One of the 7 gazelles on WAnimals
Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae
Dorcas Gazelle
Gazella dorcas
Vulnerable
At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.
The dorcas gazelle is the smallest and hardiest gazelle of the Sahara and Arabia. It is extraordinarily well adapted to drought: it can live its whole life without drinking, taking its water from plants and dew, and it concentrates its urine to extreme levels so as not to lose fluid. It lives in small family groups and moves about following the rains. Hunting from off-road vehicles has wiped out entire populations in the Sahara over recent decades.
Weight
15 kg – 25 kg
Size
90 cm – 1.1 m
Life expectancy
12 years
