curved and landing on all fours. Stotting is thought to demonstrate to the predator the amount of energy the gazelle has and thus to forestall a long chase by telling it 'I'm too athletic for you to catch'.
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Can't catch me
Thomson's gazelles let the wild dogs know that they are too strong and swift to catch.
Thomson's gazelles let the wild dogs know that they are too strong and swift to catch.
Fleet footed tommies
Cheetahs have been waiting months for Thomson's gazelles to turn up.
Cheetahs have been waiting months for Thomson's gazelles to turn up.
The Thomson's gazelle can be found in a number of locations including: Africa. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Thomson's gazelle distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Tropical grasslandDiscover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
The Thomson's gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii) is one of the best-known gazelles. It is named after explorer Joseph Thomson and, as a result, is sometimes referred to as a "tommie". It is considered by some to be a subspecies of the Red-fronted Gazelle and was formerly considered a member of the genus Gazella within the subgenus Eudorcas, before Eudorcas was elevated to genus status. Thomson's gazelles can be found in numbers exceeding 500 000 in Africa and are recognized as the most common type of gazelle in East Africa.
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Migration
Predation defence
Colonial
Herbivorous
Nomadic
Polygynous
Active at birth
Adapted to running
Chemical communication
Sexual dimorphism
Territorial
Viviparous