Home › Animalia › Animalpedia › Mammals › Dorcas gazelle
Presentation
The Dorcas gazelle is a small, elegant antelope perfectly adapted to the arid environments of the Sahara and the Middle East. It is distinguished by its graceful build, long slender legs, and large expressive eyes. It is one of the most delicate and iconic gazelles of North African deserts.
The Dorcas gazelle has a light brown to grey-brown coat, paler on the sides and underside. Its horns, present in males and typically absent in females, are long, thin, and slightly curved. It is also characterized by black stripes on the flanks and a distinctive white rump.
Characteristics
Indicative values: they vary by subspecies, sex and region.
Habitat and distribution
The Dorcas gazelle is specialized in desert and semi-desert habitats, particularly sandy and rocky deserts as well as arid steppes. It prefers areas with sparse but sufficient vegetation for feeding. It can survive in regions with extremely low annual rainfall.
CURRENT RANGE
The Dorcas gazelle is distributed in the arid and semi-arid regions of the Sahara and the Middle East, from Morocco and Algeria in the west to the Arabian Peninsula in the east. Its range also extends to West Africa and Egypt. Isolated populations exist in various regions of the Sahel.
Behaviour
The Dorcas gazelle is a diurnal and crepuscular animal, particularly active during the coolest hours of the day. It lives in small groups of 1 to 6 individuals, often females with their young. It is very fast and can reach 60 km/h when fleeing predators. It is also known for its remarkable endurance in the desert.
Reproduction
The Dorcas gazelle reaches sexual maturity at 1.5-2 years of age. The breeding season typically occurs from November to December. After a gestation period of about 165 days, the female gives birth to one or two young. Nursing lasts 3 to 4 months.
Peculiarities
The Dorcas gazelle has a unique physiology allowing it to go long periods without drinking water, obtaining hydration mainly from vegetation. Its eyes are particularly developed to detect threats at great distances. It is capable of withstanding extreme temperature variations.
Threats and conservation
The Dorcas gazelle faces several threats: habitat loss due to degradation and fragmentation of desert areas, overgrazing, unregulated hunting, and climate change affecting water and food resource availability. Poaching remains a concern in some regions.
Numbers and trends vary across sources and regions. See the IUCN assessment for the latest reference data.
Gallery
1 documented photographs.
References
UICN — Liste rouge des espèces menacées
Profile updated 08 August 2026 · Reviewed by the TunisieVet editorial team.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Vulnerable (VU)
IUCN source, latest published assessment.
Related species
Similar animals
Other species documented in Animalpedia.