Description
Dama gazelle are white with a tannish-brown head and neck. Both sexes usually have medium length ringed horns curved like an "S". Males' horns are about 35 cm (14 in) long, while females' horns are much shorter. The gazelles' heads are small with narrow muzzles, their eyes are relatively large, and they have longer necks and legs than most gazelles. These animals are between 90 to 110 cm (35 to 43 in) tall at the shoulder, weigh between 35 and 75 kg (77 and 170 lb), and have a life span of up to 12 years or 18 in captivity. After just a few days following birth, dama young are strong enough to follow the herd, and after a week, they are able to run as fast as the adults.
Damas are considered the largest type of gazelle, with incredibly long legs, which provide extra surface area on their body to dissipate heat, one of the many ways they stay cool in their hot desert environment. They also tend to need more water than some of their desert relatives, but they can withstand fairly long periods of drought. Unlike many other desert mammals, dama are a diurnal species, meaning they are active during the day.
Always on the alert, dama use a behavior called pronking to warn herd members of danger. Pronking involves the animal hopping up and down with all four of their legs stiff, so that their limbs all leave and touch the ground at the same time. Males also establish territories, and during breeding season they actively exclude other mature males. They mark their territories with urine and dung piles and secretions from glands near their eyes.
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