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Gazella thomsoni is often called Thomson's Gazelle. It is a modern relative
of Palaeoreas. Both are in the subfamily Antilopinae. However, Gazella thomsoni
is in the tribe Antilopini. Palaeoreas has not been placed in any modern tribe.
The cranio-comual morphology of Gazella thomsoni is different from that of
Palaeoreas.
Gazella thomsoni lives in the Sergengeti region of Tazania and Kenya, but is
also found in the Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
The diet of this gazelle consists of grass and low lying vegetation. Gazella
thomsoni has a height of 60-90 cm. (24-35 inches). It weighs 13-22 kg. (29-40
pounds). The coat is light brown, but the underportion is white. There is a
black stripe that runs along the side. The rump has a white spot that goes up
above the tail. Thomson's Gazelle can make a spectacular leap. It frequently
gets together with wildebeests and zebras. Although a male Thomson's Gazelle
will chase other males of its species out of its territory, it does not object
to males of other species being there.
The female bears a single fawn. She can give birth twice a year, which is
unusual for ungulates. The gestation period is 5-6 months.
Neal Robbins
P.S. The taxonomy of Gazella thomsoni is:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Suborder: Ruminantia
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Antilopinae
Tribe: Antilopini
Genus: Gazella
Species: Gazella thomsoni
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